Abstract: Various systems are provided which may be used in a beverage machine for dispensing one or more, (in particular a plurality of) beverage types. A beverage machine may thus comprise one or more systems selected from the group consisting of i) a conveyance system for the dispensing of particulate material; ii) a beverage selection system providing for the possibility of selecting from among a class of beverages; and iii) a hot water dispensing system which may have a system for detecting the absence of water in the fluid conduit component thereof.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide system and methods for organizing, browsing and editing materials stored in a computer system. The system is configured to dynamically create an organizational structure for the materials according to classification groups specified by the creator of each stored material. Additionally, the system is configured to expose certain editable material parameters of a selected material to the end-user and make available specific GUI elements to the end-user so that the end-user can edit the selected material, thereby changing the appearance of the material.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide system and methods for organizing, browsing and editing materials stored in a computer system. The system is configured to dynamically create an organizational structure for the materials according to classification groups specified by the creator of each stored material. Additionally, the system is configured to expose certain editable material parameters of a selected material to the end-user and make available specific GUI elements to the end-user so that the end-user can edit the selected material, thereby changing the appearance of the material.

Abstract: Animation editing apparatus for editing animation data, comprising data storage means, processing means, visual display means and a manually responsive input device configured to allow a user to indicate a selected point on the visual display means. The visual display means displays an image representing a simulated three-dimensional world-space including a plurality of simulated objects, and the manually responsive input device provides an input signal indicating a location within the image corresponding to one of the simulated objects. In response to receiving the input signal, the processing means identifies the selected simulated object, and retrieves data from the data storage means of one or more related items related to the selected simulated object within a defined degree of relationship. The visual display means displays labels identifying the selected simulated object and the related items only.

Abstract: A method for generating a user interface within a graphics application for a set of materials, such that each material includes a material definition and is capable of being applied to a geometry in a graphics scene when performing a rendering operation. A GUI generation engine obtains configuration information associated with an environment for a computer system and determines that a first set of materials is associated with the configuration information. The GUI generation selects the first set of materials to be displayed in a graphical user interface, and the graphical user interface is displaying to an end-user. Advantageously, embodiments of the invention provide for a technique for exposing only those materials, user interface objects, editable material parameters, user interface elements, vocabulary, rendering engines, and/or rendering engine implementations that are relevant to the user of a particular rendering application.

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: Embodiments of the invention provide a renderer-agnostic method for representing materials independently from an underlying rendering engine. Advantageously, materials libraries may be extended with new materials for rendering with an existing rendering engine and implementation. Also, new rendering engines and implementations may be added for existing materials. Thus, at run-time, rather than limiting the rendering to being performed on a pre-determined rendering engine, the rendering application may efficiently and conveniently manage rendering a graphics scene on a plurality of rendering engines or implementations.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a renderer-agnostic method for representing materials independently from an underlying rendering engine. Advantageously, materials libraries may be extended with new materials for rendering with an existing rendering engine and implementation. Also, new rendering engines and implementations may be added for existing materials. Thus, at run-time, rather than limiting the rendering to being performed on a pre-determined rendering engine, the rendering application may efficiently and conveniently manage rendering a graphics scene on a plurality of rendering engines or implementations.

Abstract: Various systems are provided which may be used in a beverage machine for dispensing one or more, (in particular a plurality of) beverage types. A beverage machine may thus comprise one or more systems selected from the group consisting of i) a conveyance system for the dispensing of particulate material; ii) a beverage selection system providing for the possibility of selecting from among a class of beverages; and iii) a hot water dispensing system which may have a system for detecting the absence of water in the fluid conduit component thereof.

Abstract: Various systems are provided which may be used in a beverage machine for dispensing one or more, (in particular a plurality of) beverage types. A beverage machine may thus comprise one or more systems selected from the group consisting of i) a conveyance system for the dispensing of particulate material; ii) a beverage selection system providing for the possibility of selecting from among a class of beverages; and iii) a hot water dispensing system which may have a system for detecting the absence of water in the fluid conduit component thereof.

Abstract: A vehicle, such as a snowmobile, includes an engine with one or more air intakes for receiving air into the engine and an airbox for directing air into the air intakes. The airbox slides to facilitate installation and removal of the airbox from the engine compartment, which thus economizes time and cost both for vehicle assembly and maintenance. The sliding airbox also eliminates the need for a gap between the fuel tank and the airbox, allowing the fuel tank to be moved forward, thus improving mass centralization of the vehicle. The sliding airbox has a rectangular slot which slides onto a rectangular plate on an intake adapter. The intake adapter has a flexible tubular connection for each cylinder of the engine which are secured to each air intake with a hose clamp. The air intake usually includes an air metering device such as a carburetor or throttle body.

Abstract: Various systems are provided which may be used in a beverage machine for dispensing one or more, (in particular a plurality of) beverage types. A beverage machine may thus comprise one or more systems selected from the group consisting of i) a conveyance system for the dispensing of particulate material; ii) a beverage selection system providing for the possibility of selecting from among a class of beverages; and iii) a hot water dispensing system which may have a system for detecting the absence of water in the fluid conduit component thereof.

Abstract: A vehicle, such as a snowmobile, includes an engine with one or more air intakes for receiving air into the engine and an airbox for directing air into the air intakes. The airbox slides to facilitate installation and removal of the airbox from the engine compartment, which thus economizes time and cost both for vehicle assembly and maintenance. The sliding airbox also eliminates the need for a gap between the fuel tank and the airbox, allowing the fuel tank to be moved forward, thus improving mass centralization of the vehicle. The sliding airbox has a rectangular slot which slides onto a rectangular plate on an intake adapter. The intake adapter has a flexible tubular connection for each cylinder of the engine which are secured to each air intake with a hose clamp. The air intake usually includes an air metering device such as a carburetor or throttle body.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing 3D data, including data storage, memory and processing. 3D data is stored in the memory means and the processing is configured to evaluate the 3D data with respect to a first function of time in a first evaluation mode and with respect to a second function of time in a second evaluation mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for capturing and managing user-specific data, where the user-specific data contains information on the user's interaction with the Net. The method generally involves using a proxy to capture or cause to capture the user-specific data and then storing the user-specific data. The user-specific data may be used to customize the contents of electronic information delivered to the particular user.

Abstract: Various systems are provided which may be used in a beverage machine for dispensing one or more, (in particular a plurality of) beverage types.

Abstract: An Internet Protocol driver executed by a network interface card, or a network address translation module, includes a mechanism that enables a server to bypass packets associated with certain destinations, sources, or a combination of the two based upon their IP address. When a packet arrives at the network interface card, the driver extracts a source IP address and a destination IP address from the packet. The driver searches a table to locate a rule matching one of the addresses. If a match is found, the packet is bypassed. If no match is found, the packet is sent on to an indexing and caching server for further processing. The bypass rules may be adaptively and dynamically generated when a message causes a remote server to respond with an error code. The dynamically generated bypass rules prevent the first server from sending subsequent requests to the remote server, thereby insulating the indexing and caching server from unnecessary network traffic.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for generating animation data, including storage means comprising at least one character defined as a hierarchy of parent and children nodes and animation data defined as the position in three-dimensions of said nodes over a period of time, memory means comprising animation instructions, wherein said processing means are configured by said animation instructions to perform the steps of animating said character with first animation data; selecting nodes within said first animation data when receiving user input specifying second animation data in real-time; respectively matching said nodes with corresponding nodes within said second animation data; respectively interpolating between said nodes and said matching nodes; and animating said character with second animation data having blended a portion of said first animation data with said second animation data.

Abstract: Animation editing apparatus for editing animation data, comprising data storage means, processing means, visual display means and a manually responsive input device configured to allow a user to indicate a selected point on the visual display means.

Abstract: Three dimensional data is generated, modified or animated within a computer base system. A representation of an existing 3D entity is displayed an a further entity is selected from a menu in response to manual operation of an input device. A user drags and drops the selected entity over the existing entity and the default operation is performed in order to create new data relevant to the entity association. If necessary a user is prompted for additional information when it is possible to perform more than one default operation.