Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to display and use object manipulators in a computer graphics program. In some embodiments, an object manipulator (i.e., a button object manipulator or traditional object manipulator) is displayed on a graphics object and activated. In response to the activation, a property of the graphics object is directly modified. Various forms and properties of the object manipulator provide additional capabilities that may assist the user in the graphics program.

Abstract: A system and method of rendering overlapping layers in a computer display, such as a windowing system, employs front-to-back assembly of the displayed image. An arbitrary number of overlapping elements, such as windows, can be presented, without requiring temporary storage space or additional off-screen buffers. The front-to-back assembly technique minimizes the number of memory transfers performed in connection with rendering an image, and avoids unnecessary reading and processing of pixels that will not contribute to the final image. Special effects such as semi-transparency, shadows, and irregular shapes can be accommodated and processed in an efficient manner.

Abstract: A retention memory retains 2D image data picked-up and output by camera portion in association with corresponding thumbnail image data. The 2D image data retained in the retention memory is converted to 3D image data formed of image data for left-eye and for right-eye for stereoscopic vision of the image as desired. A retention portion creates thumbnail image data with a shrunken image based on this 3D image data and stores the created thumbnail image data and the 3D image data in the retention memory in association with each other. The thumbnail image data is created, for example, by reducing the left-eye image data and the right-eye image data of the 3D image data to satisfy a thumbnail size. A listing of thumbnails based on the thumbnail image data in retention memory is displayed on a display portion so that the retained image can be recognized at a glance.

Abstract: To provide an image processing system capable of increasing a sense of affinity for a robot at a low cost, an image processing system has an image generating device for generating computer graphics in a figure corresponding to a positional relationship between an observer, who is observing a figure of an actual object and the actual object, and the actual object; a nimbus generating device for generating a nimbus image around a periphery of the computer graphics; a combined image generating device for generating a combined image combining the computer graphics and the nimbus image; and an image display processing device for displaying the combined image on an display which is seen by the observer so that the combined image is superimposed on the actual object.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for morphing different geometric shapes while not using algebraic characteristics and overcoming inefficiency of Minkowski sum computation. The method for geometric shape morphing by using direction map so as to smoothly morph more than two different geometric shapes includes the steps of: a) extracting each direction map of the geometric shape; b) merging the direction maps; c) scaling the merged direction map by group; and d) generating a polygon by using an inverse function of a direction map.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating and updating interactive 3D visualizations of media indices wherein separate indices are located above and below a ground plane. The indices are organized in table structure defined by two axes and provide links to the media that is indexed. Various visual characteristics of the indices communicate characteristics of the media that is indexed as well as various user defined or group defined information relating to the indexed media.

Abstract: A data-display system employs a display in which the representations of data objects are caused to move on the display in order to convey information about the represented data objects. In one example, icons in a link-analysis display that represent data objects satisfying a selection criterion are made to execute distinctive motion. In another example, three-dimensional models of moving bodies in whose features components of respective data objects are encoded are projected onto a screen plane, and the resultant values are used to generate the display.

Abstract: An authoring system and authoring method to assigning a real geo-spatial position to sensory-effect data representing virtual sensations, including a virtual sound sensation. The system includes an author interface for displaying a representation of a real geo-space, means for accepting the sensory-effect data, and means for an author to assign the virtual sensory effect data to a location within the displayed representation corresponding to a real location within the geo-space, such that a user has the sensation of the virtual sound coming from the location assigned for the sensory-effect data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a network accessible tool that is capable of providing map and satellite image data, as well as other photographic image data to locate, identify, measure, view, and communicate information about land over the Internet-to-Internet users. The network accessible tool includes a location tool that allows the user to locate areas on a map using geographic names, township, range and section descriptions, county names, latitude and longitude coordinates or zip codes. Network accessible tool also includes a metes and bounds tool that draws boundaries on the map and image data in response to metes and bounds descriptions that have been entered by the Internet user. The network accessible tool also includes a lat/long drawing tool that draws boundaries on the map and image data based upon latitude and longitude coordinate pairs that have been entered by the Internet user.

Abstract: A system and method for use with a computer having a memory for drawing a picture on a display of the computer which comprises a plurality of geometric parts stored as fonts in the memory, each font having a code number, the geometric part fonts, and a finished picture assembled by the picture parts whereby the encoded parts and the finished pictures can be stored in the memory systematically, exchangeably and removably by coded numbers.

Abstract: A method and system for generating an image display plan is provided. In one embodiment, a planning system allows a user to create a display plan that specifies a sequence of images that are to be displayed and how the images are to be displayed. The planning system allows a user to specify different versions of the plan for different aspect ratios. When displaying the image, the planning system may display multiple viewports simultaneously on the image, one for each of the different aspect ratios. The planning system may allow the multiple viewports to be moved around and resized as a unit maintaining a common center point for the viewports.

Abstract: The system disclosed is used to display multiple activities that act on the same component or set of components, such as walls, slabs, columns in a building etc., in a four dimensional (3D plus time) simulation Abstract of the planned or actual design, procurement and construction schedule. The user is provided with flexibility in assigning different colors and effects to different types of activities required for the design, procurement or construction of projects. These assignments provide the information necessary for 4D models to portray the design, procurement, and construction processes more accurately in a 4D simulation and display these processes in a way that is more easily understood by the viewers of 4D models. In the preferred embodiment, this is done by having the ability to overlay text in 2D or 3D on an animated 4D simulation to give the viewer of the 4D model additional information about the activities that are displayed in 4D simulation.

Abstract: A method and system for indicating curve connection continuity information in a graphical design system comprises steps and apparatus for determining values for measures of G1, G2, and G3 continuity at a junction point between curves. The continuity values are selectively displayed in a graphical display as respective tags adjacent or otherwise associated with the junction point at issue. The tags are updated as the shape of the curves are altered to provide a designer with a substantially real-time indication of the continuity of the curve junction. The display format of the tags can be altered to indicate when the respective continuity measure is within a predefined continuity tolerance level.

Abstract: A line image which comprises one line parallel to the juxtaposing direction of light-emitting elements is extracted from a three-time image, and a work region is determined, in which, in the juxtaposing direction, an M sub-pixel is added to the front side of the line image and an N sub-pixel is added to the rear side thereof. A background image of a region corresponding to the work region is read out from the frame memory. The read out background image whose precision is made the same as that of the three-time image in a pseudo state, and the line image are blended to obtain a blend image. Image data resulting from the blend image are written in a region corresponding to the work region of the frame memory. The above process is repeated for all lines of the three-time image.

Abstract: A computing device comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is operable to select a plurality of related graphics elements for extraction from an electronic document. The selection of the plurality of related graphics elements includes creating a graphics region in the electronic document, and the graphics region includes an expandable area in the document encompassing the plurality of related graphics elements. The memory stores the electronic document from which the plurality of related graphics elements are extracted.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus that streamlines the process of prescribing and acquiring medical imaging experiments and data processing applications. The present application provides a modular intuitive and guided workflow having a graphical user interface that may be tailored and made singular and unique for each individual application. The user interface implements a guided management tool that incorporates the general principle that user activity is more efficient when it begins in the upper left-hand portion of the screen and proceeds horizontally across the screen moving from left-to-right and top-to-bottom. The user interface incorporates a number of tabs wherein each tab corresponds to a major prescription step. The tabs are aligned vertically along the left side of the user interface and are used to modularize the application workflow.

Abstract: Generating a dynamic legend for a drawing developed by a diagramming software program. A drawing sheet module and legend module, logically-coupled to the drawing sheet module, are useful for generating and updating a dynamic legend. The legend module can support the addition of a legend to a drawing sheet. The legend module can also determine if legend symbols should be automatically added to the legend. If legend symbols are added to a drawing sheet, that addition can be automatically reflected in the dynamic legend. Symbols can be converted such that they may be reflected in a dynamic legend.

Abstract: Character display apparatus includes a display device and a control section. The control section controls the display device such that: a color element level of at least one first sub-pixel, which corresponds to a basic portion of a first character, is set to a predetermined color element level; and a color element level of a first vicinal sub-pixel located in the vicinity of the at least one first sub-pixel is set to a color element level different from the predetermined color element level, whereby the first character is displayed on a display plane, the basic portion of the first character is included in a first frame having a predetermined size, the at least one first sub-pixel is included in a first region on the display plane which corresponds to the first frame, and at least one of the at least one first vicinal sub-pixel is out of the first region.

Abstract: A character code converting system capable of lightening the burden imposed on the management of a code converting library and mapping information on the side of users and of easily and surely carrying out code conversion of character data including types of characters such as special characters and external characters between a plurality of different coding schemes. In the character code converting system, a code converting component carries out code conversion of character data, which are exchanged between processing programs operating on the respective platforms and an internal code converting module in a middleware, based on mapping information by an external code converting part, and processes the code-converted character data into a predetermined data format, which will be code-converted by the internal code converting module, by a data processing part. Thus, even if the internal code converting module in the middleware is operating, it is possible to equivalently transmit character data.

Abstract: A method and system for generating an image display plan is provided. In one embodiment, a planning system allows a user to create a display plan that specifies a sequence of images that are to be displayed and how the images are to be displayed. The planning system allows a user to specify different versions of the plan for different aspect ratios. When displaying the image, the planning system may display multiple viewports simultaneously on the image, one for each of the different aspect ratios. The planning system may allow the multiple viewports to be moved around and resized as a unit maintaining a common center point for the viewports.