Abstract: Systems and methods applicable, for instance, to using continuous levels of detail (CLODs) in connection with computer graphic models. Distinct levels of detail (LODs) can be generated, floating point LOD (fLOD) values can be calculated, and interpolated LODs can be generated. Further, LOD display can occur.

Abstract: A system and method for motion capture to efficiently render in-game objects, including characters, and controlling animation of characters and non-player characters. In some embodiments, the motion capture includes a machine learning model that can take as inputs information about the hand pose of a person from multiple sensors over a period of time and generates a highly probable hand pose prediction from that information, based on what it learns from a previously captured dataset of high quality sample motion captures. The systems and methods described herein overcome the imprecision conventional optical marker pipelines for the case of finger movement, where the slightest imprecision yields results that are not good enough for production.

Abstract: A system and method for capturing a player's likeness on an in game model at runtime including geometry and texture.

Abstract: A system and method for building and rendering in-game objects. In some embodiments, the system includes a plurality of metadata records describing available assets, wherein each metadata record comprises an asset identifier, which identifies an asset, and a property tag. In some embodiments, the system receives the metadata asset record or the asset identified by the metadata asset record from an asset interface to instruct a rendering engine to load the asset identified by the metadata asset record into a 3D environment.

Abstract: A system, device, computer-readable instructions, and method are provided for mapping and filtering of visual objects to address bump mapping. For example, a system, device, computer-readable instructions, and method are provided as a unified shading model representing both bump orientation and bidirectional radiance distribution function (“BRDF”). The computer-readable instructions are non-transitory, and storable on a storage device, including a CDROM, flashdrive, cloud, processor memory, or other storage capability.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for simulating shadows in a scene. In an embodiment, two or more light sources that cast shadows from objects are identified. Each of those light sources is then assigned to a channel in a shadow mask buffer. The shadows are then accumulated into the shadow mask buffer and may be combined with corresponding lights to render the scene.

Abstract: Systems and methods for animating a character model by deforming the character model based on poses. Embodiments may contain a modeling component in which a user may create a character model that contains a rig representing animation controls applied to the model, and geometric/graphic parameters for graphically rendering the model. The user also may create directed graphs that contain nodes representing operations that act on the character model and directional connections representing data flow between nodes. The embodiments may contain a compiling component that convert a directed graph into a sequence of instructions that perform the operations denoted at the nodes. The embodiments provide tools and methods to reduce redundancies in the sequence of instructions producing an optimized version of instruction sequence. The resulting instructions are then convertible into machine code for running on a video game device or loaded into a plug-in of a graphic rendering engine.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a three-dimensional image is provided. An embodiment of the present invention includes calculating the ambient occlusion at a vertex in multiple, independent stages. Determining the global AO at the vertex may be performed using a first technique. Determining the local AO at the vertex may be performed using a second technique. The total AO can be found as a function of the local AO and global AO.

Abstract: Systems and methods for simulating a user's behavior in an interactive computer system are provided. For example, a computer program product includes a simulator configured to simulate a user interacting with a computer program. The simulator includes a learning mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation. During the learning mode, for example, the simulator is configured to monitor the user's interaction with the computer program for one or more events and analyze one or more current circumstances during the occurrence of the one or more events, and further, to record at least one user input in response to the occurrence of at least one event, store the at least one user inputs in at least one data field, and associate the at least one data field with the at least one events and the at least one current circumstances.

Abstract: An interactive computer system and method for simulating a user's avatar behavior is provided. In an embodiment, a computer program product includes a simulator configured to simulate a user interactive with a computer program. The simulator includes a learning mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation. During the learning mode, the simulator monitors the user's interaction with the computer program for one or more events, and analyzes one or more current circumstances during the occurrence of one or more events. The simulator records one or more user inputs in response to the occurrence of the one or more events, stores the one or more user inputs in one or more data fields, and associates the one or more data fields with the one or more events and the one or more current circumstances.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a three-dimensional image is provided. An embodiment of the present invention includes calculating the ambient occlusion at a vertex in multiple, independent stages. Determining the global AO at the vertex may be performed using a first technique. Determining the local AO at the vertex may be performed using a second technique. The total AO can be found as a function of the local AO and global AO.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a three-dimensional image is provided. An embodiment of the present invention includes calculating the ambient occlusion at a vertex in multiple, independent stages. Determining the global AO at the vertex may be performed using a first technique. Determining the local AO at the vertex may be performed using a second technique. The total AO can be found as a function of the local AO and global AO.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for the efficient rendering of multiple light sources, each controlled individually, in a single pass. An example embodiment encodes the light sources in a texture map, such as DXT. Each channel of the multi-channel texture map encodes data associated with a light source. The pixel shader then renders multiple light sources according to the multiple channels of the texture. Additionally, the pixel shader may render multiple textures, and thus render an even greater number of individual light sources. In a further embodiment, the rendering of a plurality of individually controlled light sources is accomplished in a single pass.

Abstract: Methods and systems for simulating and visualizing a flowing fluid when interacting with an intersecting object are provided. The simulating of falling fluid as a two-dimensional plan and rendering first and second depth buffers corresponding to current depth information for, respectively, a top surface and a bottom surface of an object is rendered. The values of first and second current simulation textures are rendered for the top and bottom surfaces of the object, where for a given frame each of the first and second current simulation texture values is set to either a corresponding value of the first and second current simulation texture values is set to either a corresponding value of each or second depth buffer or a corresponding, velocity-offset value of the previous frame's first or second simulation texture respectively. A visible fluid mesh is rendered in the two-dimensional plane based on the current simulation textures.

Abstract: The field of the invention relates to interactive computer systems and more particularly to systems and methods for simulating a particular user's behavior in an interactive computer system. In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a simulator configured to simulate a user interacting with a computer program. The simulator includes a learning mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation. During the learning mode, the simulator is configured to monitor the user's interaction with the computer program for one or more events and analyze one or more current circumstances during the occurrence of the one or more events. The simulator is further configured to record one or more user inputs in response to the occurrence of the one or more events, store the one or more user inputs in one or more data fields, and associate the one or more data fields with the one or more events and the one or more current circumstances.

Abstract: The field of the invention relates to interactive computer systems and more particularly to systems and methods for simulating a particular user's behavior in an interactive computer system. In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a simulator configured to simulate a user interacting with a computer program. The simulator includes a learning mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation. During the learning mode, the simulator is configured to monitor the user's interaction with the computer program for one or more events and analyze one or more current circumstances during the occurrence of the one or more events. The simulator is further configured to record one or more user inputs in response to the occurrence of the one or more events, store the one or more user inputs in one or more data fields, and associate the one or more data fields with the one or more events and the one or more current circumstances.

Abstract: A system and method are provided wherein a server based music creator is accessible by a client for the creation of composite audio files. The method and system receives, from a remote client computer via a network connection, a play sequence for playing audio segments, wherein a play sequence identifies one or more audio segments and associates at least one temporal location in a playback timeline with each audio segment. A composite audio file including each audio segment identified in the play sequence is generated, such that the composite audio file when played plays each audio segment identified by the play sequence at each audio segment's associated temporal location(s). The composite audio file is then transmitted to the client computer. In another non-limiting example, the play sequence includes one or more track sequences.