Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for identifying hidden and visible surfaces on an n-dimensional object. An n-dimensional image of an object is generated, the image including a first plurality of n-dimensional components that define a shape and orientation of the image and a plurality of parts located inside the image. An n-dimensional grid of pixels is superimposed on the image. The pixels are arranged in a lattice structure such that each pixel of the grid corresponds to one of a plurality of vertices of an m-sided cell, wherein each side of the m-sided cell includes at least four vertices. A second plurality of n-dimensional components located on an outer perimeter of the image that abut or overlap at least one side of one m-sided cell in the grid is then identified. The second plurality of n-dimensional components constitute the components of the n-dimensional object that are hidden and need not be repeatedly re-rendered.

Abstract: A computer graphics system generate a pixel value for a pixel in an image to simulate global illumination represented by an evaluation of an unknown function ƒ of the form f ? ( x ) = g ? ( x ) + ? 0 1 ? K ? ( x , y ) ? f ? ( y ) ? ? ? ? y , g(x) and K(x,y) known functions, with K(x,y) a “kernel” including a function associated with at least two colors.

Abstract: A system and method for deploying one or more graphical programs on a portable computing device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) device. One or more selected graphical programs may be programmatically converted to an executable format that can be executed by the portable computing device. For example, the graphical programs may be initially represented as a plurality of data structures that define or specify the operation of the respective graphical programs, and conversion software program may operate to access these data structures from memory and convert the data structures to an executable format suitable for the portable computing device. The executable may be transferred to the portable computing device for execution.

Abstract: A method for modifying characteristics of an animation. An animation is created for a live broadcast and comprises graphic data including first parameters and references to editable parameters. The editable parameters have their characteristics, including a value and a description for each editable parameter, stored as metadata. The graphic data is instantiated by a metafile containing the metadata to determine the overall characteristics of an animation used during the live broadcast. The metadata may be independently modified on remote processing systems without having access to said graphic data. Finally, the animation is rendered during a broadcast, during which both the first and editable parameters are used to determine characteristics of the rendered animation.

Abstract: A data processing method for compressing vertex coordinate data of a plurality of polygons approximating a three-dimensional shape of an image, an apparatus therefor, and a program recording medium therefor. Vertexes of a plurality of polygons approximating a three-dimensional shape of an image are divided into a plurality of vertex sets. A reference point is defined for each of the vertex sets. As positional information of each vertex in each of the vertex sets, differential data between the coordinates of the vertex and the coordinates of the reference point is obtained as an integer value indicating the magnitude relative to a predetermined scale value. The coordinate data of the reference point and the differential data in each of the vertex sets are compressed data.

Abstract: The present invention converts a wide-angle lens image into a two dimensional view with reduced distortion and warping. The present invention uses a graphics engine which accepts a shape, an image, and a viewing position. An effective lens shape, corresponding to the recording lens, an image as well as a image-related viewing position is supplied to the graphics engine. The graphic engine projects the image on the effective shape and displays a portion of the image from the viewing position. The recording lens is often a wide-angle lens. The graphics rendering engine maps the wide-angle lens image onto an effective lens shape and displays sections of the mapped image on the shape in a full screen view. Portions of or the entire image are viewable at any one time. Use of acceleration hardware permits frame per second rates of display of up to 60 and greater frames per second. Typical wide-angle recording lenses include “fisheye” lenses and torus shaped (doughnut) lenses.

Abstract: A three-dimensional measuring method comprising the following steps of: carrying out plural-time measurements with respect to a point on an object along the same line of vision using a three-dimensional measuring device; acquiring distance information on a distance between the point on the object and the three-dimensional measuring device for each measurement; determining a difference of the distance information of each point; making a decision such that the measurement is successful when the difference is smaller than a predetermined value; and making a decision such that the measurement is unsuccessful when the difference is larger than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A method of acquiring a graphic prescription from an operator of an imaging device comprises displaying a first two-dimensional view of a first localizer image and a second two-dimensional view of a second localizer image, and displaying a three-dimensional view of the first and second localizer images. The first and second two-dimensional views of the first and second localizer images are displayed in first and second viewing regions of a graphic prescription interface. The three-dimensional view shows the first and second localizer images relative to each other in overlapping fashion in a common viewing region of the graphic prescription interface. The method also allows a previous prescription to be displayed as a cross reference, and allows a prescription to fallback to any localizer image in a sequence of localizer images.

Abstract: A user of a virtual object or computer model uses a haptic interface device in the real world to manipulate a virtual tool in a virtual environment to interact and modify the virtual object. The user uses the virtual tool in a sculpting mode to modify the shape of the virtual object by adding, removing, or modifying the material of the object. The user feels an interaction force from the virtual tool as it interacts with and modifies the virtual object. The designer can set geometric constraints, such as a constraint point, constraint line, or constraint surface, to limit or guide the movement of the virtual tool.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for guiding flight through a computer digital mockup object scene is generated on a display. A three dimensional graphical figure, such as an arrow, is formed on the display to represent a trajectory responsive to positioning of an input device. The three dimensional graphical figure is bent responsive to rotation speed of a viewpoint base; and stretched or compressed responsive to viewpoint translation speed. The visual texture of the three dimensional graphical figure can be altered to indicate an imminent collision of the viewpoint with an object in the digital mock up scene. Altering the texture can include changing the color or presenting a pattern such as a checkerboard or stripes. An imminent collision is determined by computing the viewpoint eye translation along its sight direction and testing the resulting eye position against the depth buffer.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to create a method to allow a real person or movable physical object to occlude virtual objects in a augmented reality application using a single tracking data sensor for objects or only head tracking data for a real person. The method involves occluding virtual objects with a real world human in augmented reality. The method comprises creating an orthogonal plane billboard with soft texture edges representing a user's head; creating an orthogonal plane billboard with soft texture edges representing a user's torso; positioning and orienting the head billboard using motion tracker data; positioning and orienting the torso billboard relative to the head billboard; displaying the head and torso billboards in real-time 3-D to correspond to the location of a real person; and mixing the resulting image with a live image of a real person.

Abstract: A method and system for incorporating a personalized wireframe image within a computer software application. The method can include comparing an acquired image of a computer software application user with one or more pre-stored wireframe images in an image database. One of the pre-stored wireframe images can be selected which has image attributes similar to attributes of the acquired image. The selected wireframe image can be modified, the modification creating the personalized wireframe image of the user. Finally, the personalized wireframe image can be incorporated as a character within the computer software application. For example, the computer software application can be a computer gaming application.

Abstract: At respective positions spaced from each other on an optic axis of illumination light, a plurality of polygons, each of which corresponds to the shape of a transverse cross section at each position of a virtual region gradually expanded as the illumination light advances from a light source 1 in an optic axis direction are disposed so that the normal of each polygon orients toward a view point in a virtual three-dimensional space. The position of each polygon on the optic axis is set so that at least adjacent polygons are partially superimposed. A texture expressing divergence of illumination light is mapped to each polygon. The size in a direction orthogonal to the optic axis of a virtual region is changed based on a distance from the view point to the light source. The magnification of the virtual region to the distance from the light source is differentiated based on a relationship between an optic axis direction and a direction in which the light source is viewed from the view point.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a data zone expansion circuit and an image processing circuit. The data zone expansion circuit receives input data, increases a number of data bits of said input data, and provides data with the increased number of data bits. The image processing circuit performs image processing on said data with the increased number of data bits.

Abstract: An input device is used to generate input strokes on a display device. The input strokes are acquired and resampled to be evenly spaced. Then, depth values are assigned to the resampled 2D points to form 3D contours. Variational implicit surfaces are fitted to the 3D contours to generate 3D blobs forming the 3D model to be rendered on an output device. The blobs can be merged by guidance strokes, and modified by target strokes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for rendering an input video stream as a polygon texture. The method provides process steps to receive the input video data in a Mip Map generator, wherein the Mip Map generator converts the video data to Mip Map data and stores the Mip Map data in a first memory storage device; wherein the first memory storage device is located in a V buffer. The method further includes sending a data set from a Z buffer to V buffer and mapping the data set to RGB values at a texel address in the V buffer memory. The data set includes U, V and Z coordinates, Mip Map level and channel identification data. The V buffer includes a V buffer fetch module that receives the data set from the Z buffer and maps to RGB data within V buffer memory.

Abstract: A system and method for providing shadow information for 3D computer graphics objects on a display for a graphic computer system are disclosed. The 3D objects are processed only once and the rendering and shadow generation information is stored in memory. In a subsequent two-dimensional pass, the shadow information is used to provide the color value at each rendered pixel. Thus, the latency and the need for storage capacity due to the multiple 3D pass processing are eliminated.

Abstract: A three-dimensional graphic processing device includes an identifying portion for identifying whether the vertex data of a polygon to be drawn is an absolute value or a relative value, an operation unit for operating to obtain the absolute value of vertex data identified as a relative value by the identifying portion and a set up circuit for generating data necessary for drawing based on the absolute value of the vertex data obtained by the operation unit. The operation unit operates to obtain the absolute value of vertex data identified as a relative value by the identifying portion, and therefore the vertex data of a polygon can be expressed by a relative value. As a result, the data amount of polygon data can be reduced, which permits the drawing throughput to be improved.

Abstract: The 2D/3D converting unit converts two-dimensional (2D) polygon data to three-dimensional (3D) polygon data by substituting an X-coordinate value of the 2D polygon data for an X-coordinate value of the 3D polygon data, a Y-coordinate value of the 2D polygon data for a Z-coordinate value of the 3D polygon data, and a prescribed value for a Y-coordinate value of the 3D polygon data. The drawing unit draws three-dimensional graphics according to the 3D polygon data generated by the 2D/3D converting unit. Since the 2D/3D converting unit generates the 3D polygon data from the 2D polygon data solely by simple substitutions of the coordinate values, complicated operations are unnecessary for generation of the 3D polygon data. Thus, the three-dimensional graphics drawing apparatus is able to draw the three-dimensional graphics at high speed.

Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer program for graphically editing a computer generated sheet metal part model initially display the sheet metal part model on a computer display screen. The method, system, and computer program then select an entity of the sheet metal part model to edit, and select an editing operation to be performed on the selected entity. The method, system, and computer program also include performing the selected editing operation on the selected entity, and modifying the sheet metal part model in accordance with the performed editing operation. Finally, the method, system, and computer program display the modified sheet metal part model on the computer display screen so that a user views modifications of the sheet metal part model in real time.