Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating three-dimensional shape data in analytic surface expression form by using polygonal shape data. In the polygonal shape data, at least a portion of a shape is approximated by a combination of a plurality of polygons. A set of polygons is generated from the polygonal shape data, each of the polygons satisfying a predetermined selection criterion. An analytic surface is fitted in place of the obtained set of polygons. The step of fitting is repeated by obtaining another set of polygons until a predetermined termination condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A method for representing a sharp feature on a surface of a model comprises the steps of defining at least one feature curve on the surface; reparameterizing the surface; and creating the feature on the reparameterized surface so as to be generally coincident with the feature curve, where the feature lies along boundaries between piecewise-smooth patch surfaces where patch surfaces with distinct tangent planes are joined. The surface is reparameterized by moving a control mesh relative to the surface to sample the feature curve with vertices of the control mesh, and creating the feature includes a subdivision step where edges and diagonals are treated as creases in the control mesh, and piecewise-smooth subdivision rules are applied to obtain a sharp feature on the surface. The surface may be defined in a Catmull-Clark multiresolution subdivision surface representation.

Abstract: A hand-manipulated prop is picked-up via a single video camera, and the camera image is analyzed to isolate the part of the image pertaining to the object for mapping the position and orientation of the object into a three-dimensional space, wherein the three-dimensional description of the object is stored in memory and used for controlling action in a game program, such as rendering of a corresponding virtual object in a scene of a video display. Algorithms for deriving the three-dimensional descriptions for various props employ geometry processing, including area statistics, edge detection and/or color transition localization, to find the position and orientation of the prop from two-dimensional pixel data.

Abstract: A procedural solid texturing system which uses a parameterized function capable of reproducing the most common procedural solid textures, specifically wood, marble, clouds and fire (32). This model is simple enough to be implemented in hardware, and can be realized in VLSI with as little as 100,000 gates. The invention also includes a method for antialiasing the parameterized procedural textures (34, 36). The antialiasing includes an expression for the necessary box filter width, a technique for efficiently box filtering the procedural texture by either MIP mapping the color table or using a summed area color table (38).

Abstract: A processing method for rendering a planar arrow object into a 3-dimensional arrow object.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium formats imaging data associated with an object in an n-dimensional file format. Once two-dimensional imaging ray data (projected or reflected data) is acquired, it is saved into an n-dimensional format (500) along with data describing the reference point and focal point of the image. A preferred format (500) comprises a file header (505), a header of the reference point, coordinates of the focal point field, a transformation field, and dimension sub-headers (550, 560). The system comprises a data acquisition module (612), a data storage module (630), a data reading module (640), and a data processing module (610) for formatting the data, reading the formatted data, and fusing the formatted data with other data sets, such as three-dimensional data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically setting the height of an on-screen display (OSD) font in a display device which supports a multi-resolution are provided. The apparatus for controlling the OSD font height includes a horizontal line number generator and a font height generator. The horizontal line number generator generates information on the number of horizontal lines of a display region of the display device. The font height generator receives a predetermined font height reference value and the horizontal line number information, obtains automatic font height, and generates the automatic font height. The font height reference number is preferably the number of OSD fonts to be displayed in a vertical direction in the display region.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus allows animators to control the extent by which scripted character motions affect simulated objects' motions. The simulated objects are connected to the character or non-simulated object, such as clothing or hair, and the motion of the simulated objects is simulated based on the motion of the character or non-simulated object. Collision flypapering is employed to yield the proper behavior of simulated objects when those objects are pinched by surfaces of the character and/or other collision objects.

Abstract: The present invention provides a scheme for compressing the depth, or Z, components of image data. The data is grouped into a plurality of tiles. A test is performed to determine if a tile can be compressed so that its size after compression is less than its size before compression. If so, the tile is compressed. A tile table includes a flag that can be set for each tile that is compressed. In a data transfer from memory to a graphics processor, the tile table is examined to identify those tiles that are compressed and must be decompressed prior to use. In one scheme the number of primitives that are contained in a tile are determined. If the number of primitives is less than one third of the number of pixels in a tile, an assumption is made that the tile can be compressed. For example, for an 8×8 tile, if the number of primitives is equal to or less than 21, the tile is compressed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image synthesis method in which image are synthesized so as not to create mach band. Primary differential of brightness of an image to be synthesized changes continuously (a). When the brightness of the image to be synthesized changes in this manner, primary differential of brightness of a synthesized image by superposing is also continuous, thus the brightness does not change suddenly and mach band does not occur (b).

Abstract: A lighting effect computation block and method therefore is presented. The lighting effect computation block separates lighting effect calculations for video graphics primitives into a number of simpler calculations that are performed in parallel but accumulated in an order-dependent manner. Each of the individual calculations is managed by a separate thread controller, where lighting effect calculations for a vertex of a primitive may be performed using a single parent light thread controller and a number of sub-light thread controllers. Each thread controller manages a thread of operation codes related to determination of the lighting parameters for the particular vertex. The thread controllers submit operation codes to an arbitration module based on the expected latency and interdependency between the various operation codes. The arbitration module determines which operation code is executed during a particular cycle, and provides that operation code to a computation engine.

Abstract: Three-dimensional data that defines a bone in a three-dimensional model is coded by coding a quaternion defining an orientation of the bone, coding vectors defining a displacement of the bone and a scaling factor for the bone, and coding a value defining a time corresponding to the orientation, displacement and scaling of the bone.

Abstract: The present invention presents techniques for simulating and generating lifelike digital representations of scenes that may include one or more dynamic linear objects such as rope, antennae, hair, feathers, fur and grasses. Individualized geometric models may be defined for a selected, manageable subset of the linear objects. By interpolating and animating based upon these defined geometric models, subject to user-specified object parameters, a dynamic simulation and a static geometry may subsequently be generated. Rendering techniques according to the present invention may be used to generate two-dimensional image projections of these geometries, as seen from a specified point of view. These steps of geometric interpolation and rendering are performed in an iterative manner, such that numerous fine-grained objects may be processed and rendered portion by portion, thereby greatly reducing the computational complexity of the task.

Abstract: A set of viewpoints for a given scene of 3D objects is defined by a system that restricts the degrees of freedom available to a user, through use of a bounding surface (a viewpoint sphere), and provides varying degrees of automation ranging from predefined viewpoints to generated tour paths, to interactive selection using free navigation. The system calculates the scene sphere, which is the minimum bounding sphere that contains the set of objects in the scene and then finds the viewpoint sphere, which is done by calculating the viewpoint sphere radius. The user then chooses the mode of viewpoint selection as either completely automated, semi-automated, or free navigation. The output is a set of viewpoints for the given scene of objects.

Abstract: A graphic method for preparing a surface map used to synthesize a masking layer. The proposed structures on a semiconductor surface are mapped as trapezoidal figures on a numerical grid. The first grouping step groups trapezoids into a plurality of groups based on Ymin, and groups are then internally sorted based on Xmin. A to-be-judged group is selected. A intra-group judging step uses a trapezoid as a to-be-judged figure in order of sorting, and trapezoids sorted after the to-be-judged trapezoid as a to-be-compared figures successively in order of sorting, determining if there is intersection and if so incrementally moving the to-be-compared figure, and repetitively executing an intersection judgment processing until there is no intersection or until the to-be-compared figure disappears.