Abstract: Spherical-like textures are useful to simulate reflections and to generate arbitrary views from a point. For addressing simplicity, graphics systems typically require rectangular arrays of texture samples but an infinite variety of functions can be used to map these samples to a sphere-like object. A new metric is presented for measuring how well various maps use a given number of samples to provide the greatest worst-case frequency content of the image everywhere over the sphere. Using this metric and other important local properties, a comparison is presented of maps used previously in computer graphics as well as other mapping techniques borrowed from cartography. Based on these analysis several novel mapping techniques are presented that are fairly simple to implement and significantly more efficient in terms of the amount of processing and data required, and the quality of the resulting images.

Abstract: Embodiments for shader-based finite state machine frame detection for implementing alternative graphical processing on an animation scenario are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, the embodiment includes assigning an identifier to each shader used to render animation scenarios. The embodiment also includes defining a finite state machine for a key frame in each of the animation scenarios, whereby each finite state machine representing a plurality of shaders that renders the key frame in each animation scenario. The embodiment further includes deriving a shader ID sequence for each finite state machine based on the identifier assigned to each shader. The embodiment additionally includes comparing an input shader ID sequence of a new frame of a new animation scenario to each derived shader ID sequences. Finally, the embodiment includes executing alternative graphics processing on the new animation scenario when the input shader ID sequence matches one of the derived shader ID sequences.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method for extending a graphics rendering framework. A rendering application locates a first file that includes a first implementation involving a first graphics material and compares data associated with the first file to data associated with a second file that includes a second implementation involving a second graphics material. The rendering application compares data associated with the first and second files, determines that the first graphics material matches the second graphics material, and determines that the first implementation is different from the second implementation. The data associated with the first file and the data associated with the second file are then combined into a data structure.

Abstract: An irradiance caching method and apparatus that reduces the number of cache points by determining cache points with appropriately anisotropic areas of influence. At each query point when building an irradiance cache, the irradiance gradients of neighborhood cache points may be determined. If the irradiance gradients of neighborhood cache point(s) along a vector in a particular direction are the same as or similar to the irradiance gradient at the query points, the new cache points are spaced farther apart along vectors in that direction. This results in elliptical regions of influence around cache points in regions around the intersections of two surfaces where the irradiance gradient is changing more rapidly along vectors perpendicular to the intersections and less rapidly or not much at all along vectors parallel to the intersections.

Abstract: A system includes a computer system capable of representing one or more animated characters. The computer system includes a blendshape manager that combines multiple blendshapes to produce the animated character. The computer system also includes an expression manager to respectively adjust one or more control parameters associated with each of the plurality of blendshapes for adjusting an expression of the animated character. The computer system also includes a corrective element manager that applies one or more corrective elements to the combined blendshapes based upon at least one of the control parameters. The one or more applied corrective elements are adjustable based upon one or more of the control parameters absent the introduction of one or more additional control parameters.

Abstract: A method and system for surfacing of particle systems is proposed to achieve high surface resolutions and low execution times, comprising partitioning particles into sub-blocks, each sub-block associated linear data arrays, sequentially accessing each array to composite the particles into a respective sub-volume using estimates of grid stencils derived from particle kernels, performing random-access into the sub-volumes, processing each linear array, and lexicographically pushing the corresponding sub-volume into a DT-Grid to convert the sub-volume to a narrow band level set. Further steps to improve the temporal coherence of resulting surface, to reduce artifacts from sparsely sampled regions of space, to enhance artistic expression, and for flexible post processing can be performed.

Abstract: Herein described is a method and system of displaying low resolution graphics onto a high resolution display. The low resolution graphics may be displayed using one or more displayable maps or surfaces, each of which is defined by way of one or more parameters. The display may comprise a monitor, television set, or set top box, capable of displaying at a particular resolution. In one or more representative embodiments, the various aspects of the invention permit scaling the low resolution graphics onto the high resolution display by way of using the one or more displayable maps or surfaces such that the graphics data is properly displayed on the higher resolution display.

Abstract: A method of detecting an occurrence of an event of an event type during an animation, in which the animation comprises, for each of a plurality of object parts of an object, data defining the respective movement of that object part at each of a sequence of time-points for the animation, the method comprising: indicating the event type, wherein the event type specifies: one or more of the object parts; and a sequence of two or more event phases that occur during an event of that event type such that, for each event phase, the respective movements of the one or more specified object parts during that event phase are each constrained according to a constraint type associated with that event phase; and detecting an occurrence of an event of the event type by detecting a section of the animation during which the respective movements defined by the animation for the specified one or more object parts are constrained in accordance with the sequence of two or more event phases.

Abstract: The invention relates to a heating device (9), for a mobile inhalation unit for the inhalation of active agents, comprising a heating wire (15), with two connector ends (23, 31) for the introduction of electrical energy and a thermal reservoir (13, 17) for heating air flowing along the thermal reservoir, whereby the thermal reservoir may be heated by means of the heating wire. The heating wire has a temperature coefficient of at least 0.001 K?1. The invention further relates to an inhalation unit with such a heating device and a method for heating a thermal reservoir on such a heating device.

Abstract: A product modeling system and method are provided. On one embodiment, the product modeling system is used to model a piece of apparel, such as a shirt, with a design wherein the model with the design is used to display the piece of apparel with the design to a consumer.

Abstract: Among other disclosure, a computer-implemented method for retaining a surface detail includes identifying a surface that is to be used for generating an image in a rendering process. The surface includes polygons to be changed from an initial size to a larger size as the surface is changed to a lower resolution as part of tessellating the surface. The surface includes at least one surface detail smaller than the larger polygon size. The method includes storing information corresponding to at least a portion of the surface that includes polygons forming the surface detail. The method includes tesselating the surface, wherein the surface assumes the lower resolution. The method includes determining, while the image is at the lower resolution and using the stored information, a shading sample for at least one of the polygons of the larger size that includes the surface detail. The method includes storing the shading sample.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) structure data creation technique capable of readily creating 3D structure data is disclosed. This method is for producing data of a 3D structure which is made up of a plurality of elements. The method includes the steps of preparing first and second two-dimensional (2D) sectional images different in normal vector from each other, forming first and second unit graphics based on these 2D images, partitioning each unit graphic on a per-element basis, performing layout arrangement of two unit graphics in accordance with normal vectors, expanding these unit graphics for conversion to 3D objects, and allocating a selected element to a region in which elements of the unit graphics failing to coincide with each other, which region is included in and specified from those regions with intersection of respective partitioned parts of the unit graphics, thereby to create the 3D structure data required.

Abstract: A system, a computer readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method of pre-fetching in a network. A request is received from a user device for a first web page, the first web page being upstream of other web pages in a page flow. The first web page is transmitted to the user device. At least one web page that is downstream of the first web page in the page flow is transmitted to the user device, the at least one web page being transmitted without receiving a request for the at least one web page.

Abstract: A finished tobacco product is formed by an inner shell and attached outer pre-rolled sheet where the inner shell has a means to open an interior volume to add selected tobacco filler material.

Abstract: Cigarettes are provided which contain a filtering system and flavorants encapsulated with polyvinyl acetate, wherein deactivation of a sorbent by the flavorant is reduced through the encapsulation of the flavorant within the polyvinyl acetate. A preferred flavorant is menthol. The encapsulated flavorants are prepared by mixing at least one flavorant with polyvinyl acetate and a solvent, such as ethanol, and forming the encapsulated flavorants. Methods of making cigarettes and smoking the articles are also provided.

Abstract: Pouches (2) of cohesionless material, typically a smokeless tobacco product, are manufactured by conveying portions of the tobacco initially on a dispensing disc (5a) with cavities (7) from a delivery station (8) to a transfer station (9), where each portion of tobacco is then removed forcibly from the relative cavity by an ejection system (14) and directed into a duct (12) connecting with a wrapping station (10) at which the pouches (2) are formed, filled and sealed; the removal and transfer of each portion from the cavity (7) of the disc (5a) into the duct (12) is controlled in such a way as to displace the material by degrees and ensure its smooth passage toward the wrapping station.

Abstract: A method of curing tobacco comprises drying a harvested tobacco plant in a controlled environment for a time sufficient to substantially prevent the formation of at least one nitrosamine. The tobacco is first subjected to the controlled environment while at least a majority of the tobacco is in a green state. The resulting cured tobacco usually has tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA) levels which are undetectable and are similar to levels found in freshly harvested, green tobacco.

Abstract: Conventional information processing apparatuses have the problem of not being able to easily extract and observe a three-dimensional region of interest from 3D voxel data.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus according to the present invention deforms stored first mesh information of a three-dimensional object based on a deformation instruction for instructing deformation of the three-dimensional object, to acquire second mesh information, acquires a first slice information group, which is a plurality of slice information, based on the second mesh information, determines color information of the points after deformation from stored 3D voxel information, sets new color information for the points of the first slice information group based on the determined color information of the points to acquire a second slice information group, and displays that second slice information group. With this information processing apparatus, it is possible to render deformation in the shape of a three-dimensional object in real time, along with the color information of its surface and interior.

Abstract: An approach to enrich skeleton-driven animations with physically-based secondary deformation in real time is described. To achieve this goal, the technique described employs a surface-based deformable model that can interactively emulate the dynamics of both low- and high-frequency volumetric effects. Given a surface mesh and a few sample sequences of its physical behavior, a set of motion parameters of the material are learned during an off-line preprocessing step. The deformable model is then applicable to any given skeleton-driven animation of the surface mesh. Additionally, the described dynamic skinning technique can be entirely implemented on GPUs and executed with great efficiency. Thus, with minimal changes to the conventional graphics pipeline, the technique can drastically enhance the visual experience of skeleton-driven animations by adding secondary deformation in real time.