Abstract: A method for sharing visual situational information of objects among a number of command and control units. The method includes the steps of providing to each command and control unit a mechanism for storing a digital reference map of a geographical area, receiving by one or more command and control unit an image of a scene which includes one or more object within the geographical area, registration of the received image of the scene to the digital reference map, updating a situational information of the object in the reference map, and transferring the updating of the situational information to one or more other command and control unit.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a system for efficiently processing a data set. More particularly, image data such as volumetric data are stored in a spread memory fashion, with image data subsets occupying only a fraction of each page. Each memory page is sized to roughly map to processor cache size (or a section thereof), such that image data is always mapped to one or more predetermined fractions of processor cache. By keeping processing parameters (e.g., look-up tables and buffers) in the remainder of cache, the system effectively locks those parameters against overwrite by the image data. This system facilitates the use of conventional workstations, laptops and other machines not enhanced for processing large or complicated data sets. It also extends capabilities of both un-enhanced and enhance machines, permitting them to process data more efficiently.

Abstract: A method, computer program product and system for rendering soft shadows in an image or frame representing a 3D scene, comprising the steps, from a light's point of view, of detecting and creating a list of edges casting shadows, a list of soft shadow edges and a list of shadow volumes polygons; rendering said soft shadow edges into one or more sides of a cubemap, rendering said shadow volume polygons in combination with a stencil buffer to detect full shadowed areas; from a viewer's point of view rendering said scene with said cubemap applied while performing a stencil test operation for preventing the scene to be drawn in shadowed areas, to produce a soft shadowed image. In addition, the system supports the re-use of the shadow volumes and cubemap information for more than one frame.

Abstract: In one embodiment according to the present invention, relative z-ordering of segments in a digital image is determined. A method comprises forward and backward motion matching of image regions to determine overlap, followed by the creation of relationships (e.g., pairwise relationships) between regions and comparing the result with the original image to determine the relative z-ordering.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for rendering of a volume data set on a two dimensional display. According to the method of the invention gradient vectors of voxel values are computed and are replaced by an index into a gradient look up table, thereby reducing the amount of required memory as well as the number of memory accesses during rendering. For each point on a two-dimensional view plane a ray is cast into the volume. Then the volume data is sampled at discrete sample points along each individual ray. During rendering eight gradient vectors of the neighboring voxels at each sample location are retrieved from the look up table. The invention proposes to apply dithering to the gradients before selecting the appropriate index. Recovery of the true gradient value is achieved because of the interpolation. Thus image artifacts, such as intensity bands caused by the discretization of the gradients, are avoided.

Abstract: Vertices of a polygon model M0 are sorted into those on which rays are projected (visible-surface vertices M01) and those on which rays are not projected (hidden-surface vertices M02) based on normal vectors V2 of the vertices of the polygon model M0 and a light source vector V1, and shadow models (shadow volumes) M1, M2, M3 are generated by moving the hidden-surface vertices in a direction of the light source vector V1. Shadow images can be easily created by applying stenciling to these shadow models.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a factory process is disclosed. The factory process comprises a plurality of tasks. The method comprises displaying the factory process in real-time as a three-dimensional, free-camera, computer generated representation of the process as a whole, selectively displaying each of the tasks in real-time as a three-dimensional, free-camera, computer generated representation of the respective task.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the quality of an image, for extracting a luminance gradient displayed on a display device and for evaluating local luminance unevenness caused therein. The method includes the steps of: subdividing the image to be used as an evaluation object into a plurality of pixels; acquiring a first luminance information by calculating the difference between the sum of luminance values of predetermined pixels and the luminance value of a predetermined pixel, the predetermined pixels forming a first pixel group surrounding the predetermined pixel; acquiring a second luminance information by calculating the difference between the sum of luminance values of predetermined pixels and the luminance value of the predetermined pixel, the predetermined pixels constituting a second pixel group; acquiring a third luminance information by adding the first luminance information and the second luminance information; and evaluating the luminance of a screen photographed based on the third luminance information.

Abstract: An invention is provided for rendering using an omnidirectional light. A shadow cube texture map having six cube faces centered by a light source is generated. Each cube face comprises a shadow texture having depth data from a perspective of the light source. In addition, each cube face is associated with an axis of a three-dimensional coordinate system. For each object fragment rendered from the camera's perspective a light-to-surface vector is defined from the light source to the object fragment, and particular texels within particular cube faces are selected based on the light-to-surface vector. The texel values are tested against a depth value computed from the light to surface vector. The object fragment is textured as in light or shadow according to the outcome of the test.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing an exploded view of an assembly. The invention includes an input unit, a geometrical data memory for storing geometrical data of parts composing an assembly, a memory for storing assembling process data composed of parts to be attached and attaching directions, a calculating unit for displaying the assembly to a display based on geometrical data, and apparatus for determining arranged positions of the parts in a disassembled state based on assembling process data and geometrical data, thereby producing an exploded view on the display corresponding to the arranged positions.

Abstract: A method and system for transforming a multivariate data domain into a low-dimensional visual representation. Probabilistic models of the data domain are utilized, and at least one probabilistic model is used to produce at least one predictive distribution. The predictive distributions are used as inputs to the visualization process, where the multidimensional space is converted to a low-dimensional space. In this process data vectors are considered similar, for example, if the corresponding instances of a predictive distribution, conditioned with the variable value assignments found in the data vectors, are similar. Consequently, similarity is not defined directly using the physical properties of the data vectors, but indirectly through the probabilistic predictive model(s).

Abstract: An image generating apparatus and image generating method determine the distribution state of dot-sequences on a two-dimensional screen using two-dimensional Gaussian distribution in the event that the plurality of dot-sequences randomly exist in a sphere within the three-dimensional space, an generate an image of dot-sequences on the two-dimensional screen based on the distribution state on the two-dimensional screen. The two-dimensional Gaussian distribution can be factored to the product of one-dimensional Gaussian distributions, and the one-dimensional Gaussian distributions can be generated by uniform random numbers. Thus, it is easy to create an image by projecting a plurality of dot-sequences randomly existing in a three-dimensional space onto a two-dimensional screen.

Abstract: An imaging method for imaging a subject (18) including fibrous/anisotropic structures (102) includes acquiring three-dimensional image representations without and with a plurality of different diffusion weighting and directions. When a user (56) hovers a selection device over a voxel of the image, a fiber representation (54) is extracted in substantially real time. The representation is generated by following a direction of a major eigenvector e1 from voxel to voxel. A human-viewable display of the fiber representation is produced (210).

Abstract: The present invention is related to rendering computer animated video and/or images generally, and to improving the calculation of diffusely reflected light. The present invention includes a system and method of computing diffusely reflected light at one or more positions on surfaces in an object scene from object scene data. The present invention typically includes the step of and/or instructions for selecting a non-regular order for processing a plurality of positions on a surface—the plurality of positions having been predetermined. The present invention also includes the step of and/or instruction for processing the plurality of positions in the non-regular order.

Abstract: A method executed in an apparatus for generating graphics data indicating shape features of three-dimensional graphics based on X, Y and Z coordinate values, which includes the steps of generating a random number using the X and Y coordinate values of a plurality of shape specific points to determine a two-dimensional shape of the target three-dimensional graphics as seeds of random numbers, calculating a Z coordinate value of the shape specific point based on the generated random number and generating the graphics data based on the calculated Z coordinate value and the X and Y coordinate values of the specific points.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically sorting translucent object data in a 3-dimensional computer shading texturing system first stores a list of objects to be shaded and textured. For each pixel, for each object in turn, it is determined whether an object in the list is further from an image plane than a current deepest object for that pixel. Data is stored for at least the deepest object in the list. The pixel is then shaded and textured for this object and the stored object is then discarded from the list. This is repeated until pixels have been shaded for all objects in the list.

Abstract: Discloses a method and design for map based visualization and presentation of geographic features, terrain and property characteristics. A list of terrain attributes or group of properties are listed in one display area and a corresponding map with symbolized and coordinated property is displayed in a second display area. A property of interest is provided with a property box graphic on the map with the property box containing selected characteristics of the property and anchored at the location of the property. A three-dimensional (3-D) property characteristics model is disclosed which provides a visualization of selected property characteristics. The 3-D model supports visual analysis and comparison of a characteristic of a property to its neighboring properties. The 3-D visualization and analysis model may also be used to evaluate the proximity of a property to a natural hazard.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for generating consistent parameterizations for a set of meshes each of which includes data points representative of a corresponding surface. The consistent parameterizations preferably share the same base domain, and are generated using a net tracing algorithm. The net tracing algorithm involves determining for each of the meshes a net of paths having a connectivity substantially the same as that of the base domain. In an illustrative embodiment, the net tracing algorithm as applied to a given one of the meshes includes determining, for each edge in the base domain, a tentative path for use in the net of paths corresponding to the mesh. The tentative paths are then prioritized based on length, and selected ones of the tentative paths are used to construct a spanning tree of the base domain.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for indicating the existence of a control object displayed as part of a graphical user interface. The existence of a control object is indicated by displaying one or more images about the control object and changing the state of the images. In the preferred embodiment, the images are small, non-intrusive sparkles that contrast in color to the surrounding area of the graphical user interface. The sparkles are clustered about a control object in a pair of orbits and change state by moving among a series of concentric rings that radiate outwardly from a focal point of the control object. The preferred focal point is the center of the control object.

Abstract: In relation to a control system of an image processor by which transmission and receiving can be conducted with an equipment placed in a store, office, hospital, etc., and with a control apparatus to conduct a maintenance control of the equipment, the maintenance control system of the image processor includes: the image processor; a communication section for transmitting and receiving information between the control apparatus and the image processor; and an information obtaining device for obtaining information to reproduce a condition of the image processor on a control apparatus side, wherein the information obtained by the information obtaining device is transmitted to the control apparatus through the communication section.