Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer readable medium provide the ability to manipulate a terrain in a drawing. A composite object of the terrain is obtained in a CAD BIM application. The composite object is a combination of sub-objects that each define a geometry that is part of the terrain. Each of the sub-objects is drawn on a separate corresponding drawable interface instance. A sub-object is selected and in response, the selected sub-object is displayed in its corresponding drawable interface instance. The selected sub-object is directly modified, in canvas, using the drawable interface instance. In response to the modification, the terrain is dynamically updated and displayed.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) modeling application is configured to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) that notifies a user whether a 3D model represents a stable, marginally stable, or unstable object. The 3D modeling application includes a stability module that determines the stability of the object based upon the 3D model. Advantageously, the user may ensure that an object will be stable, before printing the object with a 3D printer.

Abstract: A photo localization application is configured to determine the location that an image depicts relative to a 3D representation of a structure. The 3D representation may be a 3D model, color range scan, or gray scale range scan of the structure. The image depicts a particular section of the structure. The photo localization application extracts and stores features from the 3D representation in a database. The photo localization application then extracts features from the image and compares those features against the database to identify matching features. The matching features form a location fingerprint, from which the photo localization application determines the location that the image depicts, relative to the 3D representation. The location allows the user to better understand and communicate information captured by the image.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, that enable selection and individual feature highlighting in detailed three-dimensional ground infrastructure models such as, for example, three-dimensional terrain surface models that are composed from a large number of distinct ground assets such as individual roads, land parcels, and water areas.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the invention is a computer-implemented method for speculatively executing application event responses. The method includes the steps of identifying one or more event responses that could be issued for execution by an application being executed by a master process, for each event response, generating a child process to execute the event response, determining that a first event response included in the one or more event responses has been issued for execution by the application, committing the child process associated with the first event response as a new master process, and aborting the master process and all child processes other than the child process associated with the first event response.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention disclosed herein provides a system that includes a mirror apparatus with a first surface to which a half-silvered mirror film is applied, where the mirror apparatus transmits a transmitted image from a second surface to the first surface. The system further includes a servo-controlled dimmer that adjusts a level of ambient light associated with the mirror apparatus. The system further includes a motion sensing device that tracks positions of a plurality of points associated with an object; wherein the object is situated on the half-silvered mirror film side of the mirror apparatus. The system further includes a computing device including a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor included in the computing device, cause the processor to control the servo-controlled dimmer to adjust the ambient light such that both the transmitted image and a reflected image is visible on the first surface.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium enable a dual modeling environment. A client application is created that has proxy modules. Each of the proxy modules is a light weight version of a corresponding precise module in a server application. Commands are executed in the client application to produce client output data. The same commands are transmitted to the server application that is executed concurrently with and independent from the client application and produces server output data. The client output data is synchronized with the server output data.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, computer program product, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to define an object in a parametric modeling application. Geometric parametric objects are authored and organized into a family definition. Via a user interface, enhanced computational logic is defined. The logic is compiled into the family definition such that the enhanced computational logic is embedded at an object level of the one or more geometric parametric objects. Upon a building information model requiring a regeneration operation, the compiled enhanced computational logic is automatically executed.

Abstract: An electronic wire harness assembly system having a transparent pegboard with a rear mounted digital display such as an LCD or plasma display is controlled by a proprietary software program running on a personal computer. The digital display provides peg location illumination, wire run path location illumination, connector shape illumination and location illumination, as well as cable tie location illumination. The operator is visually assisted with notes and videos displayed under the pegboard at the appropriate locations. The pegboard grid is registered to the digital display with simple mouse pointer clicks.

Abstract: Data can be transferred between computers at remote sites by transferring the data itself, or by transferring files showing how data at an originating site can be recreated from data already present at a receiving site. As part of the data transfer, a determination can be made as to what is the most appropriate way for the transfer to take place. Further, in cases where data is not transferred directly between originating and receiving sites, it is possible that some preparatory steps might be performed to improve the efficiency of the transfers to the receiving sites when they do take place. Additional efficiencies can be obtained in some cases by using the parallel processing capabilities provided by a cloud based architecture.

Abstract: A technique for integrating a multi-touch surface into a desktop environment is disclosed. One or more multi-touch display devices are placed on the horizontal surface surrounding or beneath a keyboard or mouse. At least one region on the multi-touch surface is defined to display one or more user interface tools on the multi-touch surface. The one or more user interface tools displayed via the multi-touch surface may control or display information associated with desktop applications displayed via a primary display device.

Abstract: A proximity-aware multi-touch tabletop is disclosed that includes both a touch screen display and proximity sensors. The proximity sensors are disposed in one or more annular groups around the touch screen display and are positioned in upward-and outward-facing directions. The proximity sensors allow the multi-touch tabletop to sense the distance of a body, arm, hand, or fingers of a user from the multi-touch tabletop. Thus, hand, arm, and finger positions of a user can be determined relative to the body position of the user, which enables the multi-touch tabletop to differentiate between left hand/arm gestures and right hand/arm gestures. Further, because the multi-touch tabletop can correlate left arm and right arm movements to a user body, the multi-touch tabletop can differentiate gestures originating from different users. The ability of the multi-touch tabletop to distinguish between users greatly enhances user experiences, particularly in a multi-user environment.

Abstract: A proximity-aware multi-touch tabletop is disclosed that includes both a touch screen display and proximity sensors. The proximity sensors are disposed in one or more annular groups around the touch screen display and are positioned in upward- and outward-facing directions. The proximity sensors allow the multi-touch tabletop to sense the distance of a body, arm, hand, or fingers of a user from the multi-touch tabletop. Thus, hand, arm, and finger positions of a user can be determined relative to the body position of the user, which enables the multi-touch tabletop to differentiate between left hand/arm gestures and right hand/arm gestures. Further, because the multi-touch tabletop can correlate left arm and right arm movements to a user body, the multi-touch tabletop can differentiate gestures originating from different users. The ability of the multi-touch tabletop to distinguish between users greatly enhances user experiences, particularly in a multi-user environment.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to extract level information and reference grid information from point cloud data. Point cloud data is obtained and organized into a three-dimensional structure of voxels. Potential boundary points are filtered from the boundary cells. Level information is extracted from a Z-axis histogram of the voxels positioned along the Z-axis of the three-dimensional voxel structure and further refined. Reference grid information is extracted from an X-axis histogram of the voxels positioned along the X-axis of the three-dimensional voxel structure and a Y-axis histogram of the voxels positioned along the Y-axis of the three-dimensional voxel structure and further refined.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to model a polyline boundary from point cloud data. Point cloud data is obtained and boundary cells are extracted. Potential boundary points are filtered from the boundary cells. Line segments are extracted from the potential boundary points and refined. A regularized polygon is obtained by intersecting the refined line segments.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a technique for placing objects across a surface of a graphics object. The technique includes establishing a first plurality of grid points over the surface of the graphics object, wherein each grid point in the plurality of grid points is located either inside or outside the surface, establishing a second plurality of grid points that includes only grid points in the first plurality of grid points that are located inside the surface, marking each grid point in the second plurality of grid points as an eligible area or an ineligible area onto which objects can be placed, selecting from the second plurality of grid points a grid point that is marked as an eligible area, and placing an object onto the selected grid point.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for determining a building envelope. In one aspect, a method includes generating two-dimensional analytical faces; generating a three-dimensional shell bounding box that encompasses the analytical faces; determining, for each analytical face, one or more sample points; performing a flood-fill algorithm from a reference grid cell through other grid cells in the shell bounding box; casting one or more primary rays from each grid cell encountered by the flood-fill algorithm that does not contain any of the sample points but that directly neighbors a grid cell that does contain a sample point; for each ray, identifying as an exterior face the first analytical face within a vicinity of the grid cell from which the ray is cast that is intersected by the ray; and generating a building envelope based on the identified exterior faces.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to fill pixels of an image. An area of the image is obtained and one of the pixels is identified as an anchor pixel. Waves are created based on the anchor pixel and placed into a collection of waves waiting to be processed. Each of the waves in the collection is processed. A type of pixel in front of a current wave being processed is determined. If the pixel is fillable, the pixel is filled, the wave is advanced, and child waves are updated. If the pixel is blocking the advancement of the wave, the current wave is updated (e.g., via shrinking or splitting), and child waves are updated. Once all waves have been processed, the area of the image is displayed based on the fill.

Abstract: Motion may be transferred between portions of two characters if those portions have a minimum topological similarity. The elements of the topology that are similar are referred to as basic elements. To transfer motion between the source and target characters, the motion associated with the basic elements of the source character is determined. This motion is retargetted to the basic elements of the target character. The retargetted motion is then attached to the basic elements of the target character. As a result, the animation of the basic elements in the topology of the target character effectively animates the target character with motion that is similar to that of the source character.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for generating a status update message. The method involves defining one or more status update criteria and monitoring user activity in a software application for the one or more status update criteria. The method further involves determining, based on the user activity, that the one or more status update criteria have been met and generating, via a processing unit, a status update message. The status update message includes multimedia content related to a project associated with the software application.