METHOD FOR TRANSFORMING TWO-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE INTO CORRESPONDING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT, AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT The subject invention provides a method for transforming a two- dimensional image into a corresponding three-dimensional object, and a three-dimensional object itself. In particular, the subject invention makes it possible to give a spatial form to a flat image created by means of any arbitrary technique, for example to a photograph, drawing or a computer- generated image. The solution as per this invention provides possibilities not only for practical applications to transform flat images into fundamen- tally real spatial creations, but also for the expressing artistic visions.

Many techniques are known for presenting a flat image in a man- ner that it gives an impression of a spatial nature of the presented object when being watched. These techniques include holography. Such virtual spatial effect is obtained commonly by means of computer techniques supported by numerous computer programs.

According to the invention, a method is provided for transforming a two-dimensional image into a corresponding three-dimensional object, which comprises dividing the two-dimensional image into n fragments, constituting the flat image representation of each of arbitrarily estab- lished n layers of the three-dimensional object, transferring the individual n fragments onto light-permeable foundation layers, and then positioning the foundation layers one after another, in a sequence from the first layer to the n layer, where each of the n fragments is fitted between the two adjacent fragments positioned before and after the mentioned n frag- ment.

The contour lines of each of n fragments are softened by blurring.

The foundation layers are'spaced apart from each other.

A three-dimensional object of the invention comprises a system of n foundation layers made of a light-permeable material, positioned one after another, and bearing the individual n fragments constituted by rep- resentation in flat image of each of the arbitrarily established n layers of the three-dimensional object, where the foundation layers are positioned one after another, in a sequence from the first layer to the n layer, and furthermore the foundation layers are positioned with regard to each other in such a manner that each of the n fragments is fitted between each of the two adjacent fragments positioned in front of and behind the mentioned n fragment.

The foundation layers are layers made of a partly transparent ma- terial.

A method of the invention makes it possible to make a spatial form of a flat image created by means of any arbitrarily selected technique, for example a photograph, drawing or an image generated by a computer program. A human face portrayed by any technique can be transformed in a non-virtual spatial form that shows a human head corresponding to the portrait. Many possible applications for this invention can be ex- pected, one of them is that in crime detection.

The subject invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment shown by the drawings enclosed, where Fig. 1 shows a photograph of a three-dimensional object; Fig. 2a shows the three- dimensional object at the moment when the photography is taken; Fig.

2b shows a system of contour lines formed at the contact point of the surface of the solid of the object being shot with the planes that define boundaries of each of the n layers; Fig. 2c shows a photograph of the three-dimensional object; Fig. 3 shows a map of contour lines obtained through transferring the plane of the lines onto the photograph plane, Fig. 4a shows a photograph of a three-dimensional object with an exem- plary fragment cut off, where the fragment is one of the n fragments; Fig.

4b shows an exemplary cut off fragment of a photograph with sharp edge lines ; Fig. 4c shows the cut off fragment of the photograph of Fig. 4b with the edge lines softened by blurring; Fig. 5 shows foundation layers with the individual fragments of the two-dimensional image transferred thereon; Fig. 6 shows foundation layers with the individual fragments of the two-dimensional image plotted thereon and prepared for being fitted one after another; Fig. 7a shows a perspective view of the foundation layers with the individual fragments of the two-dimensional image trans- ferred thereunto and in directly adjacent positions; Fig. 7b shows an essentially front perspective view of the foundation layers with the indi- vidual fragments of the two-dimensional image transferred thereunto, in directly adjacent positions, which produces a real spatial effect ; Fig. 7c shows an essentially rear view of the foundation layers with the individual fragments of the two-dimensional image transferred thereunto, in directly adjacent positions, which produces a real spatial effect; and Fig. 8a, Fig.

8b, and Fig. 8c illustrate an impression of a three-dimensional solid im- mersed in a transparent space, produced as a result of watching an in- ventive three-dimensional object from numerous arbitrary directions, seemingly rotating as the watching angle is changed.

The photograph presented by Fig. 1, being the starting two- dimensional image for further processing, visualizes a three-dimensional object and it is taken by means of a macrograph camera, where the light is arranged in such a manner that a flat image produces an illusion of space.

Fig. 2a shows a three-dimensional object A comprising the pattern of a woman's head at the moment when the photograph of Fig. 1 is being taken by means of a camera B supplied with a lens aligned in an optical axis C. The three-dimensional object is cross-cut by parallel planes no to n10, positioned perpendicularly to the optical axis C, where the plane no closest to the lens comprises a contact point x positioned in that part of the three-dimensional object A, which is at the shortest distance from the lens of the camera B. The intersection of each of the planes no to n10 with the surface of the solid of the object A being shot results in a series of contour lines x1 to x9. Each of these contour lines x1 to x9 is a set of points being arranged at the same distance from the plane no.

It is possible to deviate from the parallelism of the planes no to n10, but they should not intersect with each other or with the plane no within the object being shot. The planes can also be deformed, but they should not intersect with each other or with the plane no within the object being shot. The simultaneous deviation from one or both of these requirements may cause the impression of deformation of the three-dimensional object obtained as a result of transformation of the flat image.

The drawing of Fig. 2b shows a set of contour lines x1 to x9 in one contour lines plane, constituted by projection of all the contour lines x1 to x9 onto one common plane parallel to the plane no.

Fig. 2c shows the photograph plane with the object A, parallel to the plane no, and corresponding to the object A projected onto the plane A parallel to the plane no.

However, it should be noted that the three-dimensional object be- ing shot can be replaced with any composition of objects or with any segment of space.

The number of planes parallel to the plane no can be arbitrarily se- lected, depending on the degree of complexity of an object presented in the photograph to be transformed into a three-dimensional object or to the desired quality of a spatial object obtained as a result of such trans- formation.

Fig. 3 shows a map of contour lines, obtained as a result of plot- ting the plane of lines onto the photograph plane, whereby the fragments of the solid of the object A being shot, closed between the planes in the space, correspond to the fragments of the picture closed between the contour lines in the map of contour lines.

Fig. 4a shows a method for preparing one of the n fragments of an object visualized in the photograph, comprising cutting the fragment off and leaving an empty place indicated with the letter D. The n fragment cut off in this manner is shown by Fig. 4b; and Fig. 4c shows representa- tion thereof after the contour lines have been"softened"by blurring.

This"softening"of the contour lines is desired for obtaining the ef- fect of"fusion"of the edges of this n fragment with the edges of the adja- cent fragments, the complete set of which is shown by Fig. 5 after they have been transferred onto the n foundation layers.

The foundation layers w1 to w10 shown by Fig. 5 refer to the case of the exemplary photograph of Fig. 1. The number of the layers can be arbitrarily selected, suitably to the desired quality of the spatial effect of the three-dimensional solid to be obtained. Additionally, the foundation layer w0 is used with an exemplary logo overprint.

The foundation layers can be made of any fully or partly transpar- ent material such as a film, sheet of acrylic polymer, glass or diapositive.

The image in a form of n fragments can be transferred onto these foun- dation layers by any technique for recording images, for example by plotter printing, serigraphy or by exposure.

Fig. 6 illustrates the foundation layers wO to w10 positioned in the required sequence and spaced apart so as to produce an illusion of three dimensions. It is advantageous to have the format of the individual layers exactly the same, and to transfer the individual n fragments of the flat image thereon with the same orientation preserved, for example with regard to a line coincident with the optical axis commented with refer- ence to Fig. 2a. Upon positioning the individual foundation layers, they are permanently joined together by any assembling technique, for exam- ple by using an adhesive or by insertion into suitable mounting frame.

Fig. 7a, Fig. 7b and Fig. 7c present an exemplary three- dimensional object thus obtained in three different positions, showing spatial effect of an immovable solid"immersed"in transparent space, which can be observed from essentially every direction, excluding the directions parallel or almost parallel to the planes of the individual foun- dation layers. The effect of depth depends on the number of n fragments into which the flat image has been divided and on the distances between the individual n foundation layers, while the obtained spatial object has its obverse and reverse.

An exemplary embodiment of the inventive method applied in practice encompasses the following activities performed subsequently: a) preparing an image/photograph of an object/three-dimensional model ; b) plotting a map of contour lines into the image according to some adopted layer division for a three-dimensional object; c) dividing the image into fragments along the contour lines ; d) transferring the fragments onto transparent foundation layers ; e) positioning the foundation layers in a predetermined sequence and at preselected distances from each other; and finally f) permanent or releasable joining these layers together.