Abstract: A computer system includes a display controller which supports video display. The display controller includes circuitry for determining which portions of one or more video windows should be written to the frame buffer responsive to the locations of other screen objects which may overlie the video window on the display. An unused portion of frame buffer memory is used to stored a plurality of transition groups, each group defining which portions of the video window are visible within a range of scanlines. The transition information is used by clipped circuitry to enable or disable writing of video information to the frame buffer.

Abstract: A solid model of each part within an electronic package is created and assigned at least one non-geometrical property. For example, this may comprise automatically extracting information from a printed circuit board design tool and creating solid models of a printed circuit board and the parts thereon. Thereafter, each solid model is subdivided into multiple finite control volumes. A plurality of boundary conditions are automatically established for each of the multiple finite control volumes of each part using that part's non-geometrical property. Thermal analysis may then be performed on the electronic package using the boundary conditions for each finite control volume of each solid model of each part contained therewithin.

Abstract: A method, performed on a computer (10), for generating representations of a molecule, both two- and three-dimensional, is provided. The method includes establishing X, Y, and Z coordinate axes for the molecule to be modeled such that a rectangular region is established with sides parallel to the coordinate axes. The method also includes establishing a grid of coordinates on the X, Y, and Z coordinates axes with a grid mesh size of sufficient resolution to identify atom points of the molecule and solvent points. Next, the method includes identifying surface points which form a trace in one dimension in each Z cross-section, and generating tracing instructions for each Z cross-section by tracing along the surface points in the trace in each Z cross-section and writing the X, Y coordinates to instructions for controlling a computer display or for controlling a computer controlled milling machine.

Abstract: A three-dimensional image processing apparatus and method wherein a three-dimensional digital image in a three-dimensional memory is cut and read out to perform image processing. Addresses of a two-dimensional digital differential analyzer are first calculated by ray tracing in a direction of a vector on one plane of a three plane coordinate system of a three-dimensional coordinate system, and then data of voxel columns, arranged perpendicularly to the one plane coordinate system in the three-dimensional space along straight lines perpendicular to the ray at the addresses, are read out in units of a column for the individual voxel columns from the three-dimensional memory. A pair of three-dimensional memories are utilized, and a writing operation of a three-dimensional digital image into one of the three-dimensional memories and a reading out operation of the voxel columns from the other three-dimensional memory are performed simultaneously in a parallel relationship.

Abstract: A computer graphic image generating apparatus for generating an image based on a computer graphic model including shape information, camera information, camera position information, object position information, texture information, light source information and mapping information which includes texture image information. The apparatus includes a storage device, or memory, and means for calculating the amount of space in the storage device required to store all the information used to generate an image. The apparatus also includes means for storing the information for an image in the storage device without wasting any storage space. The apparatus also includes means for converting image information created for a first image generating system having a first shading calculation system into image information usable on a second image generating system having a different shading calculation system.