Abstract: An input device such as a joystick, which utilizes a plurality of individual analog compression-sensitive sensors for detecting direction and magnitude of applied force, such as applied to an arm. The arm is supported to allow substantial radial displacement outward from a resting to a maximum allowed position. The analog sensors are positioned within a compression applicator moveable to apply compression thereto. Resilient structuring is incorporated to provide, once compressing of a sensor starts, substantial disproportionate movement of the arm relative to the moveable compression component. The resilient structuring includes resistance to further deflection in order to increase force to a sensor as the arm is further displaced toward the maximum allowed displacement. The arm, resilient member and moveable component of the compression applicator are integrally molded as one piece of plastics in one embodiment.

Abstract: A method of fairing a non-manifold model as disclosed which includes smoothing the model by applying a fairing operator to a set of features such that noise is removed after determining the features of the model.

Abstract: A storage medium for a game relating to the present invention contains: (1) a game program for calling up drawing functions for prescribed scenes in accordance with the progress of the game; (2) animation data including sprite data forming two-dimensional still images, and motion data capable of generating animations by causing the sprites to change with each frame; and (3) a drawing program for generating rendering data (drawing commands) positions, colours, texture co-ordinates, and the like, for each sprite in a frame (display screen), according to the animation data specified by the drawing function. In general terms, animation data is data capable of generating moving images (animations) of characters as intended by a designer, and this animation data can be developed separately from the game program.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for shadow mapping while rendering a primitive in a graphics pipeline. Initially, an offset operation is performed in order to generate a depth value while rendering a primitive. Further, a value of a slope associated with an edge of the primitive is identified. Thereafter, the depth value is conditionally clamped based on the value of the slope.

Abstract: A graphics system improves the efficiency in measurement operations of three-dimensional objects by enabling a user to easily and accurately specify the measurement point of the three-dimensional objects on a screen. A user can obtain the display of horizontal and vertical distances between surfaces of three-dimensional objects by specifying a point on the screen displaying the sectioned three-dimensional objects. Also, the graphics system can display three-dimensional objects whose parts are readily distinguishable by color from each other.

Abstract: Operating system enhancements that enable an application program to create and perform graphics operations on device-independent bitmaps (DIBs) efficiently. The enhancements are in the form of functions that return to the application program a handle to the DIB and a pointer to the location of the DIB in memory. With the handle, the application program can use the capabilities of the operating system to perform graphics operations on the DIB. With the pointer, the application program can use its own drawing capabilities and address the DIB directly. The operating system enhancements also streamline the design and content of graphics drivers such as display drivers by placing basic graphics functions in a graphics engine that communicates with the graphics driver. Simple graphics operations are passed from the graphics driver to the graphics engine, allowing the driver to be limited to more complex operations that utilize special characteristics of graphics hardware associated with the driver.

Abstract: A method of integrating two independent simulations including running a first simulation simulating changes in an object over time. The first simulation includes a first simulation output reflective of a state of the first simulation at one or more predefined times. A second simulation is run concurrently simulating changes in a second object over time. An interaction between the first and second simulations is defined resulting in an integrated simulation output without affecting the first simulation state.

Abstract: A stereoscopic vision parameter is determined on the basis of the 3D space data to be displayed and the disparity distance at which the left- and right-eye images look displaced from each other in a predetermined 2D rendering space. In determining a parameter, the disparity distance between left and right image data of an object point in the 3D space is set in advance, which appears when the image data are rendered in the 2D rendering space, and the position of a displaced point which is separated from the coordinates of the object point in the 2D rendering space in the base line length direction of the observer by the disparity distance is computed. The coordinates of this displaced point in a 3D space are computed. In addition, the base line length is determined on the basis of the distance between the 3D coordinates of the displaced point and the object point.

Abstract: A method of processing an image, includes the steps of orienting at least one virtual plane among a plurality of objects representing three-dimensional objects; projecting a shadow of a first one of the objects onto the virtual plane based on a viewpoint representing a light source; and mapping the projected shadow onto at least one other of the objects that is farther from the viewpoint representing the light source than the first object.

Abstract: A method for rendering participating media effects is disclosed. At least one object having a surface is defined and a lattice, aligned with a camera, is also defined that encompasses the at least one object. A volumetric line integral is computed from the camera to lattice points in a neighborhood of a particular point on the surface of the object to obtain a value. The obtained value is filtered to obtain a volumetric line integral value for the particular point on the surface. Additionally, the set of values may be cached in memory and may be used in computing additional volumetric line integrals when applicable. The set of values determined for lattice points is filtered to determine the volumetric line integral value for a particular point on the surface.

Abstract: To reduce the hardware of the graphics computer in size and reduce the cost of the hardware, the frame buffer and the main memory are united into one unit to process graphics data in the CPU. The frame buffer is arranged in the main memory, and the graphics computer includes a DMAC used to read pixel data from the frame buffer for display, a display used to receive the pixel data and display it on a display device, such as an LCD, etc., and memories used to store the procedure used by the CPU to draw the pixel data in the said frame buffer. Especially, the said memories are formed so that a single function procedure and 2 multifunction procedure can be selected to suit the drawing object. In addition, the single function procedure includes 2 line drawing procedure that uses data tables and 2 multivalue expansion procedure that uses a pattern table and a mask table. Since the frame buffer and the main memory are united into one unit, the CPU can be used to process graphics data.

Abstract: A method for mutually mapping first three-dimensional data C1 and second three-dimensional shape or a two-dimensional image by specifying a plurality of correspondence points RP, wherein the first three-dimensional data C1 are displayed on a display screen and a contour line TU designating the height in the depth direction is displayed within the first three-dimensional data C1, and the contour line TU is used as a guide marker of the position of the correspondence points RP in the depth direction.

Abstract: Subdividing a subdivision surface includes traversing the subdivision surface to locate a target polygon on the subdivision surface, partially subdividing the target polygon, re-traversing the subdivision surface to locate the target polygon on the subdivision surface, and additionally subdividing the target polygon. Data is stored indicating a point in a subdividing process where the partially subdividing left off and the additionally subdividing includes subdividing the target polygon beginning at the point in the subdividing process where the partially subdividing left off.

Abstract: A system and method facilitating the production, processing, and Internet distribution of 3D animated movies including 3D multipath movies. A key reduction algorithm reduces the keyframes associated with the 3D movie to facilitate the streaming of the data over the Internet. An animation optimization and texture optimization algorithm allows the system to get statistical information of the portions of the 3D object which are invisible (outside the view frame), and whose animation and texture data may thus be safely removed. If the 3D object is within the view frame, the optimization algorithm gathers information about the distance and size of the 3D object and its associated texture data within the frame. The system and method further allows creation of various versions of the 3D object from a single production process. The various versions are tagged with an identifier identifying the target platforms and media platforms in which they are suitable for display.

Abstract: In a presentation device for two-dimensional, perspective projection of volume data elements of a volume dataset, the point of vision can be displaced along an optical axis and the point of vision and, with it, an acquired spatial angle can be rotated around at least one rotational axis with interactive inputs. The rotational axis intersects the optical axis in a pivot point that is determined dependent on the data values of volume data elements that lie within the acquired spatial angle, particularly on the optical axis or in the proximity thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is a digital electronic system for rendering a volume image in real time. The system accelerators the processing of voxels through early ray termination and space leaping techniques in the projection guided ray casting of the voxels. Predictable and regular voxel access from high-speed internal memory further accelerates the volume rendering. Through the acceleration techniques and devices of the present invention real-time rendering of parallel and perspective views, including those for stereoscopic viewing, are achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a non-planar graphics primitive employs an associated method of operation and includes a controller, at least one computation engine, memory and at least one lookup table. Responsive to operation codes issued by the controller, the computation engine(s) determines a group of control points based on the position coordinates and normal vectors of the non-planar primitive vertices. The computation engine(s) then determines position coordinates of supplemental vertices defining multiple planar tessellated primitives based on the control points and stored weighting factors that provide a cubic relation between the control points and the position coordinates of the supplemental vertices. A first memory stores at least the control points and at least one lookup table stores the cubic weighting factors.

Abstract: A system for generating an animated image of at least the head of a character which is speaking, with the face of the character having visible articulation or expression matching the words being spoken, is described. An input stream of marked up text comprising text to be spoken by the animated character and instructions representing behavioral features are combined in a modified text stream which includes randomization instructions to create random behavioural features. The modified text stream is processed to produce an audio stream representing the text being spoken and a sequence of phonemes corresponding to portions of the audio signal. The phoneme stream is mapped by phoneme to viseme mapping means to produce a stream of morph targets. The morph targets are, in turn, combined with further random movement instructions and these are then processed in an animation module to generate an animated image of at least the character's head.

Abstract: A system is described for providing an integrated, efficient and consistent production environment for the shared development of multimedia productions. Examples of multimedia productions include feature animation films, computerized animation films, interactive video games, interactive movies, and other types of entertainment and/or educational multimedia works. The development of such multimedia products typically involve heterogeneous and diverse forms of multimedia data. Further, the production tools and equipment that are used to create and edit such diverse multimedia data are in and of themselves diverse and often incompatible with each other. The incompatibility between such development tools can be seen in terms of their methods of operation, operating environments, and the types and/or formats of data on which they operate upon. Disclosed herein, is a complete solution that provides a consistent and integrated multimedia production environment in the form of common utilities, methods and services.

Abstract: A method for displaying a zooming operation on a display screen of a computing platform. The method includes retrieving data from a geographic data storage system, possibly located on another system, displaying a starting image that shows geographic features at a first scale with a first level of detail and then displaying an ending image that shows the same geographic features at a second scale with a second level of detail. Between the displaying of the starting image and the displaying of the ending image, at least one intermediate image is displayed. The intermediate image combines two component images of at least some of the same geographic features shown in the starting or ending image. The two component images in the intermediate image are at the same scale and are registered with respect to each other so that the same geographic features represented in the two component images coincide.