This invention provides an apparatus and the like, which render an object
from a predetermined view direction by a method using microfacet
billboarding using 2D images obtained by photographing an object to be
rendered from a plurality of photographing directions, and a depth image
of the object to be rendered. This method obtains the geometrical shape
of the object to be rendered on the basis of the depth image and the
like, and approximates the geometrical shape using a set of microfacets
whose directions change depending on the view direction. By mapping 2D
images selected based on the view direction and photographing directions
onto the respective microfacets as texture images, an arbitrary shaped
object and landscape can be efficiently rendered.