Creation of a computer representation of a three-dimensional object surface
is described. The viewing cones for camera positions at which images of the object
were taken are determined and the intersection of these viewing cones is used to
define an initial three-dimensional space within which the object surface lies.
This initial space is divided into voxels. Each non-occluded voxel is checked for
photoconsistency by comparing the colors (or average colors) of the pixel patches
in the images to which that voxel projects. Photo-inconsistent voxels are removed.
A voxel may be determined to be photo-inconsistent if there exists no set of photoconsistent
pixel regions or the pixel patches do not share a color value range. The pixel
patch into which each voxel projects in a further image may be compared with the
stored color for that voxel and any photo-inconsistent voxels removed. This process
can then be repeated for further images.