Abstract: An image generating apparatus (1) is provided with: a drawing application processor (11) for indicating a drawing device (13) to generate a 3D image; and a graphics library (12). The drawing application processor separates information to generate the image into coordinate transformation information and drawing object information and generates both with two independent generating devices respectively, and the graphics library stores and manages these information. The drawing device generates the 3D image on the basis of these stored and managed information and outputs it to a display device. The drawing object information is prepared for a broader area than the area of a field of view corresponding to the 3D image to be displayed this time.

Abstract: An image generating apparatus (1) is provided with: a drawing application processor (11) for indicating a drawing device (13) to draw a 3D image; and a graphics library (12). The drawing application processor is provided with a drawing object information generation device for generating drawing object information to draw an image; and a coordinate transformation information generation device for generating coordinate transformation information. The drawing device generates the 3D image by applying the coordinate transformation information to the drawing object information. An identifier is set to the coordinate transformation information. When the drawing device generates the 3D image, the coordinate transformation information is identified with the identifier.

Abstract: A picture generating apparatus (1) is provided with: a drawing application processor (11) for instructing a drawing device (13) to generate a 3D image; and a graphics library (12). The drawing application processor is provided with a drawing object information generation device for generating drawing object information to generate an image; and a coordinate transformation information generation device for generating coordinate transformation information. The drawing device generates the 3D image by applying the coordinate transformation information to the drawing object information. Consequently, this ensures the high-speed generation of the image and the ability of replacement of the drawing device.

Abstract: A pair of convex clusters are selected. Each convex cluster has a center of mass located at an original fixed distance from a common origin, and is oriented along a vector formed at a fixed angle from a common polar axis. A span is measured between the centers of mass of each convex cluster. A segment is measured from the center of mass of each convex shape to a point closest to the other convex shape along the span. A new fixed distance from the common origin for the center of mass for one of the convex clusters located along the vector for that convex cluster is evaluated if the span is less than the sum of the segments of the convex clusters. The pair of convex clusters are displayed rendered using at least the new fixed distance for the center of mass of the one convex cluster.

Abstract: A stereo image displaying device comprising: a feature element specifying section 40 for specifying feature elements contained in a pair of stereo images taken with a stereo image taking section 10; an image controlling section 30 for controlling the stereo images based on the positions of the specified feature elements in the stereo images to provide finished stereo images; and a displaying section 60 for displaying the finished stereo images in stereovision.

Abstract: A method and system for processing graphics simulation data is disclosed. Initially, a group of three-dimensional visual models to be rendered in a graphics simulation are constructed. Data that are utilized to move and control elements of the graphics simulation are acquired. The acquired data are subsequently converted to an object oriented format having tables and functions by automatically resolving dependencies between inputs and outputs of each of internal objects with external inputs and external outputs, respectively. Next, a link is established between the data in the object oriented format using the independent and dependent variables and the elements of the graphics simulation. Finally, the data in the object oriented format are processed via a graphics simulation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for displaying views in computer windows. If a user links to a new view while there are unsaved changes in the current view, the system may offer the user to display the new view in a separate window. In other aspects, the system displays the new view in a separate window if there are unsaved changes in the present view. The user may link to the new view for example by clicking on a hyperlink, using a navigation button in a portal, clicking the back button in a browser, or by typing an address into an address field.

Abstract: A ray tracer generates a ray tree, the ray tree comprising a primary ray shot along a selected direction and a plurality of other rays, the other rays being generated by recursive splitting. A ray is split when it encounters a predetermined condition, and each of the rays into which it is split is directed directed along a selected direction. The ray tracer comprises a low-discrepancy sequence generator an condition detector and a ray generator. The low-discrepancy sequence generator is configured to generate elements of at least one low-discrepancy sequence. The condition detector is configured to determine, for one of the rays in the ray tree, whether the one of the rays encounters the predetermined condition.

Abstract: A graphic processor having an index processing unit for pre-processing a list of vertices making up a three-dimensional image. The method of pre-processing comprising the following steps. First, decomposing the three-dimensional image into a plurality of primitive elements each defined by a set of vertices, each vertex comprising vertex information stored in a vertex storage area and addressable by a vertex index. Then receiving said vertex indices and creating a set of unique indices identifying a batch of vertices and loading only the vertices corresponding to said unique indices into the vertex storage area. Finally creating transformed primitive elements from transformed vertex information addressed in the vertex storage area using the unique indices.

Abstract: A reflection image and an environment map are loaded into memory. During rendering of an object, an environment texture sample is retrieved from the environment map based on a reflection vector stored in a pixel of the reflection image. The retrieved environment texture sample is then applied to the object. The object thus rendered is stored in a frame buffer.

Abstract: A multiple-level graphics processing system and method (e.g., of an operating system) for providing improved graphics output including, for example, smooth animation. One such multiple-level graphics processing system comprises two components, including a tick-on-demand or slow-tick high-level component, and a fast-tick (e.g., at the graphics hardware frame refresh rate) low-level component. In general, the high-level, less frequent component performs computationally intensive aspects of updating animation parameters and traversing scene data structures, in order to pass simplified data structures to the low-level component. The low-level component operates at a higher frequency, such as the frame refresh rate of the graphics subsystem, to process the data structures into constant output data for the graphics subsystem. The low-level processing includes interpolating any parameter intervals as necessary to obtain instantaneous values to render the scene for each frame of animation.

Abstract: An implicit function field of a nonmanifold is held in a form of volume data; a value of an implicit function at a point between lattice points is decided by interpolation; and if a difference in code distances between two adjacent voxels to be interpolated is larger than a fixed width, no surface is formed between the voxels. Furthermore, an entered curved surface is broken down into curved surface patches which enable determination of a front and a back; numbers are given to the front and the back, respectively, to be distinguished from each other; and a space is classified into a plurality of regions by using the number of a surface of a nearest point.

Abstract: The present invention is a system that allows a user to physically rotate a three-dimensional volumetric display enclosure with a corresponding rotation of the display contents. The rotation of the enclosure is sampled with an encoder and the display is virtually rotated by a computer maintaining the scene by an amount corresponding to the physical rotation before being rendered. This allows the user to remain in one position while viewing different parts of the displayed scene corresponding to different viewpoints. The display contents can be rotated in direct correspondence with the display enclosure or with a gain (positive or negative) that accelerates the rotation of the contents with respect to the physical rotation of the enclosure. Any display widgets in the scene, such as a virtual keyboard, can be maintained stationary with respect to the user while scene contents rotate by applying a negative rotational gain to the widgets.

Abstract: The method permits the animation of a synthesised model of a human face in relation to an audio signal. The method is not language dependent and provides a very natural animated synthetic model, being based on the simultaneous analysis of voice and facial movements, tracked on real speakers, and on the extraction of suitable visemes. The subsequent animation consists in transforming the sequence of visemes corresponding to the phonemes of the driving text into the sequence of movements applied to the model of the human face.

Abstract: A synthetic rendering of the terrain within a selected field of view is created from raw terrain elevation data, and the resolution of the rendering is proportioned to the altitude above ground level (altitude AGL) of the aircraft. All the data points are subdivided into tiles. Only data from tiles within a prescribed field of view are considered for processing; all others are ignored. Within the selected tiles, only some of the terrain elevation data points are passed to the graphics processor for rendering. At maximum resolution, when the aircraft is on the ground or at a low altitude, there are relatively fewer tiles within the field of view and the fraction of the data points from each tile within the field of view passed for rendering is relatively large. As the aircraft's altitude AGL level increases, the field of view also increases in area increasing the number of tiles within the field of view.

Abstract: A silhouette edge is rendered in a display format that corresponds to a geometry of a three-dimensional model. An angle between the silhouette edge and an adjacent silhouette edge in the image is determined, and the display format for the silhouette edge is selected based on the angle. Texture mapping is used to generate the silhouette edge in the display format.

Abstract: The present invention provides an animation creation program whereby the posture of a structure comprising a plurality of links can be determined by means of a simpler and easer operation. In accordance with the movement of one link in the structure comprising a plurality of links, the animation creation program of the present invention automatically determines the spatial positions of the other links of the structure so that the structure retains a posture that is as natural as possible. The animation creation program of the present invention uses, for example, inverse kinematics computation that is a computation method for controlling a human-type robot (humanoid) and is based on a matrix known as a Jacobian and the inverse matrix thereof which is known as the Singularity-Robust Inverse (SR-Inverse).

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for mapping display space (for example, for display devices) using extensions to spatially-enabled databases. Built-in structures and functions of a spatially-enabled object relational database system can therefore be leveraged. Use of the disclosed techniques enables, for example, quickly determining whether one object to be displayed on the display of a computing device will overlap (in space and/or in time) another object to be displayed on that device.

Abstract: A method of storing substantial data integrating shape and physical properties comprising (A) inputting external data 12 consisting of boundary data of an object 1, (B) dividing, by modified Octree division, the external data into cubical cells 13 which boundary surfaces are orthogonal to each other, and (C) storing the values of various physical properties for each of the cells. Furthermore, in step (B), each of the divided cells 13 is classified to non-boundary cells 13a located in the interior of the object or in a region outside of the object, and boundary cells 13b including boundary surfaces. Thereby, substantial data integrating shape and physical properties can be stored in small storage capacity, thus enabling the integration of CAD and simulation.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating image data, including a memory configured to store data defining a volume having a plurality of objects and at least one viewport, a memory configured to store motion data for each of the objects, configuration data for the viewport and instructions, and a processor configured by the instructions to perform the steps of, for each of the objects a position is calculated along its motion path at an interval of a user-specified time period, wherein the interval is dependent upon the shutter length for the object; the object is then translated to this position; the objects are then rendered through the viewport to produce a sample; and when a specified plurality of samples have been rendered they are blended to generate image data wherein each object is independently motion blurred.