Computer visualization of wood : some important aspects

Abstract: Research regarding the aesthetic features of wood and people's preferences for different appearances of wood has to date been rather limited. Today it is common to use computers to show how a room or product will look when or if it is produced. This thesis presents the results of a quest to learn which aspects are of importance when visualizing wood. The objective of the first two studies was to find and gather words and descriptions for aspects of wood visualization and to categorize them. The objective for the third study was to find a method for measuring peoples' preferences for wood on internet and to describe these differences in preference amongst the interviewed respondents. The objective for the latest study arose in an attempt to use the descriptions found in the first studies to search for an experienced difference between an image on paper and the same image on a computer screen. This thesis does not cover computer visualization in general or the differences between wood species. The basis for the studies in this thesis is qualitative interviews based on the Grounded Theory method, focus groups and two-by-two comparisons. With the findings from the first studies, it was interesting to try to verify them and at the same time rank found aspects that seemed to be important and test a hypothesis regarding preferred exaggeration when visualizing wooden interiors. There are some bias risks involved in paper IV, and these are discussed openly. Given the results from these four studies, it is easier see the entirety of the complex topic visualization of wooden interiors. Since smart exaggeration (rather than merely correct photorealism) and being part of the whole (the context is critical) are more important than merely having a correct texture, it is time to start work with factors that make wood interact with its context. Light is a good example of this. The light gleam reflecting from the wooden surface tells us that this is not just a flat texture, but a topological and varying structure. The contrast and color of the wooden surface are also crucial.