Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to manipulate a graphical representation of a real-world object in a computer drawing application. A semantic behavior is defined for the real-world object. A graphical representation of the real-world object (referred to as a subject object) is obtained. The semantic behavior is assigned to the subject object. The subject object is placed into a drawing. When placed, the subject object automatically, without additional user input, places itself into the drawing based on the semantic behavior.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for determining energy indicator values for a plurality of thermoplastic materials. An energy indicator value represents expected energy requirements for performing an injection of the material in a mold cavity. An injection of each of a plurality of thermoplastic materials in a first modeled mold cavity is simulated. A respective value of a first expected energy parameter is determined for each of the plurality of thermoplastic materials based on the simulated injection of the respective thermoplastic material in the first modeled mold cavity. A respective energy indicator is determined, for each of the plurality of thermoplastic materials, based at least on the corresponding value of the first expected energy parameter. The respective energy indicator value of one or more of the plurality of thermoplastic materials is presented.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique rendering an image pixel within a graphics image with multiple shaders in a single rendering phase using a modular shader architecture. A user specifies how geometric objects, light sources, and various types of rendering operations in a graphics scene are associated. A rendering application provides computational infrastructure for rendering operations that includes finding an intersected object for each pixel of a target graphics image. The modular shader architecture includes a means for efficiently developing and incorporating custom shader modules for use by the rendering application.

Abstract: A method for generating a looping motion space for real-time character animation may include determining a plurality of motion clips to include in the looping motion space and determining a number of motion cycles performed by a character object depicted in each of the plurality of motion clips. A plurality of looping motion clips may be synthesized from the motion clips, where each of the looping motion clips depicts the character object performing an equal number of motion cycles. Additionally, a starting frame of each of the plurality of looping motion clips may be synchronized so that the motion cycles in each of the plurality of looping motion clips are in phase with one another. By rendering an animation sequence using multiple passes through the looping motion space, an animation of the character object performing the motion cycles may be extended for arbitrary length of time.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing a graphical user interface configured to present a view of a computer model of a network, wherein the model of the network includes a plurality of elements that represent physical objects in the network and wherein each of the elements is associated with one or more rule points; receiving user input selecting a rule point for an element presented in the view; accepting user input specifying programming logic to be associated with a first one of the predefined conditions of the selected rule point, the programming logic having been entered into a graphical user interface configured to present an interactive template of the predefined condition; enabling the predefined condition based on the accepting; and validating the model by simulating operation of network.

Abstract: A method for real-time, goal-directed performed motion alignment for computer animated characters. A sequence of periodic locomotion may be seamlessly aligned with an arbitrarily placed and rotated non-periodic performed motion. A rendering application generates a sampling of transition locations for transition from a locomotion motion space to a performed motion space. The sampling is parameterized by control parameters of the locomotion motion space. Based on the location and rotation of a goal location at which the performed motion is executed, a particular transition location may be selected to define a motion plan to which a performed motion sequence may then appended. Advantageously, by utilizing a look-up of pre-computed values for the control parameters of the motion plan, the rendering application may minimize the computational cost of finding the motion plan to move the character to a location to transition to a performed motion.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for rendering a plurality of images from a graphics scene in one rendering pass. Each image from the plurality of images may include or preclude certain scene objects and shading effects associated with the scene objects, as specified by a set of rules associated with a corresponding frame buffer that is configured to store the image. During the rendering pass, a ray-tracing application performs at least one complete ray casting operation, which is concluded according to the set of rules. At each stage in the ray casting operation, individual rules for each frame buffer determine whether results from that stage should be saved in the frame buffer. The plurality of images may represent different segments of a final rendered image, and may be combined arbitrarily in a compositing phase to generate the final rendered image.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to transition between two different profile curves in a swept surface extrusion. Each curve has section sequences that include consecutive sections, which in turn include constant attributes, which in turn include graphic attributes and semantic attributes. The section sequences define a semantic pattern for each profile curve. A globally optimal match is computed between the sections of the different curves. Adapted curves are generated that are structurally identical but geometrically resemble their respective original curves. An actual profile curve is computed for a given position on an extrusion line using a one-to-one vertex position morphing based on the adapted curves. The swept surface extrusion is performed and the result is displayed.

Abstract: A method for real-time, goal-directed performed motion alignment for computer animated characters. A sequence of periodic locomotion may be seamlessly aligned with an arbitrarily placed and rotated non-periodic performed motion. A rendering application generates a sampling of transition locations for transition from a locomotion motion space to a performed motion space. The sampling is parameterized by control parameters of the locomotion motion space. Based on the location and rotation of a goal location at which the performed motion is executed, a particular transition location may be selected to define a motion plan to which a performed motion sequence may then appended. Advantageously, by utilizing a look-up of pre-computed values for the control parameters of the motion plan, the rendering application may minimize the computational cost of finding the motion plan to move the character to a location to transition to a performed motion.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products feature providing a rendering of a three-dimensional assembly of components. An explosion sequence for separating first components of the assembly is determined. The explosion sequence comprises stages in which each stage represents a different spatial relationship between two or more of the first components. A first input is received from an interactive control. A first stage in the explosion sequence is selected based on the first input. The rendering of the assembly is updated, responsive to the first input, to show the first stage of the explosion sequence. A second input is received from the interactive control. A different second stage in the explosion sequence is selected based on the second input. The rendering of the assembly is updated, responsive to the second input, to show the second stage of the explosion sequence.

Abstract: A procedure for texturing an object of a virtual three-dimensional geometric model represented by three-dimensional geometric model data comprised of a three-dimensional object data associated with the object. Facet data is created out of three-dimensional geometric model data representing object surfaces of an object and which will be assigned 3D object data. Texture data is created representing a surface texture of the object surfaces of each object and which is assigned facet data. The three-dimensional object data, facet data and texture data are used to create a textured, three-dimensional representation of the object.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product/article of manufacture provide the ability to enable and use a tool implement on a multi-touch device. The tool implements may be activated and deactivated using the borders of touch-sensitive region of a multi-touch device. The tool implement can be positioned in the display area (e.g., by dragging grips of the tool) and then used (in combination with a touch gesture to perform an operation. The tool implement may be a drawing aid tool that is used to remap a user's stroke gesture to a defined stroke that is displayed.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for refining quilts of patches representing three dimensional structures. A method is provided that includes generating a first quilt representation of a three-dimensional structure, adding information to the first quilt representation, and generating a second quilt representation based on the first quilt representation. The first quilt representation is based on a model and associated with a first display level of detail. The second quilt representation is associated with a second display level of detail higher than the first display level of detail.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to shape a terrain. An associative framework dependency graph used to control the shaping of the terrain is established. The graph defines an association between and processing order for two or more nodes that include an input node and an action node. The input node is a drawing entity or set of one or more geometric parameters. The action node is dependent on and uses the input node as input to perform an evaluation and produce an output object. The associative framework dependency graph is displayed and evaluated by evaluating the action node in accordance with the processing order to produce a finished ground terrain.

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 method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to create a flow-grade solution. In a computer application, a curve from which a slope is to be projected and an elevation field depth buffer, that provides a 2D array with one element for each coordinate, are defined. A slope angle for the slope is specified. As grading shapes are rendered, by sweeping a cone with the slope angle along the curve, a grid is used to capture, into the buffer, an elevation for each vertex of the grid. A flow grade solution represented by the field depth buffer is thus obtained. The flow grade solution includes a path of steepest slope (determined from the elevations stored in the buffer) from any given location in the grid.

Abstract: A method for real-time, goal-directed performed motion alignment for computer animated characters. A sequence of periodic locomotion may be seamlessly aligned with an arbitrarily placed and rotated non-periodic performed motion. A rendering application generates a sampling of transition locations for transition from a locomotion motion space to a performed motion space. The sampling is parameterized by control parameters of the locomotion motion space. Based on the location and rotation of a goal location at which the performed motion is executed, a particular transition location may be selected to define a motion plan to which a performed motion sequence may then appended. Advantageously, by utilizing a look-up of pre-computed values for the control parameters of the motion plan, the rendering application may minimize the computational cost of finding the motion plan to move the character to a location to transition to a performed motion.

Abstract: A method for filling closed regions in a drawing using a region filling tool. Rather than selecting individual regions to fill, or filling based on style-by-layer techniques, the user creates a path or an area boundary to identify the regions to be filled. A graphics application may then fill each region that intersects the path or area boundary with a selected color or graphical style. In this manner, multiple regions in the drawing may be identified using one interaction with the region filling tool, allowing the user to more efficiently and intuitively fill regions in the drawing with the selected color or graphical style.

Abstract: Systems, program products and program products for accepting a request to move a first geometric entity that is constrained to other geometric entities in a drawing that may contain both one-way and two-way geometric constraints. A set of affected geometric entities that need to be repositioned or otherwise changed as the result of moving the first geometric entity is identified. The affected geometric entities and the geometric constraints are classified into groups which are solved using a variational geometric constraint solver. If the geometric constraints cannot be satisfied, the movement of the first geometric entity is restricted. Otherwise the affected geometric entities are updated.

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.