Abstract: As to generate shadows in an image, the method comprises the steps of: Computing a depth-map that comprises an array of pixels, wherein pixels in the depth-map are associated to a single value corresponding to depth value that indicates a depth from a light source to a portion of nearest occluding object visible through the pixel, projecting a point visible through a pixel of said image into a light space, the result of said projection being a pixel of said depth-map, calculating a distance between the said visible point and the light source, fetching the depth value associated to said pixel of depth-map, computing, for said pixel of said image, an adaptive bias as a function of a predetermined base bias and a relationship between the normal of a surface on which the said visible point is located and incident light direction at said visible point, comparing for said pixel in the image, the distance between said visible point and the light source with the sum of the corresponding depth map value and said ad

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for computing values for pixels in an image plane. In use, a low discrepancy sequence associated with an image plane is identified. Additionally, a function with the set of pixels of the image plane as a domain is determined. Further, a value is computed for each pixel in the image plane, utilizing the low discrepancy sequence and the function with the set of pixels of the image plane as a domain.

Abstract: A display system is provided for a vehicle. The display system includes a data source configured to provide terrain data with detached objects that are detached from ground terrain and attached objects that are attached to ground terrain; a processing unit coupled to the data source configured to receive the terrain data and to distinguish the detached objects from the attached objects to generate display commands for a three-dimensional view that comprises graphical elements representing both the detached objects and the attached objects; and a display device coupled to the processing unit and configured to receive the display commands and operable to render the common three-dimensional view to thereby allow viewing of the detached objects and the attached objects.

Abstract: An example method and system for blending textures of a composite image formed by a plurality of source images mapped onto a three dimensional model are presented. The composite image is projected to obtain an unblended projected image having textures. The textures are blended to obtain a blended projected image. Both the unblended and the blended projected images are backprojected onto the three dimensional model. A difference is determined between a pixel of the backprojected, blended image and a corresponding pixel of the backprojected, unblended image. The determined difference is then applied to a further corresponding pixel of the composite image to obtain a modified composite image representing a blending of the plurality of source images in the composite image.

Abstract: A three-dimensional moving image and an ultrasonic moving image showing a body part making periodic motion are obtained, and, from the moving images, a characteristic part having a shape that changes with the periodic motion is extracted. Phases of the periodic motion captured in the moving images are obtained. For at least one of the moving images, the phases are obtained based on the shape of the extracted characteristic part. For each phase, the positions of the characteristic part shown in the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image are associated with each other based on the extracted characteristic part and the obtained phases. Comparison images are generated by aligning, for each phase, the positions of the characteristic part shown in the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image with each other based on the associated positions of the characteristic part and the phases, and displayed.

Abstract: A method and system for computer aided design (CAD) is disclosed for intuitive shape control of boundary patch. A boundary patch is also known as n-sided patch which is defined by a number of input curves/edges. Continuity constraints (G0, G1 and G2) can be specified individually for the input curves. Boundary patch is primarily used to cover a relatively flat area where other modeling operators such as loft, sweep or fillet cannot apply due to irregular shape of the area. The present invention provides a technique to directly manipulate boundary tangent magnitude of a patch and allows the user to deform the patch shape in a very intuitive way. Thus, the present invention is especially useful for industrial design applications.

Abstract: A method for segmenting a volume dataset is provided. During initialization a level set field within a volume dataset is initialized and an initial set of active voxels is determined in dependence upon the initialized level set field. In an iteration process the level set field for the set of active voxels is updated followed by updating of the set of active voxels. The iteration is continued until the number of active voxels is less than a predetermined threshold. Level set segmentation data are then determined in dependence upon the level set field and provided for, for example, graphical display or storage.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention includes a technique to represent three-dimensional (3-D) object using signed distance functions. A bounding box containing an object is constructed in a 3-D coordinate system. The bounding box has at least a bounding plane. A ray is projected from a grid point on the bounding plane to the object with a pre-defined direction. The ray intersects a surface of the object at an intersection point. A parameterization value of the intersection point associated with the grid point is computed. The parameterization value corresponds to a distance from the grid point to the intersection point.

Abstract: An improved modeling system and associated techniques are described herein. In various embodiments, a modeling system generates a spatially local PCA model where the parts are connected with continuity constraints (e.g., soft constraints) in the boundaries. Experimental results on 3D face modeling show that the spatially local PCA model generalizes better than a holistic model. Moreover, the modeling system smoothly varies local control points for face posing in animation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for computing the shading of a volume. A slice of the volume is rendered along a half-angle direction that is between a light direction and a view direction. A slice of the volume is then rendered along a light direction to assimilate shadow information of the slice in a shadow buffer. The shadow buffer is bled orthogonal to the light direction to shade the slice.

Abstract: A stereoscopic image display device and method for driving the same are disclosed. The stereoscopic image display device comprises: a display panel including data lines and gate lines; an image converter that calculates disparity values based on depth values of the depth map extracting from 2D image data, calculates gain disparities by multiplying each of the disparity values by a predetermined gain value, generates left-eye image data and right-eye image data by shifting the 2D image data according to each of the gain disparities, and converts the left-eye image data and the right-eye image data into the 3D image data according to a 3D format; a data driver that converts the 3D image data to data voltage and supplies data voltage to the data lines; and a gate driver that sequentially supplies gate pulses to the gate lines.

Abstract: A processing method of interfacing a 3D image and a camera image is provided. In the processing method, a specific image pattern defined by a user is recognized, the recognized pattern is traced within an image, and a camera image and a 3D image are interfaced based on the tracing result. A 3D object is animated and rendered using a 3D graphic engine. The rendered image of the 3D object and the camera image are integrated and displayed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for visualizing surface-like structures in volumetric data sets, including defining local coordinate systems at sample points of the volumetric data set, transforming external parameters from a global coordinate system into the local coordinate systems, calculating the gradient vector components (Gai, Gbi, Gci) within the local coordinate systems of the sample points, and using the gradient vector components (Gai, Gbi, Gci) for calculating a surface normal at a given position of the volumetric data set, where the surface normal is important for conventional illumination models such as the Blinn-Phong shading model, preferably, the present invention is also calculating the external parameters from the global coordinate system at the given position by using the transformed external parameters of the local coordinate systems of the sample points, where the shading or illumination at the given position is then done by using a conventional illumination model,

Abstract: A method to create a computer retrievable three dimensional model of a person that can be used as a replacement for manual measurements in the garment industry. The method uses a garment which has geometrical patterns, such as a grid pattern. The garment also contains marks that would identify landmark locations for identifying geodetic points on the person wearing it and thus could be aligned to predetermined points when wearing. A calibrated set of images are captured by multiple cameras with the person wearing this garment. These images are analyzed by a computer program which will calculate the exact spatial location of points along the geometric pattern, thus recreating the measurements of the person. A model thus created can be used in multiple industries such as, but not limited to the garment industry.

Abstract: One particular implementation of the present invention may involve a method for determining connectivity of a plurality of points on a surface of a computer-generated object in 2D or 3D space. In general, the method may utilize a recursion process to determine or approximate a plurality of association region boundaries related to the points on the computer-generated object. The method may include a first stage of a refinement operation that may recursively search the surface of the computer model for the region boundaries of the set of points, a stopping operation that may cease the recursive search when an acceptable tolerance is achieved and a connecting operation that may use the determined region boundaries to connect the series of points on the surface of the model to form a connectivity graph of the points. The connectivity information obtained through the above method may be utilized as part of an interpolation process to generate hair or fur along the surface of the object.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for bump mapping in a hardware graphics processor. Initially, a first set of texture coordinates is received. The texture coordinates are then multiplied by a matrix to generate results. A second set of texture coordinates is then offset utilizing the results. The offset second set of texture coordinates is then mapped to color.

Abstract: A method includes assigning a priority to a ray data structure of a plurality of ray data structures based on one or more priorities. The ray data structure includes properties of a ray to be traced from an illumination source in a three-dimensional image. The method includes identifying a portion of the three-dimensional image through which the ray passes. The method also includes identifying a slave processing element associated with the portion of the three-dimensional image. The method further includes sending the ray data structure to the slave processing element.

Abstract: A user interface is provided for interacting with slides and objects provided on slides. In certain embodiments, the user interface includes features that are displayed attached to or proximate to selected slides or objects. In embodiments, aspects of the user interface may be used to preview, review, add, or modify transitions associated with animation from one slide to the next (or previous) and builds associated with animation of objects on slides.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for interfacing with a surface within a computer-aided drawing environment includes determining that a plurality of curves operable to define the surface constitute a P×1 surface condition. A P×1 surface condition is defined by a number of first curves equal to P and only one second curve. P is an integer greater than zero. The method also includes converting the P×1 surface condition into an N×M surface condition in response to determining that a plurality of curves constitute a P×1 surface condition. An N×M surface condition is defined by a number of third curves equal to N and a number of fourth curves equal to M. N and M are integers greater than one. The method also includes constructing an N×M surface under the N×M surface condition. The method also includes modifying the N×M surface to edit a drawing.

Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating object movement using markers are disclosed. A marker may provide information about a “binding” that specifies how a component of an object will automatically move in response to a movement of another component of the object. By using bindings to link the movements of an objects' components, a developer can simplify how the object's movement is controlled, for example, so that moving one component causes the rest of the components to automatically move in a desired manner. Displaying markers for these bindings provides, among other things, a convenient means for a developer to observe and/or change a component's movement behavior (i.e., the behavior that is specified by the bindings).