Patents Assigned to Autodesk, Inc.
  • Patent number: 7877749
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for traversing a process tree in a digital video editing system. A process tree is loaded into a digital video-editing system. The process tree has parent nodes that are dependent on output data from child nodes. Each parent node and each child node represents a digital video processing task to be performed during a traversal of the process tree. Each parent node declares a data definition and data default values. The data definition defines a structure of the data used by that parent node. For each parent node processed, a determination is made regarding whether the data definition for the output data received from a dependent child node is compatible with the data definition declared for that parent node. If the data definition is incompatible, the parent node utilizes the data default values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Itai Danan
  • Patent number: 7873210
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to automatically reproduce film grain into a new image. A reference image and new image are obtained. An image of the reference image is subdivided into two or more tiles. A grain simulation tool is then used to automatically determine if an object feature exists in each of the two or more tiles. Response curves are constructed for each of the tiles that does not contain an object feature. Frames of grain are produced/generated based on the response curves and added to the new image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Justin Peace Novosad
  • Publication number: 20100333026
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to interface with objects. A computer-implemented scene having two or more objects is displayed and a corresponding list of the two or more objects is displayed in independent categories called facets and in an ungrouped flat list. A user identifies a viewpoint within the scene that establishes a location and an orientation within a space of the scene from which to view the scene objects. Dynamically and independently from additional user actions, a proximity of each of the two or more objects from the viewpoint is determined. The ungrouped list of the two or more objects is sorted based on the proximities and displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Ian Hooper, Carlos Edel Olguin Alvarez
  • Patent number: 7859538
    Abstract: Animation of an object from a character modeling and/or animation tool is converted from a representation used by that tool to a representation used in a runtime animation system, such as a game engine. Such a tool typically represents the object using a source structure and a source skin. The runtime animation engine typically uses a target structure, target skin and shading to represent animation of an object. In addition to transferring motion of the object from its source structure to the target structure, deformation and shading also are converted. Low resolution information about the deformation of the source skin is converted into a set of skinning weights for associating the target skin with virtual bones added to the target structure and animated deformation data for each frame of animation. High resolution detail from the deformation of the source skin is converted into a set of normal maps, one or more masks and animated mask parameters for use by one or more shaders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: AUTODESK, Inc
    Inventors: Michael Isner, Javier Nicolai von der Pahlen, Thomas Ho-min Kang
  • Patent number: 7860691
    Abstract: Tools and techniques for creating and editing a master block definition for a dynamic block, and manipulating a block instantiation of a dynamic block are described. One or more data structures that can be used to implement a dynamic block feature are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: John Beltran, Carey M. Clutts
  • Patent number: 7856342
    Abstract: Methods and program products for presenting a view of physical element, the physical element represented in a computer aided design (CAD) model, and integrating a presentation of structural reinforcement of the physical element into the view of the physical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Emile E. Kfouri, Tim Culver
  • Patent number: 7853889
    Abstract: A palette-based graphical user interface for a computer-implemented system. The palettes can be customized in a number of different ways to make them more user-friendly. More specifically, methods, computer readable media, and systems for dragging and dropping a stack of palettes onto another stack of palettes to create a combined stack of palettes are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Charles Yanchar, Mark Stephen Webb
  • Patent number: 7839400
    Abstract: The present invention is a system that manages a volumetric display using volume windows. The volume windows have the typical functions, such as minimize, resize, etc., which operate in a volume. When initiated by an application a volume window is assigned to the application in a volume window data structure. Application data produced by the application is assigned to the windows responsive to which applications are assigned to which windows in the volume window data structure. Input events are assigned to the windows responsive to whether they are spatial or non-spatial. Spatial events are assigned to the window surrounding the event or cursor where a policy resolves situations where more than one window surrounds the cursor. Non-spatial events are assigned to the active or working window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon Paul Kurtenbach, George William Fitzmaurice, Ravin Balakrishnan
  • Publication number: 20100269041
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to perform a series of steps in a graphics drawing application. A drawing is opened and a series of two or more drawing operations is performed. Subsequent to the performing, the series of the two or more drawing operations is displayed in a history list of drawing operations. An arbitrary subset of the two or more drawing operations is selected from anywhere in the history list. The selecting provides for the recording of the arbitrary selected subset. The recorded arbitrary subset of drawing operations is dynamically performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Randy A. Kintzley, Hans-Frederick Brown
  • Patent number: 7817158
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for specifying that an operation should be performed on an attribute of each object of a group of objects. A statement, for example, in a script, specifies an operation to perform on an attribute of a set of objects. The statement may specify the set in a variety of ways that may be easier to program. According to an aspect of the present invention, the statement may specify an operation identifier and pattern matching criteria for identifiers associated with objects. Objects that are associated with identifiers that satisfy the pattern matching criteria are identified, and for each identified object, the operation is applied to the attribute of the object. According to another aspect of the present invention, the statement may specify an operation identifier and an identifier associated with a collection of objects. The operation is applied to the objects that belong to the collection of objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: John Wainwright
  • Patent number: 7814436
    Abstract: The present invention is a system that provides an orientation indicator graphical user interface element in a display view of a three-dimensional scene. The orientation indicator can be used to automatically change a view of the scene to a predetermined viewpoint. The indicator includes view direction indicating controls that when activated cause the view of the scene to change to a view direction indicated by the control. The direction can be indicated by a shape of the control, such as by a cone with a point pointing in the direction of the view, or by the location of the control, such as being located on a marked scene axis of the indicator. The view of the scene is also automatically adjusted at the view position to center an object of interest in the scene and zoomed in/out to fit the object to the display view. The indicator is part of the three-dimensional scene and moves with the scene as the scene is manipulated by a user, such as in tumbling the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: John Schrag, Steven Takashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7813903
    Abstract: The present invention is a particle position solver that allows particles to reach an end of a fixed time, time step in an invalid state and which are then pushed toward a valid state. This allows the solver to continue the simulation while the simulation results move toward a valid behavior. Particle collision calculations are simplified by adopting a non-sequential model ignoring some collisions or combining them. The speed of the simulation is also improved by performing some operations outside the solver calculation loop and by using specialized data structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Jos Stam
  • Patent number: 7814439
    Abstract: The present invention is a system that provides a user with a pan-zoom tool that is controlled by a limited input device, such as a pen or stylus, of a pen based computer. The pan-zoom tool is a semitransparent, bull's eye type tracking menu that tracks the position of the pen. A pen-cursor or tracking symbol that corresponds to the location of the pen is allowed to move about within a pan-zoom tool graphic. The tool is moved when the location of the pen encounters a tracking boundary of the tool at an exterior edge of the menu. While moving within the pen-mouse the pen can select pan and zoom functions located in concentric rings of the tool graphic as the active function of the tool. Once one of the pan or zoom functions is activated motion of the pen on the surface of the display is interpreted as corresponding pan or zoom control commands, the tool is becomes transparent and the tracking symbol is replaced by a corresponding pan or zoom icon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George W. Fitzmaurice, Robert J. Pieke
  • Publication number: 20100257485
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a computer readable storage medium provide the ability to manipulate a segment of a network in a computer drawing application. A graphics drawing program is displayed on a display device. User input is accept that obtains a drawing having graphics objects. A connected object network object is created. A subset of the graphics objects (that are connected to each other) are added to the connected object network object. User input is accepted that selects a first graphic object in the subset and in response, an alignment line is displayed across all of the graphic objects in the connected object network object. The alignment line graphically indicates that all of the graphic objects in the subset are part of the connected object network object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Sami E. Ghantous, Jose Madeira de Freitas Garcia
  • Patent number: D624933
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George Fitzmaurice, Gord Kurtenbach, Justin Matejka, Marsha Leverock, Paul D. Vaters
  • Patent number: D625324
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George Fitzmaurice, Gord Kurtenbach, Justin Matejka, Igor Mordatch, Azam Khan
  • Patent number: D625327
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George Fitzmaurice, Gord Kurtenbach, Justin Matejka, Marsha Leverock, Paul D. Vaters
  • Patent number: D625328
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George Fitzmaurice, Gord Kurtenbach, Justin Matejka, Marsha Leverock, Paul D. Vaters
  • Patent number: D625732
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George Fitzmaurice, Gord Kurtenbach, Justin Matejka, Marsha Leverock, Paul D. Vaters
  • Patent number: D626560
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George Fitzmaurice, Gord Kurtenbach, Justin Matejka, Marsha Leverock, Paul D. Vaters