Abstract: The present method renders scan lines of an image to an output device in a memory efficient manner and in a manner suitable for a client server application using an Internet or Intranet type network. The image is defined by a number of order objects, each of which is independently stored. The procedure determines on a scan line basis the objects which influence the particular scan line and accumulates the rendering effect of the objects necessary for returning the scan line. Returned scan lines are transmitted over a network to a client computer and the procedure is repeated. Objects are only partially rendered as required to pass on the necessary information as input for the next object. This approach maintains the independence of the objects, allows interaction of objects, allows output to high resolution output devices in a memory efficient manner, and allows each object to be reproduced at the best resolution and in an efficient manner for a large scale network application.

Abstract: The present method renders scanlines of an image to an output device in a memory efficient manner. The image is defined by a number of order objects, each of which is independently stored. The procedure determines on a scanline basis the objects which influence the particular scanline and accumulates the rendering effect of the objects necessary for returning the scanline. Once a scanline is returned, the procedure is repeated. Objects are only partially rendered as required to pass on the necessary information as input for the next object. This approach maintains the independence of the objects, allows interaction of objects, allows output to high resolution output devices in a memory efficient manner, and allows each object to be reproduced at the best resolution.