Abstract: A method for manipulating a first three-dimensional object, in a computer system including a display, a first software application, and a second software application. The method includes creating a model of the first three-dimensional object with the first software application, which has a first three-dimensional coordinate system. Storing the model of the first three-dimensional object in a model format is also included. The method includes retrieving the model of the first three-dimensional object in the model format into a second software application, the second software application having a second coordinate system, and manipulating a view of the model of the first three-dimensional object with the second software application and within the second coordinate system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for displaying information relating to a news story in a computer system. A computer system receives a news story, determines a corresponding geographical location to the location of the news story, and displays a story indicator on a map using the location corresponding to the news story, such that the information displayed relates to the news story and the story indicator. The story indicator displayed on the map also fades, where the fade rate is a function of the aging of the news story.

Abstract: An operator can generate a circle stably at an intended position tangentially to figure elements such as free curves or the like. Two figure elements displayed on a screen are indicated to obtain identifiers and coordinates of indicated positions thereof (S1). Then, coordinates c.sub.0 of a point on a line segment whose ends are located at the coordinates of the indicated positions are determined from these coordinates of the indicated positions, and set to coordinates "c" of the center of an initial circle (S2). An improved value is calculated on the condition that a circle having a radius "r" with center at the coordinates "c" is tangential to the two figure elements (S3). Any difference between the improved value and a preset value is detected. If the calculation of the improved value is to be repeated, then the calculated improved value is used as the preset value (S4).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for tracking and modifying the accumulated error and the current operational tolerance of each topological entity in a geometric model of a three dimensional object. Each topological entity has assigned to it a Mintol value and a Maxtol value, Mintol represents the current accumulated error associated with the entity. Maxtol represents the operational tolerance of the entity for future operations. The Mintol value for an entity is set and occasionally adjusted so that it comprises a volume which encompasses all other entities adjacent to the particular entity. With respect to Maxtol, when two entities are within a distance from each other which is less than the sum of the Maxtols of the two entities, the two entities can be combined. Maxtol is adjusted whenever Mintol is adjusted so as to remain larger than Mintol and whenever a new entity is created by the combination of old entities, so as to encompass the Maxtols of the two old entities.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating a solid model of a structural assembly, or solid models of components of such assembly, according to cross sectional shapes of the components and attributes associated with the cross sectional shapes, wherein the components are initially defined by wire frame models or surface models represented by suitable shape data such wire frame data. When a structural assembly is modified in design, the shape data are changed, and the corresponding cross sectional shapes and attributes are changed, so that a modeler modifies the already generated solid model or models, on the basis of the changed cross sectional shapes and attributes. The apparatus includes part data files for respective structural assemblies, and each part data file has component data files for respective components of each assembly, and a relation data file storing component relation data representative of positional relationship of the components of the assembly.

Abstract: A method and system are provided which allow sounds emanated by objects in a viewer-interactive, computer-generated graphic virtual world, and other virtual world sounds (e.g., a music score), to be reproduced using flexibly and automatically scheduled resources of a virtual world sound system. Sound system resources are allocated in accordance with priority values associated with sounds, sound-emanating objects or requests for sound channel allocation.

Abstract: A method for operating a processor-controlled system produces a table image including graphical display objects in each of the cell regions indirectly representing the data values in an underlying n-dimensional (nD) information data array. Request signal data is received from a input signal source to present the table image in the display area of a display device connected to the processor-controlled system. In response to the request signal data, for each cell in the table image, the source data value and data type of a source data item in the nD data array is obtained, and a cell presentation type is selected using the data type. A graphical display object having at least one display feature representative of the data type of the data value is produced from the cell presentation type, and image definition data defining table image and the graphical display object for each cell is provided to a system display device for display.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus for generating a desired color image by use of an easy user interface. The user interface includes a screen and an input apparatus having at least a pointer control apparatus. The pointer control apparatus is used for controlling the position of a pointer on the screen, coloring the pointer in a first color in response to the input apparatus, moving the pointer to a desired position on the screen in response to the pointer control apparatus, and changing the color of an area pointed by the pointer, in response to the input apparatus, into the color which is under the influence of the first color.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a display of the hardware configuration of a data processing system comprising at least one processor and at least one device attached to the processor. The processor has a configuration table for defining the logical connections between the device and the processor and the system having a display device for displaying the configuration of the system. Within the processor, a configuration display memory space is created for constructing a display of the logical connections between the processor and the at least one device. The display device is able to access the configuration display memory space and display the contents of the configuration display memory space in a visually comprehensible form.

Abstract: A method of generating a free-form surface includes calculating cross boundary derivatives on all the boundary curves forming a face, and storing the results in a memory device (STEP 1), determining whether the cross boundary derivatives calculated at STEP 1 are all polynomials or not, and if there is a rational function, go to STEP 3, if they are all polynomials, go to STEP 4 (STEP 2), creating the control points of a rational surface by using the cross boundary derivatives (STEP 3), and creating the control points of a polynomial surface by using the cross boundary derivatives (STEP 4).

Abstract: In an interactive three-dimensional graphics system, objects are defined by a plurality of Bezier patches. Said patches are approximated by polygons for the purpose of rendering and rendering occurs on a patch by patch basis. Ordering for the rendering of patches is performed by precalculating order lists. An order list is produced by dividing each area which forms part of an object into a set of polygons and performing a topological sort on said polygons to produce a rendering list for said polygons. An order list is produced for the Bezier patches by considering the first occurence of a polygon from each area set of polygons.

Abstract: A three-dimensional pattern editing apparatus used in a CAD system edits three-dimensional patterns in accordance with a user's input operation and displays the result of edition. A pattern display unit displays a plurality of three-dimensional patterns, divided into a plurality of areas, on the display device and each having the same pattern, but having different view points. A displayed pattern moving unit moves the three-dimensional pattern which is displayed on any one divided area in accordance with a predetermined input operation; A displayed pattern linking unit moves the three-dimensional pattern displayed on another are to the converted direction in accordance with on the converted amount. The real time display of pattern movement is realized by applying only a logic operation on pixel image data stored in the frame buffer rather than using the vector description of the object.

Abstract: A viewpoint setting apparatus for setting a viewpoint, provided by a three-dimensional model, on a display monitor in a computer graphics system which includes: a model information database for storing three-dimensional model information including model coordinates and physical attributes thereof; a viewpoint locus database for storing viewpoint information including locus data produced when the viewpoint moves on the display monitor; a field of view conversion matrix database for storing a three-dimensional conversion matrix in order to change a field of view from the viewpoint; a motion calculation unit for receiving the model information and the viewpoint information, calculating the motion of the model caused by a change of the field of view based on change of the viewpoint which is caused by physical forces applied to the model having the viewpoint, and sequentially updating the field of view conversion matrix database in accordance with change of the field of view calculated; a drawing processing unit f

Abstract: Method of processing a digital image in order to construct a calculated image, termed the target image (I*), which represents a so-called source image (I) reconstructed with modifications to the tilting angle, panning angle and scale factor in relation to this source image, including the determination of a common view point (P) for the source image (I) and the target image (I*), and of an orthonormal reference frame; the definition of an image (H*) termed the projection of the target image (I*), with geometrical center (.OMEGA..sub.H *) aligned with the optical axis (PZ*) of the target image, with zero tilting angle, with the same panning angle (.THETA.*) and the same framing (2V.sub.x*, 2V.sub.y *) as the target image (I*) so that every pixel (M*) with address (X*, Y*) in the target image (I*) has a counterpart under projection (M.sub.H *) with the same address (X*, Y*) in the projection image (H*); the calculation by a trigonometric function (G.sup.

Abstract: A computer graphics system includes a texel value generator capably of generating texel values using a minimal amount of computationally intensive divisions while maintaining a selectable texel accuracy criteria along a scan line. This is accomplished by adaptively selecting divisional points which delineate the scan line segments along each scan line such that the divisional points are as widely spaced as possible without exceeding the selected texel accuracy criteria. Having selected the texel accuracy criteria, such as a texel error bound optimally spaced, divisional points along the scan lines are selected as a function of the selected accuracy criteria. In general, since texture gradients are not evenly distributed over the surface of a given object and texture variations are present between different objects of the image, it is advantageous to adaptively select division points one at a time, skipping as many pixels in between divisional points as the local texture gradient will allow.

Abstract: In a morphing system for creating intermediate images that, viewed serially, make an object in a source image appear to metamorphose into a different object in a target image, correspondences between feature points in the source and target images are determined by simulating the modes of motion of respective elastic sheets in which are embedded nodal points that correspond to respective feature points in the images. For each feature point, a generalized-feature vector is determined whose components represent the associated nodal point's participations in the various motion modes. Correspondences between feature points in the source and target images are determined in accordance with the closeness of the points' generalized feature vectors. Correspondences thus determined can additionally be used for alignment and object-recognition purposes.

Abstract: A method and system for increasing efficiency in the display of characters on a display within a data processing system, wherein the data processing system includes a system memory and a graphics adapter, the system memory having a page mode. A plurality of characters are stored in the system memory as a plurality of glyph bitmaps. Each character has a width, and each glyph bitmap for a character is arranged as a plurality of scanlines such that each of the scanlines includes the width of the character. Selected glyph bitmaps are transmitted from the system memory to the graphics adapter, wherein an occurrence of breaks in the page mode are minimized when the selected glyph bitmaps are moved from the system memory to the graphics adapter, increasing efficiency in displaying characters on a display.

Abstract: By inputting a predetermined number of first data to a color reproducing device, a predetermined number of reproduced colors are respectively measured, and a plurality of relationships of correspondence between inputted first data and measured second data are determined. On the basis of the plurality of relationships of correspondence between the first data and the second data, relationships of interpolated correspondence, which express relationships between second data other than the measured second data and first data corresponding to the second data other than the measured second data, are estimated. After second data which is the same as or closest to a color to be reproduced is selected, first data corresponding to selected second data is selected on the basis of the relationships of correspondence and the relationships of interpolated correspondence. Selected first data is then inputted to the color reproducing device, and a color to be reproduced is reproduced.

Abstract: A three-dimensional graphic drawing apparatus having texture pattern memory units which store a texture pattern having a set of texture pixel data designated by two-dimensional ST texture coordinate values. A display memory unit writes a two-dimensional image of a surface shape of a three-dimensional object to an address designated by two-dimensional XY display coordinate values corresponding to a display screen. Mapping units produce two-dimensional UV surface shape coordinate values of a three-dimensional object which are projected onto the two-dimensional UV surface shape. The mapping units convert the coordinate values into two-dimensional ST texture coordinate values, read out corresponding texture pixel data designating the two-dimensional XY display coordinate values corresponding to the two-dimensional UV surface shape coordinate values, and write two-dimensional XY display coordinate values into the display memory unit.

Abstract: A polygon dividing section divides a polygon which is stored in a polygon graphic data storage area into a number of triangles, with the associated vertex information being distributed among the triangles. In doing this, based on category information which indicates that separated triangles are first, intermediate, or last triangles of the polygon and also based on the edge numbers of the separated triangles, the polygon dividing section selects either edge data or divided edge data, the latter of which indicates an invisible edge, which are stored in the polygon graphic data storage area, and outputs the vertex data of the triangles along with either the edge data or divided edge data to a triangle set graphic data storage area. A triangle drawing section, based on the triangle vertex information stored in the triangle set graphic data storage area, draws the separate triangles on a display device.