Abstract: A distributed processing system delegates the allocation and control of computing work units to agent applications running on computing resources including multi-processor and multi-core systems. The distributed processing system includes at least one agent associated with at least one computing resource. The distributed processing system creates work units corresponding with execution phases of applications. Work units can be associated with concurrency data that specifies how applications are executed on multiple processors and/or processor cores. The agent collects information about its associated computing resources and requests work units from the server using this information and the concurrency data. An agent can monitor the performance of executing work units to better select subsequent work units. The distributed processing system may also be implemented within a single computing resource to improve processor core utilization of applications.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention creates contact deformations in objects by combining two deformations. A collider contacting an object defines a primary deformation that modifies at least a portion of the object in contact with the collider. A secondary deformation based at least in part on user-provided parameters is added in the vicinity of the primary deformation to deform nearby portions of the objects that are not in contact with the collider, providing an aesthetic contact effect. A secondary deformation specification defines the general shape of the secondary deformation. The secondary deformation specification is associated with a location based on the location of the primary deformation. In an embodiment, the modification of the object due to the secondary deformation specification is modulated by attributes of the collision points, the primary deformation, user-specified weightings, and/or weight maps.

Abstract: Users define the aperture shape and brightness characteristics of a virtual lens system to generate optical system effects in computer graphics images. An image sample point is associated with a aperture point within the aperture. The location of the aperture point may be based on the shape of the aperture. The image sample point value may be scaled based on a brightness value of an associated aperture point. Alternatively, the aperture point location may be based on brightness characteristics of the aperture. An optical system transmission function based on the brightness characteristics of the aperture specifies the density distribution of aperture positions within the aperture. The aperture points locations are distributed according to this optical system transmission function so that the out of focus regions or bokeh of images mimic the shape and brightness characteristics of the aperture.

Abstract: A display area displays a subset of a set of items. Items may be the ancestor or descendant of one or more other items. As an ancestor item having one or more visible descendant items becomes not visible, for example by scrolling outside the display area, a proxy in the display area is automatically created. The proxy corresponds with the ancestor item not visible in the display area. Multiple proxies may be displayed in the display area to present a complete view of the hierarchy containing at least some of the items visible in the display area. Items that do not have descendant items visible in the display area will not generate corresponding proxies when they become not visible. Proxies may be active user interface elements. Conversely, if an ancestor item becomes visible in the display area, any corresponding proxies are automatically removed.

Abstract: A stepmode animation visualization emphasizes authored values of computer graphics variables. Users select all or a portion of the computer graphics variables associated with objects in a scene to be included in the stepmode animation visualization. When users activate the stepmode animation visualization, the generated values of the selected computer graphics variables are overridden with authored values of the selected computer graphics variables. For example, the stepmode animation visualization overrides each generated value of a computer graphics variable with the nearest preceding authored value of that computer graphics variable. Users may repeatedly activate and deactivate the stepmode animation visualization without reselecting computer graphics variables. The selection of computer graphics variables affected by the stepmode animation visualization is maintained. All or a portion of the animation may be looped or repeated while the stepmode animation visualization is active.

Abstract: Programmable or user-defined visibility functions can be defined to achieve rendering effects and eliminate rendering errors. A renderer traverses the set of geometry samples potentially visible to an image sample. Rather than accumulate opacity and color in strict depth order, the renderer can invoke visibility functions associated with some or all of the geometry samples. Each geometry sample's visibility function can access attributes of any other geometry sample associated with the image sample. Furthermore, each geometry sample's visibility function can identify the position of its associated geometry sample and any other geometry samples in the depth sequence of geometry samples associated with an image sample. A visibility function can return any arbitrary value based on attributes of its associated geometry sample, attributes of other geometry samples associated with the image sample, and/or the position of geometry samples in the depth sequence associated with the image sample.

Abstract: The space including a particle system is discretized into volume elements. Signed distance values at each time and velocity values at a time are assigned to volume elements based on the particle system. The each volume element's position at the current time is extrapolated to an additional position at each additional time based on its respective velocity value. A temporally coherent signed distance value for each volume element is determined from its signed distance value and the signed distance values at the associated additional position at each additional time. A surface extracted from the temporally coherent signed distance values will be temporally coherent over the interval including the current time and the one or more additional times. Arbitrary surface properties may also be associated with volume elements and temporally coherent surface property values may be determined for each volume element using its respective velocity value in a similar manner.

Abstract: Realistic sprays for simulated fluids are created by adding a set of spray particles to a boundary region just below the fluid surface. The fluid surface is determined by solving a level set equation for a zero level corresponding to the fluid surface. Additionally, the boundary region is determined by solving the level set equation for a non-zero level corresponding to a surface at the specified depth from the fluid surface. The set of spray particles inherit an initial state, for example a velocity, from the fluid simulation. Subsequent motion of the spray particles is determined according to a ballistic simulation, rather than a fluid simulation, thereby substantially reducing the computational burden required to animate the fluid. Spray particles that sink below a specified depth from the fluid surface are removed.

Abstract: Points can be manipulated through multiple operations with respect to a guide surface using only a single projection operation. A point is projected from its native coordinate system, such as an object space or world space coordinate system, into the parametric space of an unposed guide surface. The projected point is manipulated in the parametric space according to one or more desired operations. The guide surface can be posed to further implement other operations. The guide surface can then be evaluated at the modified parametric space point to determine a corresponding point in the native coordinate system for further manipulation and/or rendering. The manipulation of the point in the parametric space of the guide surface can be expressed through one or more animation variables. The values of multiple animation variables can be used to determine a single operation on the point in parametric space.

Abstract: Components are presented to users based on the components' assigned task memberships. The tasks represents the different activities performed by users within a digital production pipeline. Each stage of the digital production pipeline may be associated with a task. Additional user-defined tasks may be defined as needed to further distinguish components. Attributes of components are associated with one or more tasks when the component is authored. Task memberships may be inherited from parent components or overridden. A user interface includes a task selection menu to receive a selection of one or more tasks from the user. The task selection is used to filter components, so that the user interface presents only relevant information to users. Component attribute values and task associations can be expressed using layer data structures. Task restrictions of layers allow layers to only specify values of components that match the task associations of the layer.

Abstract: A system and method enables animators to efficiently pose character models' feet. An initial foot model position is received. The initial foot model position specifies a foot model contact point. One or more foot roll parameters are specified that change the relative angle between at least a portion of the foot model and an initial orientation of an alignment plane. Foot roll parameters specify the rotation of the foot model around foot model contact points. Foot roll parameters can include heel roll, ball roll, and toe roll, which specify the rotation of the foot model around contact points on the heel, ball, and toe, respectively, of a foot model. To maintain the position of the foot model contact point, the foot model position is adjusted based on the foot roll parameter. The repositioned foot model is realigned with alignment plane, which restores contact at the foot model contact point.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system for providing for recovering from a failure of a wired link used for communication between the first access point and a wired network. The first access point has at least two radios including a first radio and a second radio each for providing a wireless communications link. The method including selectively configuring the radios in an access mode for enabling a communications path with a corresponding client node to enable each client node to have a communication path via the first access point to the wired network, wherein the first and second radios are enabled to be associated with a first and second client node, respectively. The method and system includes providing communications paths for the client nodes to the wired network in response to detection of loss of the wired link to the first access point by selectively reconfiguring the second radio to a backhaul mode.

Abstract: A unified mechanism of scene description includes layering and cross-referencing relationships. The scene description specifies components using one or more layers. A layer includes an opinion of value for one or more attributes of one or more components. A layer can be sparsely populated with opinions of attribute values for only portions of components' attributes. Layers express opinions of value for an attribute using the semantic structure associated with the attribute. The scene description organizes layers in a layer hierarchy, which determines a layer stacking order. The layer stacking order specifies the compositing of opinions of attribute values to determine the complete authored state of the component. The layer stacking order enables attributes of components to be selectively overridden without disturbing other attribute values. Cross-referencing relationships enable encapsulation and reuse of components. Cross-referencing relationships can encapsulate components defined by one or more layers.

Abstract: The components of a computer graphics scene can be organized using multiple independent graphs. Each component can include graph relationship attributes specifying its location in one or more graphs. Graph can be utilized for any purpose within the digital production pipeline. A component can include any number of graph relationship attributes. The number and type of graph relationship attributes can be different for each component. Software tools can access one or more graphs to determine structural or functional relationships between components. Software tools can enforce policies for a graph independent of other graphs. Software tools can optimize the components of a graph independent of other graphs. A graph relationship attribute of a component can include optional parameter data to specify properties of the relationship between two or more components. Layer data structures including opinions of value can specify graph relationships.

Abstract: A processor prevents writeback race condition errors by maintaining responsibility for data until the writeback request is confirmed by an intervention message from a cache coherency manager. If a request for the same data arrives before the intervention message, the processor core unit provides the requested data and cancels the pending writeback request. The cache coherency data associated with cache lines indicates whether a request for data has been received prior to the intervention message associated with the writeback request. The cache coherency data of a cache line has a value of “modified” when the writeback request is initiated. When the intervention message associated with the writeback request is received, the cache lines's cache coherency data is examined. A change in the cache coherency data from the value of “modified” indicates that the request for data has been received prior to the intervention and the writeback request should be cancelled.

Abstract: Livelocks are prevented in multiple core processors by canceling data access requests upon determining that they conflict with other data access requests. A requesting processor core sends a data access request potentially causing livelock to a cache coherency manager. A cache coherency manager receives data access requests from multiple processor. The cache coherency manager sends intervention messages to all of the processor cores in response to all data access requests that may cause livelock. Upon receiving an intervention message from the cache coherency manager, the processor core determines if the intervention message corresponds with any of its own pending data access requests. If the intervention message is associated with a data access request conflicting with one of its own pending data access requests, the processor core responds to the invention message by directing the cache coherency manager to cancel its own conflicting pending data access request.

Abstract: Livelocks are prevented in multiple core processors by verifying that a data access request is still valid before sending messages to processor cores that may cause other data access requests to fail. A cache coherency manager receives data access requests from multiple processor cores. Upon receiving a data access request that may cause a livelock, the cache coherency manager first sends an intervention message back to the requesting processor core to confirm that this data access request will succeed. If the requesting processor core determines that the data access request is still valid, it directs the cache coherency manager to proceed with the data access request. The cache coherency manager may then send intervention messages to other processor cores to complete the data access request. If the requesting processor core determines that the data access request is invalid, it directs the cache coherency manager to abandon the data access request.

Abstract: Function spaces defined by scaling functions are used to generate bandlimited noise octaves and other attribute data sets. Scaling functions are basis functions that admit multiresolution analysis and include piecewise constant scaling functions, piecewise polynomial scaling functions, bandlimited scaling functions, Daubeschies scaling functions, as well as other multiresolution analysis scaling basis functions known to those of skill in the art. Scaling basis functions can be locally supported or have infinite support. The properties of the scaling basis functions used to construct bandlimited noise octaves may ensure that any bandlimited noise octave at resolution level N is orthogonal to bandlimited noise octaves and their associated scaling basis functions at all resolution levels less than N. Bandlimited noise octaves can be scaled to any resolution level and guaranteed to have no effect on images at any lower resolution level.

Abstract: Function spaces defined by scaling functions are used to generate bandlimited noise octaves and other attribute data sets. Scaling functions are basis functions that admit multiresolution analysis and include piecewise constant scaling functions, piecewise polynomial scaling functions, bandlimited scaling functions, Daubeschies scaling functions, as well as other multiresolution analysis scaling basis functions known to those of skill in the art. Scaling basis functions can be locally supported or have infinite support. The properties of the scaling basis functions used to construct bandlimited noise octaves may ensure that any bandlimited noise octave at resolution level N is orthogonal to bandlimited noise octaves and their associated scaling basis functions at all resolution levels less than N. Bandlimited noise octaves can be scaled to any resolution level and guaranteed to have no effect on images at any lower resolution level.

Abstract: Slices of N dimensions can be extracted from bandlimited data sets of M dimensions. N is any arbitrary value less than N. A value of a slice is defined by an evaluation of an integral of the bandlimited data set weighted by a filter scaling function orientated along the normal of the slice. Due to the properties of the bandlimited data set, the slice is bandlimited in N dimensions as well. The filter scaling function diminishes at substantially the same rate as the aliasing frequency of the bandlimited data set in the normal direction. The convolution of a scaling basis function used to construct the bandlimited data with itself defines the filter scaling function. A scaling basis function widened in the direction of the normal can approximate the filter scaling function in some cases. Quadrature can approximate the value of the integral. Slices may or may not be axis aligned.