Abstract: Methods and techniques to implement a digital signal processor for avoidance of audio feedback are disclosed, in particular, audio signal processing systems that reduce the requirement for physical segregation of sound acquisition and diffusion zones. In a more general aspect, the components and techniques described herein provide a for a sound space and sound processing equipment such that sound travelling electronically in a loop through the sound processing equipment that is output into a physical sound diffusion zone, received at the input to the sound processing equipment, and then re-amplified, etc. is attenuated over that loop by frequency modification. The frequency modification is such that, at least for some signals, on each pass through the loop, the sound processing equipment will attenuate or amplify individual sub-bands of the frequency spectrum of the audio signal that is received at the input of the sound processing equipment.

Abstract: A method for a computer system includes performing rendering operations for a plurality of scenes to form a plurality of intermediate rendering data in response to a plurality of scene descriptor data associated with the plurality of scenes, processing the plurality of intermediate rendering data to form a model for the plurality of intermediate rendering data, and determining a higher quality plurality of intermediate rendering data in response to the model for the plurality of intermediate rendering data.

Abstract: Adaptive sampling alleviates aliasing by partitioning the field of view of an image sample point into depth regions. Portions of the scene are sampled within a depth region using sample rays. If a sample ray is not completely occluded in the depth region, corresponding sample rays are evaluated in adjacent depth regions. Sample rays can be recursively evaluated in further depth regions until all the subsamples intersect opaque objects or a depth limit or transparency threshold is reached. The value of an image sample point is the weighted combination of sample rays. The number of sample rays in each depth region may increase monotonically with distance along a line of sight from an image sample point for effects such as reflection, refraction, and illumination. The number of sample rays in each depth region may increase monotonically with distance from a focal plane for effects such as depth of field.

Abstract: Systems and methods for defining or specifying an arbitrary set of one or more animation control elements or variables (i.e., “avars”), and for associating the set with a model object or part of a model object. Once a set of avars (“avarset”) is associated with an object model, a user is able to select that model or part of the model, and the avarset associated with that part of the model is made available to, or enabled for, any animation tool that affords avar editing capabilities or allows manipulation of the model using animation control elements. This enables users to create and save sets of avars to share between characters, or other objects, and shots. In certain embodiments, the user can associate multiple avarsets with a model part and can designate one of those sets as “primary” so that when that model part is selected, the designated primary avarset is broadcast to the available editing tools.

Abstract: Mesh data and other proximity information from the mesh of one model can be transferred to the mesh of another model, even with different topology and geometry. A correspondence can be created for transferring or sharing information between points of a source mesh and points of a destination mesh. Information can be “pushed through” the correspondence to share or otherwise transfer data from one mesh to its designated location at another mesh. Correspondences can be created based on parameterization information, such as UV sets, one or more maps, harmonic parameterization, or the like. A collection of “feature curves” may be inferred or user-placed to partition the source and destination meshes into a collection of “feature regions” resulting in partitions or “feature curve networks” for constructing correspondences between all points of one mesh and all points of another mesh.

Abstract: A method for determining behavior of an animatronics unit includes receiving animation data comprising artistically determined motions for at least a portion of an animated character, determining a plurality of control signals to be applied to at least the portion of the animatronics unit in response to the animation data, estimating the behavior of at least the portion of the animatronics unit in response to the plurality of control signals by driving a software simulation of at least the portion of the animatronics unit with the plurality of control signals, and outputting a representation of the behavior of at least the portion of the animatronics unit to a user.

Abstract: An edge-preserving diffusion filter maintains the sharp edges in images while smoothing out image noise. An edge-preserving diffusion filter applies an edge-preserving smoothing filter to an image to form a filtered image. The modified image is then blurred by a blurring filter to form a blurred image. The modified image and the blurred image are blended together to form an output image based on an error metric associated with each pixel. The edge-preserving diffusion filter may be utilized to perform a multilevel decomposition of the image. The edge-preserving diffusion filter may be applied to an unfiltered image to produce a base image. The difference between the unfiltered image and the base image defines a detail image. The detail image may be used as the input for recursively generating additional levels of detail. The multilevel decomposition may utilize filter kernels associated with different contrast levels for each iteration.

Abstract: An image may be represented by a directed acyclic graph (DAG) including a number of nodes on paths between input parameters and output values. Intermediate operations are performed at the nodes to produce intermediate output values. One or more of the input parameters may be modified (e.g., by an animator). A determination is then made as to which intermediate output values are affected by the modified input parameters. A simplified DAG is constructed from the nodes corresponding to the intermediate output values affected by the modified input parameters. The intermediate output values that are not affected by the modified input parameters and are maintained at a constant value corresponding to a previously determined value for the intermediate output value. The simplified DAG is evaluated to determine the output resulting from the modified input parameter such that the image may be re-rendered without re-evaluating the full DAG.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a circular scratch highlight. The method includes generating a plurality of texture planes, where each texture plane includes a plurality of copies of a scratch texture oriented in the same direction; generating a combined texture by combining the plurality of texture planes at different angles; applying the combined texture to a surface of an object; calculating a specular gradient vector based on a light vector and a reflectance vector, wherein the specular gradient vector points in a gradient direction of a specular highlight; and generating the circular scratch highlight by assigning, for each of a plurality of points on the surface of the object, a separate weight value corresponding to each texture plane in the combined texture based on how closely an orientation of the texture plane at the point corresponds to a scratch vector that is perpendicular to the specular gradient vector.

Abstract: A file format that includes a constant section and a varying section. The constant section provides a referencing scheme that references the various components that comprise the scene, as well as a listing of attributes of the scene that are modifiable. Within the same file format, the varying section provides an overriding mechanism to modify the attributes that are available to be modified. Accordingly, the disclosed file format can access cached animated geometry directly and/or aggregate other files via the aforementioned referencing and sparse override semantics. This allows the same set of inspection, manipulation, and rendering tools to be used throughout the rendering pipeline, from asset creation to final rendering.

Abstract: Techniques for determining a position of a component of an animated object relative to a surface represented by a depth map and updating the state of the animated object based upon the determination. Updating the state of an animated object may change one or more of the animated object's geometric and/or non-geometric properties, such as changing the position and/or orientation of a component(s) of the animated object, changing a color associated with the animated object, and the like.

Abstract: A shader can include a series of instructions, among which are horizontal instructions and vertical instructions. Executing such shader for rendering animation information may mean many redundant computations on millions of graphic data points. Thus, vertical instructions are separated out from horizontal instructions and executed in a vertical manner, thereby reducing rendering time and cache space used during the process. That is, a block of instructions is recursively subdivided until a number of instructions that are to be executed in a horizontal manner are approximately minimized in each sub-block. All of the identified vertical sub-blocks can process each data point individually and independently from other data points, thereby achieving various advantages, including, but not limited to, temporary processing, index processing, efficient caching and the like.

Abstract: A degree of detail calculation required for calculations to process computer graphics data is determined based on input parameters that are varying in certain dimensions. During a detail analysis of a shader, a directed graph is built in such a way that each connection between nodes indicates a dependency among inputs and outputs of calculations and/or input parameters. For each input parameter, variability information about the input parameter is obtained. A lattice or a table representing dimensional variability is used to determine a variability value for each calculation for given input parameters and dependency relationships among other calculations. After a variability value has been determined for each calculation, calculations are grouped into several groups and executed once per the variability value.

Abstract: Methods and an apparatus allow animators to control the extent by which scripted character motions affect simulated objects' motions. The simulated objects are connected to the character or non-simulated object, such as clothing or hair, and the motion of the simulated objects is simulated based on the motion of the character or non-simulated object. Pose-based collision flypapering is employed to yield the proper behavior of simulated objects when those objects are pinched by surface regions of the character and/or other collision objects. In response to the pinching, a surface region is selected from the surface regions causing the pinching. Motion and position of the simulated object may be constrained to the selected surface region.

Abstract: An animation creator authors a transition between two different pre-authored motions of a degree of freedom of an object such as an animatronic or virtual character. The author selects an arbitrary position to begin the transition and the transition ends at the position where a subsequent state of a degree of freedom of the object begins. The selected position is arbitrary because an initial state of the degree of freedom of the object is not known until the complete motion of the object is determined. The transition is transformed to begin where the initial state ends and to end where the subsequent state begins. The transition is transformed to retain the general shape of the authored transition and to provide the same quality of motion as the pre-authored motions. The transformed transition may be scaled in time such that limits of velocity and/or acceleration for the object are not violated.

Abstract: Small objects causing aliasing are enlarged so that they are likely to be sampled by image sampling points. The opacity of the enlarged object is reduced in proportion to the enlargement. To efficiently render partially transparent objects, such as enlarged objects, objects are sampled using sigma buffer samples instead of image sample points. For each sigma buffer sample, a corresponding portion of the object is set to either completely transparent or completely opaque. The proportion of transparent to opaque portions of the object matches or approximates the partial transparency of the object as a whole. The completely opaque portions of one or more objects are sampled with the corresponding sigma buffer samples. Aggregate values of the sigma buffer samples are determined and can be combined with the attribute values of other objects sampled with image sampling points associated with the same region as the set of sigma buffer samples.

Abstract: An ordered object list is compared with an ordered ray list and if the coordinate value of an entry in the ray list is less than the coordinate value of an entry in the object list, then the ray is added to an active ray list, and a trace of that ray is made against all objects in an active object list. If the coordinate value of the entry in the ray list is greater than the coordinate value of the entry in the object list, then the coordinate value corresponding to the entry in the object list is added to an active object list, and a trace of all rays in the active ray list is made against that coordinate value. Rays and objects are removed from the active lists based on determinations as to whether a trace hit occurred and/or which object point is encountered.

Abstract: A method for determining interior coordinates is disclosed. The method includes receiving information specifying an object having a plurality of sites and a boundary. Interior coordinates associated with each of the plurality of sites are determined based on the boundary. The interior coordinate associated with each of the plurality of sites represent a system of coordinates that satisfy several properties, including non-negativity and interior locality. At least one value associated with the plurality of sites is then interpolated using the interior coordinates.

Abstract: Local histogram and local histogram-based functions can be determined by generating offset-kernel images based on domain-shifted tonal filter kernels. The offset-kernel images can be reused for multiple image locations and/or local neighborhood sizes, shapes, and weights. A neighborhood filter representing the desired local neighborhood size, shape, and frequency domain characteristics is applied to each of the offset-kernel images. Neighborhood filters may include a temporal dimension for evaluating neighborhoods in space and time. Neighborhood filtered offset-kernel images' values represent samples of local histogram or local histogram-based function corresponding with the domains of their associated domain-shifted tonal filter kernels. Arbitrary functions may be used as tonal filter kernels. A histogram kernel may be used to sample values of local histogram functions.

Abstract: A method for a computer system includes receiving a selection of a plurality of assets to be rendered from a user, wherein the selection comprises a plurality of symbolic references, determining respective static references associated with each asset from the plurality of assets in response to the plurality of symbolic references, rendering the plurality of assets in response to asset data associated with the respective static references to form a rendered image, storing the respective static references associated with each asset from the plurality of assets in a pinset file, and associating the rendered image with the pinset file.