Abstract: A lighting model specified in light space may be transformed to a 3D scene, which may include numerous lights. When the lighting model is transformed to the 3D scene and is uniformly scaled or near-uniformly scaled, intensity or brightness of light at sample points, corresponding to points in the 3D scene, may be adjusted proportionately for a light source using a value based, at least partly, on a transform matrix. When the lighting model in the light space is scaled to non-uniformly stretch a lit area, the sample points may be transformed to the light space, using an inverse of a transform matrix. Distances from the light source to the transformed sample points in the light space may be used to determine attenuation and range with respect to the light source.

Abstract: A lighting model specified in light space may be transformed to a 3D scene, which may include numerous lights. When the lighting model is transformed to the 3D scene and is uniformly scaled or near-uniformly scaled, intensity or brightness of light at sample points, corresponding to points in the 3D scene, may be adjusted proportionately for a light source using a value based, at least partly, on a transform matrix. When the lighting model in the light space is scaled to non-uniformly stretch a lit area, the sample points may be transformed to the light space, using an inverse of a transform matrix. Distances from the light source to the transformed sample points in the light space may be used to determine attenuation and range with respect to the light source.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve the process of working with 3D rotations. Rotations are treated as a separate abstract entity from general transforms. By having rotations separate from general transforms, the user can perform the various operations on any “rotation” regardless of its encoding. An abstract 3D transform class is provided that represents a transform that can be applied to 3D a mesh or scene node, and an abstract 3D rotation class is provided which is exposed separately from other general transforms. A concrete implementation of the 3D transform class uses a 3D rotation class to apply a rotation to a 3D mesh or scene node. One or more concrete implementations of the 3D rotation class are provided which represent a separate rotation encoding.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve the automatic generation of near and far clipping planes for a 3D scene. The viewing frustum is intersected with the scene to determine the range of depth that a particular scene occupies in the viewing frustum. The ratio of the near clipping plane to far clipping plane is adjusted as appropriate to ensure a desired minimum level of Z-buffer precision is achieved. The clipping planes are set sufficiently far outside of the object bounds to prevent triangles which are parallel to the clip planes from being accidentally clipped. An API is provided to allow other programs to retrieve the near and far clipping plane values with the desired minimum Z-buffer precision for a particular scene without having to interact with the Z-buffer.

Abstract: An API is provided for positioning items in a table. The API allows a number of columns or a number of rows, or both, to be specified for a table. Any items to be placed in the table may be identified for the API. Items may be “moveable,” or not associated with fixed positions in the table. The moveable items may be placed adjacently in the table to fill a first row. New rows or columns may be generated to accommodate additional items. Items may also be “fixed,” or associated with fixed positions in the table. Moveable items may fill in around the fixed items. A novel algorithm is provided to efficiently place both moveable and fixed items in a table. An on-demand reservation grid may be used in conjunction with the algorithm, thereby accommodating items that span multiple columns and/or rows.

Abstract: A layout including a plurality of items therein is instantiated on a display of a computing device. At least one of the items and the layout are changeable and may require relocation and/or resizing. Each item has a periphery and at least one of the items is defined to include a margin exterior to the periphery thereof. The margin is a defined distance from the periphery of the item within which another item cannot reside. In response to another item being moved so as to encroach upon the margin of an item at issue, the item at issue is to be relocated away from and in the opposite direction from the another item to clear such encroaching item from such encroached-upon margin and thereby relieve such encroachment.

Abstract: Space is allocated within a table layout for a plurality of items to be placed therein by application of a first rule in which each item is ordered according to increasing column span for the item. Thereafter, a second rule is applied for each ordered item. The second rule recognizes that space need not necessarily be added to the right-most column for an item at issue, and that space needed for the right-most column for an item at issue should be ‘borrowed’ from the next column to the right, presuming such space is available and would not impinge on any other item. Finally, the second rule recognizes that despite everything, situations can arise where there is no elegant way to allocate space for all items within a table layout. In such a circumstance, space is added to the right-most column for the item at issue.

Abstract: A computing system translates two-dimensional (2D) graphical input by a user who is selecting one or more 2D images in a three-dimensional (3D) scene of 3D models created by model 3D objects. The computing system comprises a viewport module, a retrieve module, set ray module and, a hit detection module. The viewport module defines 2D boundaries of the 3D scene and a view point location in 3D space for viewing the 3D scene. The retrieve module retrievies a selection point location in 2D space for the 2D graphical input. The set ray module sets a pick ray in 3D space based on the view point location and the selection point location. The hit detection module detects a hit by the pick ray on a 3D model in the 3D scene. In this computing system there is a method of processing a hierarchy of computer program visual objects for detecting a hit by 2D input on 2D and 3D images displayed by a computing system. The method begins by traversing branches of a first tree hierarchy of visual objects to leaf objects.