Abstract: A system and method that produces stereoscopic images modifies a vertex shader program that was intended to produce a single monoscopic image. When executed, the modified vertex shader program generates a first image of a stereoscopic image pair based on a first viewpoint and generates a second image of the stereoscopic image pair based on a second viewpoint.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for translating fixed function state into a shader program. Fixed function state is received and stored and when a new shader program is detected the fixed function state is translated into shader program instructions. Registers specified by the program instructions are allocated for processing in the shader program. The registers may be remapped for more efficient use of the register storage space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for image reproduction, in particular for single or serial medical exposures, whereby one or more main images are reproduced on a display device. The method is characterized in that additional or interim images are generated using image interpolation prior to image reproduction from the one or more main images and in that additional image noise which varies from image to image is applied to the one or more main images and the additional or interim images, said image noise being generated by a noise generator, and image reproduction taking place by displaying in chronological order the one or more main images and additional or interim images to which the additional image noise has been applied. The method in particular improves the visual image impression in the case of fluoroscopic X-ray image exposures, without having to increase the applied X-ray dose.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer implemented method and apparatus to project a projected avatar associated with an avatar in a virtual universe. A computer receives a command to project the avatar, the command having a projection point. The computer transmits a request to place a projected avatar at the projection point to a virtual universe host. The computer renders a tab associated with the projected avatar.

Abstract: A graphics system utilizes a graphics processing unit to implement marching tetrahedra extraction of an isosurface. In one embodiment locations of tetrahedral grids are represented as groups of four vertices for processing in the graphics processing unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solution for processing source data into target data. A rim distance (?4) between the block sample boundary (?SB) and the block edge (b4) is relatively short for a comparatively high resolution level (r3), and the rim distance (?1) is relatively long for a comparatively low resolution level (rO). In connection with the production of the target data (DT) at least one interpolation parameter (?S1, e(PS1)) is determined for at least one interpolated sample between a first block (B2) neighboring a second block (B3) at least based on a first rim distance (?2) of the first block (B2) and a second rim distance (?3) of the second block (B3).

Abstract: A user can control the animation of an object via an interface that includes a control area and a user-manipulable control element. The control area includes an ellipse. The user-manipulable control element includes a three-dimensional arrow with a straight body, a three-dimensional arrow with a curved body, or a sphere. In one embodiment, the interface includes a virtual trackball that is used to manipulate the user-manipulable control element.

Abstract: System and methods of displaying anatomical structures and their surrounding area, are disclosed. For a viewing point the anatomical structures are rendered separate from their surrounding and saved. The surrounding area of the anatomical structure within a viewing frustum is extracted, interpolated and rendered. The rendered anatomical structures and calculated image of the surrounding are combined into a complete rendering of the anatomical structures with its nearby surrounding areas.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of producing a three-dimensional structural sketch (3DSS) and a computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program for executing the method is recorded are provided. The apparatus includes a property-detecting unit detecting a unary property of each part of a predetermined two-dimensional sketch and relational properties of the parts; a node-generating unit receiving the detected unary properties and the parts and converting the parts into nodes having three-dimensional shapes together with the detected unary properties; and a node-arranging unit receiving the detected relational properties and the nodes, arranging the nodes according to the detected relational properties, and generating a three-dimensional structural sketch, wherein the unary property includes geometric property and the relational property include topologic property. Thus, the apparatus can easily produce a 3DSS and update the produced 3DSS.

Abstract: A vector field, including its local three-dimensional attribute, is substantially visualized on a two-dimensional field of view in an intuitionally visible way. The vector field is mapped onto a three-dimensional coordinate space to produce corresponding coordinate point sequences, the degree of elevation in a local area of a plane in which the coordinate point sequences are connected is determined, the degree of depression in the local area is determined, the degree of elevation/depression in the local area is determined by weight-combining the degree of elevation and the degree of depression, the coordinate space is mapped onto a two-dimensional plane and gray-scale display corresponding to the degree of elevation/depression is conducted on the area of the two-dimensional plane corresponding to the local area.

Abstract: Methods, structures and systems for encoding and decoding isosurface data. An encoder process takes volume data and an isolevel as input and produces compressed isosurface data as output. The compressed isosurface data produced by an encoder process is composed of an occupancy image record, an optional intersection points record, and an optional normal vectors record. An occupancy image is compressed with a context-based arithmetic encoder. Compressed isosurface data can be stored in a data storage device or transmitted through a communication medium to a remote computer system, where the decoder process is executed. The decoder processes take compressed surface data as input and produce surface data as output. The decoder processes first reconstructs the occupancy image by decoding the occupancy image record. An in-core isosurface decoder process produces a polygon mesh as a surface representation. An out-of-core isosurface decoder process produces a set of oriented points as a surface representation.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and medium for transforming a graphic data of an object and a computer readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method are provided. The method includes; determining at least one triangle to be collapsed among one or more triangles comprised in the object, determining a collapsing vertex to be created by collapsing the at least one triangle, and transforming the graphic data of the object based on information regarding the at least one triangle determined to be collapsed and information regarding the determined collapsing vertex. Thus, a large three-dimensional object can be efficiently rendered with a small amount of resources.

Abstract: Disks having the maximum radius of a large intestine are created and the contours of the disks are connected by virtual springs. Next, the directions of the disks are adjusted so that virtual spring energy becomes the minimum, so that the adjacent disks are prevented from crossing each other. Virtual rays are projected along the disks for generating an image of inside the large intestine. Accordingly, quivering of the virtual rays along a central path lessens and effect of the scale on the image along the central path can be prevented and in the portion where the central path largely bends, duplicate display of the same observation object can also be prevented.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus to improve the efficiency of a ray tracing image processing system. According to one embodiment of the invention, when building a spatial index the position of a splitting plane used to create a bounding volume may be jittered or moved along an axis to determine if a more efficient location for the splitting plane exists. After jittering the splitting plane a number of primitives intersected by the splitting plane may be calculated. The number of primitives intersected by the splitting plane for each location may be compared, and the location with the fewest intersected primitives may be chosen for the final position of the splitting plane. By choosing the location with the fewest intersected primitives the number of ray-primitive intersection tests necessary when performing ray tracing may be reduced. Consequently, the efficiency of the image processing system may be improved.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for controlling a graphical user interface to display a plurality of data items in a first orientation. In the event that the GUI is subsequently requested to display the data items in a second orientation, the GUI, operating under software control, animates the required movement of the individual data items such that the individual data items are shown moving from their positions in the first orientation to their positions in the second orientation.

Abstract: A vector field (70) including its local three-dimensional attribute is substantially visualized on a two-dimensional field of view in an intuitionally visible way (p5, p8). For the visualization, the vector field (70) is mapped onto a three-dimensional coordinate space (80) to produce corresponding coordinate point sequences (p1), the degree of elevation (A) in a local area of a plane in which the coordinate point sequences are connected (p2) is determined, the degree of depression (C) in the local area is determined (p3), the degree of elevation/depression (B) in the local area is determined by weight-combining the degree of elevation (A) and the degree of depression (C) (p4), the coordinate space (80) is mapped onto a two-dimensional plane (90), and gray-scale display (F) corresponding to the degree of elevation/depression is conducted on the area of the two-dimensional plane (90) corresponding to the local area (p5).

Abstract: This specification describes technologies relating to creation of shadow effects in a two-dimensional (2D) imaging space. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes obtaining shadow orientation and length information of a source object in a 2D imaging space. The method also includes creating a shadow effect in the 2D imaging space based on the shadow orientation and length information. The shadow effect resembles a shadow falling on a perceptual three-dimensional (3D) background in the 2D imaging space. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.

Abstract: A processor generates Z-cull information for tiles and groups of tiles. In one embodiment the processor includes an on-chip cache to coalesce Z information for tiles to identify occluded tiles. In a coprocessor embodiment, the processor provides Z-culling information to a graphics processor.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for generating an animatable object. A skeleton of the desired character is constructed by the user utilizing various predetermined components. These predetermined components include a various selection of rods and joints. The rods are static components which remain rigid during motion, while the various joints are moveable components. A static digitized image, for example, an image of the user, is utilized and a constructed skeleton is superimposed onto it. The desired object, such as the image of the user, can then be extracted from the background of the digital image and the resulting personal character can then be animated, for instance by selecting and dragging one of the hands with a mouse.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is provided which allows a user to easily and intuitively manipulate information in a 3-dimensional virtual space. In the information processing apparatus, a main controller sets a first coordinate system in a real space on the basis of information associated with a real object and further sets a second coordinate system in a 3-dimensional virtual space corresponding to the real space on the basis of the first coordinate system. If a user places an input device at a particular position and angle in the first coordinate system with reference to the real object, the main controller places an object in the 3-dimensional virtual space at a place and angle in the second coordinate system corresponding to the place and angle of the input device in the first coordinate system, and the main controller displays an image of the object placed in the 3-dimensional virtual space on a display.