Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to modify a spline (e.g., a civil engineering spline). The spline, defined by a set of connected points, is obtained/acquired. A design constraint set is determined and may include an interpolation constraint (specifying a fixed elevation for a connected point), a slope constraint (specifying a bound on a slope between two of the connected points), and a curvature constraint (specifying; a maximum slope difference of a first slope and a second slope between three connected points). The spline is projected onto the design constraint set thereby modifying the spline by changing elevations of the connected points The modified spline is then projected onto the design constraint set iteratively until the spline satisfies all constraints in the design constraint set.

Abstract: A system for generating a three-dimensional puzzle comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to generate a three dimensional mesh representation. The processor is further configured to convert polygons comprising the three-dimensional mesh representation to one or more puzzle piece representations. The processor is further configured to add attachment points and receiving points to the one or more puzzle piece representations. The processor is further configured to provide the one of more puzzle piece representations with attachment points and receiving points. The memory is coupled to the processor and configured, to provide the processor with instructions.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to conduct global illumination. A 3D model of a scene is obtained in a computer graphics application. A camera location in the scene is identified and paths emitted from the camera location are traced into the scene (by recording hit points along the paths). The paths are filtered by selecting those paths that can receive light from a light source (i.e., paths whose next path segment hits the light source). Targets are identified based on the hit points. Photons are generated from the light source and follow a corresponding photon path. Each photon path is evaluated to determine if it intersects with a target, in which case it is recorded. A view of the scene is rendered based on the recorded photons.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for using, storing and retrieving scale information.

Abstract: A method for generating a user interface within a graphics application for a set of materials, such that each material includes a material definition and is capable of being applied to a geometry in a graphics scene when performing a rendering operation. A GUI generation engine obtains configuration information associated with an environment for a computer system and determines that a first set of materials is associated with the configuration information. The GUI generation selects the first set of materials to be displayed in a graphical user interface, and the graphical user interface is displaying to an end-user. Advantageously, embodiments of the invention provide for a technique for exposing only those materials, user interface objects, editable material parameters, user interface elements, vocabulary, rendering engines, and/or rendering engine implementations that are relevant to the user of a particular rendering application.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a computer-aided design (CAD) application configured for generating interactive truss objects in a CAD model. In one embodiment, a truss creation tool allows the user to select a truss family and the endpoints of the truss. Based on these selections, the truss creation tool generates a layout and structural members of a truss. The truss may be maintained as an interactive object within the CAD model. Thus, a user may edit the truss object, resulting in the regeneration of the truss layout and the regeneration of the structural elements of the truss.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for supplementing user-specified text for a search with context information to generate search results that is more closely matched to the user's needs. A context search component maintains a snapshot of the user context and additional context-based queries are generated and corresponding searches are performed. The search results of the context-based queries are merged with the results of the user-specified text query and displayed for the user. When the user accesses a resource listed in the merged search results, the context-based terms mentioned in the resource are identified to the user.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a mechanism for recommended commands to a designer of a graphics design application. Each time a command is executed within the graphics design application, a resource module receives command use information associated with the executed command. In response, the resource module generates and transmits one or more recommendation lists to the designer, where each recommendation list includes a list of recommended commands that may be executed by the designer next. The resource module generates the recommendation lists based on frequency information associated with the recommended commands stored within a local frequency store. The frequency information is received by the resource module from a central server that processes command use information associated with different designers in the community to produce the frequency information.

Abstract: A navigation system for navigating a three-dimensional (3D) scene that includes a model or object with which a user can interact. The system accommodates and helps both novice and advanced users. To do this, the system provides a set of GUI tracking menus for different navigation tasks where each navigation tool has action tools associated with the navigation task. The action tools are arranged in rings with the most used tools on an outside.

Abstract: The embodiments discussed herein involve flood filling a region with anti-aliasing. In forming a fill region, a candidate pixel can be included in the region based on a color of the pixel and also a color of a neighbor of the point. The inclusion basis may be a color distance between a seed color and the points, and a color distance between the seed color and the point's neighbor. Points in the region may be weighted according to their color distance relative to the seed color, where the color distance can also take into account alpha values. Flood filling may be anti-aliased by assigning alpha values to pixels in gaps between corners of the fill region, where an alpha value may be proportional to a point's contribution to the gap. Dimples in a fill region may be tested for and used to determine which of two flood fill algorithms to use.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for transporting both behavior and related geometric information for an animation asset between different animation environments. A common virtual machine specification with a specific instruction set architecture is defined for executing behavioral traits of the animation asset. Each target animation environment implements the instruction set architecture. Because each virtual machine runtime engine implements an identical instruction set architecture, animation behavior can identically reproduced over any arbitrary platform implementing the virtual machine runtime engine. Embodiments of the present invention beneficially enable reuse of animation assets without compatibility restrictions related to platform or application differences.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage medium, for distributed analysis of structures. One of the methods includes obtaining a geometric model of a physical structure; and performing an analysis of a structural characteristic of the physical structure, comprising: dividing, by a master node, the model into a plurality of subdomains using a plurality of separator surfaces, selecting, by the master node, a respective separator approximant for each of the plurality of separator surfaces, assigning each of the subdomains to a respective child node, providing, by the master node to each of the child nodes, information defining the subdomain assigned to the child node and information defining separator approximants for the separator surfaces bordering the subdomain assigned to the child node, and performing, by each child node, the analysis of the structural characteristic for the subdomain assigned to the child node using the information.

Abstract: A centralized optimization engine is configured to receive a problem specification that defines an optimization problem to be solved. The optimization engine classifies the problem specification within a large dataset of previously solved optimization problems. The optimization engine selects one or more solution strategies associated with similar optimization problems, and then executes those solution strategies to solve the optimization problem. Over time, the optimization engine updates the large data set with statistical information that reflects the performance of different solution strategies applied to various optimization problems, thereby increasing the effectiveness with which optimization problems may be solved.

Abstract: A centralized design engine receives a problem specification from an end-user and classifies that problem specification in a large database of previously received problem specifications. Upon identifying similar problem specifications in the large database, the design engine selects design strategies associated with those similar problem specifications. A given design strategy includes one or more optimization algorithms, one or more geometry kernels, and one or more analysis tools. The design engine executes an optimization algorithm to generate a set of parameters that reflect geometry. The design engine then executes a geometry kernel to generate geometry that reflects those parameters, and generates analysis results for each geometry. The optimization algorithms may then improve the generated geometries based on the analysis results in an iterative fashion. When suitable geometries are discovered, the design engine displays the geometries to the end-user, along with the analysis results.

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: The invention generally relates to systems and methods for construction field management and operations with building information modeling. In certain embodiments, the invention provides systems for construction field management and operations, that include a central processing unit (CPU), and storage coupled to the CPU for storing instructions that when executed by the CPU cause the CPU to: encode and map data structures and data sets received from Building Information Modeling software; select particular data structures and data sets relevant to at least one person associated with a construction project; transmit the selected data structures and data sets to a user terminal operated by the person; receive inputs made by the person to the selected data structures and data sets; and synchronize and update the data structures and data sets received from Building Information Modeling software based on the inputs received from the person.

Abstract: A method for generating real-time goal space steering for data-driven character animation is disclosed. A goal space table of sparse samplings of possible future locations is computed, indexed by the starting blend value and frame. A steer space is computed as a function of the current blend value and frame, interpolated from the nearest indices of the table lookup in the goal space. The steer space is then transformed to local coordinates of a character's position at the current frame. The steer space samples closest to a line connecting the character's position with the goal location may be selected. The blending values of the two selected steer space samples are interpolated to compute the new blending value to render subsequent frames of an animation sequence.

Abstract: Techniques for forming a complex shelled object are described. The shelling procedure does not merely combine two shelled objects into in single shelled object, but also integrates the two object with one another without destroying the integrity of either of the shelled objects.

Abstract: A user data engine residing on an endpoint machine generates a current user context reflecting a specific flow of operations performed by an end-user when interacting with a software application. A context engine residing on a sever machine compares the current user context to one or more stored user contexts included in a context database and generates a similarity value based on each comparison. A resource engine identifies resources in a resource database that are associated with the stored user contexts and then generates a relevance score for each resource based on the similarity scores corresponding to the stored user contexts with which those resources are associated. The resource engine transmits a resource list reflecting the identified resources to the user data engine based on the relevance scores. The user data engine displays on a display screen of the endpoint machine information associated with resources reflected in the resource list.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to generate a lofted sheet metal model. User input is accepted that obtains two input profiles. A triangulated lofted shape is generated that transitions between the two profiles. The triangulated lofted shape is adjusted to reflect a manufacturing process. A manufacturable lofted sheet metal shape is then generated based on the adjusted triangulated lofted shape.