Abstract: A picture image editing system, incorporating a page memory device, having an editing subsystem and a boundary writing subsystem. The system is capable of writing desired boundary region data for at least some of the demarcating areas of a plurality of sets of picture image data to the page memory device, and of performing such writing operations in the course of or alternatively after the editing of the picture image data, such that boundary region data is present in a visually perceptible form, in a visually imperceptible form, or in a combination of both of these forms.

Abstract: A layout display control system for a document processing apparatus wherein dimensional information of a table is displayed together with the layout of a table to allow the user to recognize specific dimensions of the outer profile of the table when the layout of the table is displayed. Ruled-line data including vertical and horizontal ruled lines are inputted to assemble a table through movement of a cursor on a display. The inputted data is stored in a memory in association with the display positions on the display. When a layout of the table is to be displayed, the data is read out of the memory and is converted to layout data to display the layout of the table. To simultaneously display the dimensional information of the table, at least width and height of an outer profile of the table is calculated based on the data stored in the memory and the dimensions of the outer profile of the table is displayed with specific numerals.

Abstract: A system providing multiple virtual screens that are associated with one or more display elements in a server within an "X Window" system environment. Only the server within this environment has knowledge that the multiple virtual screens are not multiple hardware frame buffers that serve one or more display elements. The user of the server may change from one virtual screen to another virtual screen in various ways. Since the "X Window" client process is unaware that there are multiple virtual screens, the client sends data to a screen assuming that it is a separate "X Window" screen. When this data is received, the server displays the data only if the particular virtual screen is currently selected for display.

Abstract: A figure editing apparatus for editing figure sets each comprising a set of a plurality of basic figures includes a first memory for storing, in correlated form, each figure set and the plurality of basic figures constituting the figure set, a second memory for storing, in correlated form, each figure set and an area corresponding to the figure set, a third memory for storing, in correlated form, the basic figures and areas corresponding to the basic figures, and an adding/deleting unit for designating an area corresponding to a figure set or basic figure, thereby to add a basic figure to or delete the basic figure from the first memory. The editing of figure sets, each of which comprises a set of a plurality of basic figures, and particularly the editing of a graphical program, is simplified.

Abstract: A method for presenting help messages to a user in an interactive computer environment in which a help mode operates concurrently with other programs operating in the computer system. The user receives information about an icon by positioning a pointer on the computer's video display over the icon about which more information is desired. The computer then retrieves an appropriate help message based upon user sophistication from a database of help messages stored in its memory and displays it in a graphic bubble on the video display. The graphic bubble is placed so as to not overlap the object about which more help is requested. The graphic bubble is removed as soon as the pointer is moved away from the object.

Abstract: A layout displaying apparatus has the capability to display a layout of a text in at least one layout display region of a display. The layout displaying apparatus includes a layout display control for displaying a single page of stored data in each layout display region and an extension layout display control for alternatively displaying two adjacent pages of stored data in each layout display region in the form of a double column display.

Abstract: An apparatus for editing documents input from an input device, capable of reducing a process time of renewing the documents to be displayed on a display device and capable of increasing a displaying speed of the renewed documents during an editing process includes a document storing unit for storing document data, a text-layout information storing unit for storing text-layout information separately in accordance with a preceding time and a succeeding time with respect to an editing operation, the text-layout information indicating positions of the document data on the display device at a time when the document data are displaying, a display image storing unit for storing image data, the image data being used for displaying the document data stored in the document storing unit on the display device in accordance with the text-layout information in the preceding time stored in the text-layout information storing unit, an editing unit for producing the text-layout information in the succeeding time from the text

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating complex 3D stereo images in response to real time viewer head movement by dynamically accessing pairs of stereo images selected from among a precomputed set of images. The precomputed images correspond to a predetermined set of possible viewpoints, and are accessed based upon a prediction of viewer head movement. The arrangement of predetermined viewpoints may be along one, two, or three dimensions.

Abstract: Antialiased vectors, composed of a plurality of pixels along the vector minor axis for each major axis step, are rendered such that consecutively rendered pixels are always adjacent. For each major axis step, pixels are rendered along the minor axis in an order that reverses with each major axis step.

Abstract: A data processing system includes, among others, three memory areas: a source memory which is addressed in planar, data unit increments and stores display data units on a bit per plane basis; a target memory for storing display data units in a manner suitable for operation of a display unit; and a window buffer for transferring display data units from the source memory to the target memory. The system includes apparatus for inhibiting certain data units from the source memory from overwriting data units already in the target memory. The method comprises first accessing a plurality of data units from the source memory and then logically determining if all bits of each accessed data unit meet a predetermined criteria. Each data unit found to meet the predetermined criteria is inhibited from altering any data unit already in the target memory.

Abstract: A first processor console includes a first display screen and a first storage device for storing panel templates containing fixed panel information for display on the first display screen. A second processor console includes a second display screen and a second storage device for storing panel templates containing fixed panel information for display on the second display screen. The first processor console transmits to the second processor console an identification of a panel template for display on the second display screen. The second processor console receives the panel template identification, determines if the panel template identification identifies a panel stored in the second storage means and displays the panel on the second display screen if the identification identifies a panel stored in the second storage device, and requests transmission of the identified panel template if the second storage device does not contain the identified panel template.

Abstract: A method of generating a two-dimensional (2-D) image of a transform of a three-dimensional (3-D) solid object involves sub-dividing a 3-D box defining viewing space into sub-boxes, generating test-cells in object space by performing an inverse transform on the sub-boxes and determining which of the test-cells intersect the object. Thus, the need to transform the object itself is avoided. A particular application of the method is the generation of 2-D perspective images of a 3-D solid object. A graphics processing system including means for performing the method is defined.

Abstract: Computer apparatus and method replicates a book in screen views of a video display unit. A book representation is formed of a multiplicity of entities positioned in a series and successively overlapping each other. Data of only non-overlapped entities or portions thereof are viewable. Processor means changes display of the series such that desired entities are displayed non-overlapped in a respective position in the series. Each entity succeeding the desired entity in the series overlaps a respective succeeding entity, if any, and each entity preceding the desired entity in the series overlaps a respective preceding entity, if any, to display the desired entity non-overlapped in the series. Screen view position of viewable data in the series thus changes as a function of entity providing the data and corresponding serial position of the entity. A processor procedure adjusts position of user definable tabs coupled to entities to maximize viewability of tabs.

Abstract: A system that uses two character positions on a display area of an oscilloscope to indicate the progress being made toward achieving a target number of waveform acquisitions. The system displays the percentage of waveform acquisitions taken within this two character percentage display area by first displaying two symbols as white dots on a dark background. As the percentage of waveform acquisitions taken increases, the dots within the symbols are inverted starting at the bottom of the display area and progressing toward the top. When the target number of waveform acquisitions have been taken, all the dots within the symbols are inverted to display dark on white. As the percentage increases, the dots forming the first character of the display are inverted prior to the dots forming the second character. Therefore, higher resolution of the display is obtained.

Abstract: A data entry and error embedding system in which, first, a document is bitmapped and recorded in a first memory. Then, it is displayed, and portions of it to be replicated by data entry are underlayed by a window, into which window replicated data is entered in location and size such that it is juxtaposed just below that which is replicated, enhancing the accuracy of replication. Second, with this format in place, selected portions of the replicated data are altered by the insertion of character or word substitutions, thus the embedding of errors. Finally, a proofreader would endeavor to correct the error embedded data and a record of his or her changes recorded. In this manner, the skill level of the proofreader and accuracy of the data are computed.

Abstract: A method for adjusting the weight of a character of an outline font to produce an adjusted character, the character and adjusted character being described by collections of control points that guide the drawing of line or curve segments, with each line or curve segment being described by two end control points and each curve segment also being described by at least one middle control point. According to the method, first and second lines are determined for each segment of the character. The first line is the line defined by the two end control points of the segment, and the second line is the line parallel to the first line and offset from the first line a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction. Next, first intersects are determined for each segment of the character. The first intersects are the intersects between the associated second line and the second lines of adjoining character segments.

Abstract: A dimension display device displays the dimension of a machined member to be measured by means of a bar graph. The dimension display device includes a bar graph display part which is composed of a large number of display elements, and a plurality of scale display parts disposed in parallel to the bar graph display part for displaying in a numeric value a scale with respect to the bar graph display part. The plurality of scale display parts are able to shift the numeric value of the scale for display according to different types of members to be measured. That is, if the center value of the tolerance of the member to be measured is set, then the scale display parts shift the numeric value of the scale such that the center value of the tolerance is moved to the center of the bar graph display part, so that the bar graph display part can be used effectively.

Abstract: A three-dimensional model displaying method of displaying on a display screen a three-dimensional model expressed in a computer in the field of CAD or CAM. The quadrangular patches of the upper interface of a three-dimensional model is approximated with rectangular regions along the x-axis and y-axis of a two-dimensional coordinate system on the display screen. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to perform the operation of painting quadrangles irregular in configuration, and therefore the patch painting process can be achieved at high speed and with high accuracy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating computer generated lines using a single or multiple instruction multiple data processor in conjunction with a modified version of Bresenham's line drawing algorithm wherein the speed of the operation is enhanced by allowing the processor to perform its memory writes in page mode.

Abstract: A polygon rendering circuit for a computer color graphics system comprising an edge stepper which steps along edges of an input polygon to determine the span of the polygon along each scan line intersected by the polygon. The coordinate values of the edges on each scan line are determined to sub-pixel resolution such that only those pixels whose centers lie within the true polygon edges (within the span width) must be drawn. Processing efficiency is improved and bandwidth is minimized by passing only those edges of the polygon which are new to that polygon and by computing the Z values in the same manner as, and in parallel with, the X values. Improved results are also possible in accordance with the technique of the invention, for since adjacent polygons compute the same edge by stepping, there can be no gaps between polygons due to round-off errors.