Abstract: A rendering system pipeline includes a memory storing shape and shade attributes of a surface of the object. The attributes are arranged as an octree in the memory. The octree includes a plurality of nodes arranged at a plurality of levels, each node storing a plurality of zero-dimensional n-tuples, each n-tuple locally approximating the shape and shade attributes of a portion of the surface of the graphic object, and the n-tuples having a sampling resolution of an image space. A plurality of parallel processing pipelines are connected the memory. The pipelines project the shape and shade attributes of the octree to an image plane having a selected orientation by traversing the n-tuples of the nodes of the octree from a lowest resolution level to a highest resolution level.

Abstract: In a method for representing a graphic object, rays are cast through the object. The rays originate at orthogonal planes surrounding the object. The surface of the object is sampled for shape and shade attributes at points where the rays intersect the surface. The sampled shape and shade attributes of each sampled point are stored in an octree stored in the memory.

Abstract: A method traces rays through graphical data. The method partitions the graphical data into a plurality of blocks according to a scheduling grid. For each block, a ray queue is generated. Each entry in the ray queue representing a ray to be traced through the block. The ray queues are ordered spatially and temporally using a dependency graph. The rays are traced through the blocks according to the ordered list.

Abstract: A plurality of identical rendering pipelines are connected in parallel to read an array of voxels and to write an array of pixels. Each pipeline processes one voxel in one processing cycle of the pipelines. Each pipeline includes a plurality of serially connected different stages. The stages can include interpolation, classification, gradient estimation, illumination, and compositing stages. Interfaces connect identical stages in adjacent pipelines as one-way rings to communicate information associated with spatially adjacent voxels, and delay buffers connected parallel to particular stages communicate information associated with temporally adjacent voxels.

Abstract: A volume rendering integrated circuit includes a plurality of interconnected pipelines having stages operating in parallel. The stages of the pipelines are interconnected in a ring, with data being passed in only one direction around the ring. The volume integrated circuit also includes a render controller for controlling the flow of volume data to and from the pipelines and for controlling rendering operations of the pipelines. The integrated circuit may further include interfaces for coupling the integrated circuit to various storage devices and to a host computer.

Abstract: A method produces an image from a set of discrete sample points. The sample points can define a 3D volume or surface. Each discrete sample point is projected to a screen space. A continuous resampling filter for each sample point is generated in screen space. The continuous resampling filter is a combination of a continuous reconstruction function and a continuous filter function for the sample point in screen space. The continuous resampling filter is then applied to each corresponding discrete sample in the screen space to generate a continuous sample for the image. The continuous samples can be rasterized to pixels using any known rasterization process or method.

Abstract: In a method for filtering shade attributes of surface points of a graphic object onto pixels in an image buffer according to depth values stored in a depth buffer, tangential disks are constructed at positions of each surface point. The tangential disks have increasingly larger radii. Each tangential disk is projected to an ellipse in texture space. View independent filter functions are applied at the position of each surface point to generate texture mipmaps for the surface point. The filter functions have an extent equal to the projected tangential disk. The surface point is projected to the pixels in the depth buffer, and a view dependent filter function is applied to each pixel in the image buffer to determine colors for the pixels.

Abstract: Provided is a method for representing a graphic object in a memory. A surface of the object is partitioned into a plurality of cells having a grid resolution related to an image plane resolution. Each cell is bounded by eight grid points related to the image plane resolution. A single zero-dimensional surface element is stored in the memory for each cell located on the surface of the object. The surface elements in adjacent cells are connected by links, and attributes of the portion of the object contained in the cell are assigned to each surface element and each link.

Abstract: A volume rendering processor renders a two-dimensional image from a volume data set of voxels constituting a three-dimensional representation of an object. Voxel memory interface logic retrieves the voxels from a voxel memory in a scanned order with respect to X, Y and Z coordinate axes, the Z axis being the axis most nearly parallel to a predefined viewing direction. The set of voxels having equal Z coordinate values are referred to as a “slice” of voxels. Interpolation logic calculates a sequence of samples from the retrieved voxels such that (i) each sample lies along a corresponding imaginary ray extending through the object parallel to the viewing direction, (ii) each sample results from interpolating the eight voxels surrounding the sample in the XYZ coordinate system. “Supersampling” in the Z dimension is performed such that the number of samples calculated for each ray is greater than the number of slices of voxels in the volume data set.

Abstract: Provided is a method representing an object by partitioning a surface of the object into a plurality of cells having a grid resolution related to an image plane resolution. Each cell including a single point and points in adjacent cells are connected by links. Abject attributes are assigned to each point and link, and link attributes are assigned to each link.

Abstract: A system digitizes a three-dimensional object as a three-dimension model by placing the object on a turntable while taking two sets of corresponding images. The first set of images and the second set of images are obtained while rotating the turntable to a various positions and illuminated the object with the overhead lights and backlights. There is a one to one correspondence for images in each set for each position of the turntable. Object shape data and texture data are respectively extracted from the first and second set of images. The object shape data is correlated with the object texture data to construct the three-dimensional digital model stored in a memory of a computer system.

Abstract: A programmable visualization apparatus processes graphical data. The apparatus includes a central processing unit for executing a visualization application and a scheduler. A third level of memory is connected to the central processing unit. The third level of memory stores the graphical data. The graphical data is partitioned into a plurality of blocks. A second level of memory is connected to the central processing unit by a system bus. The second level of memory stores a sub-set of the plurality of blocks. A first level of memory is connected to the second level of memory by a memory bus. The scheduler stores an ordered list of blocks in the first level memory. A processor element is connected to the first level of memory by a processor bus. A dispatcher is connected to the first, the second, and the third memories and the processor element. The dispatcher transfers blocks from the third, to the second, and from the second to the third level memories according to the order of the list of blocks.

Abstract: Provided is a method for modeling a representation of a graphic object. A surface of the object is partitioned into a plurality of cells having a grid resolution related to an image plane resolution. A single zero-dimensional surface element is stored in the memory for each cell located on the surface of the object. The surface elements in adjacent cells are conected by links, and attributes of the portion of the object contained in the cell are assinged to each surface element and each link. The location of the attributed surface elements can be moved according to forces acting on the object.

Abstract: Reflection intensities of volume samples of a volume are mapped in a rendering pipeline by determining a reflection vector from a gradient vector associated with a sample and an eye vector associated with the volume. A diffuse reflectance map is indexed by the gradient vector to obtain a diffuse intensity. A specular reflection map is indexed by the gradient vector to obtain a specular intensity in response to a bypass signal being true, and a specular reflection map is indexed by the reflection vector to obtain the specular intensity in response to the bypass signal being false.

Abstract: Samples of a volume are lighted in a rendering pipeline by having a first arithmetic unit combine a modulated emissive coefficient with a modulated diffuse coefficient and a modulated diffuse intensity. A second arithmetic logic unit combines a specular coefficient with a modulated specular intensity and an opacity component of the sample. A third arithmetic unit combines the output of the second arithmetic logic unit and specular colors of the sample. A fourth arithmetic logic unit combines the output of the first arithmetic unit with colors of the sample, and a fifth arithmetic logic unit combines the output of the third and fourth arithmetic units to illuminate the sample.

Abstract: A volume data set having voxels arranged according to an object coordinate system is shear-warp rendered by partitioning, relative to the object coordinate system, the volume data set into a plurality of axis aligned sets of voxels. The selected axis aligned sets of voxels are rendered as pixels in intermediate baseplanes. There is one intermediate baseplane for each selected set of axis aligned voxels. The intermediate baseplanes are combined and warped to an image.

Abstract: Provided is a method for modeling a representation of a graphic object. A surface of the object is partitioned into a plurality of cells having a grid resolution related to an image plane resolution. A single zero-dimensional surface element is stored in the memory for each cell located on the surface of the object. The surface elements in adjacent cells are connected by links, and attributes of the portion of the object contained in the cell are assigned to each surface element and each link. The location of the attributed surface elements can be moved according to forces acting on the object.

Abstract: An apparatus generates lighting modulation factors for samples in a volume rendering pipeline. The apparatus includes a first arithmetic logic unit squaring a gradient magnitude vector of a sample to produce a squared gradient magnitude. A second arithmetic logic unit produces a gradient magnitude from the squared gradient magnitude. A shift register, connected to the first arithmetic logic unit, truncates a predetermined number of high bits of the squared gradient magnitude. A gradient magnitude modulation register stores modulation parameters. A first multiplexer, connected to the second arithmetic logic unit and the shift register, selects the truncated squared gradient magnitude as an index if an index source signal is true, and the gradient magnitude if the index source signal is false, and a memory table is indexes by the index to produce modulated opacity, emissive, diffuse and specular modulation factors.

Abstract: A method renders an object including multiple volumes and polygons. The method casts a ray through the object for each pixel of an image. Each rays is partitioned into segments according to surfaces of each volume. Color and opacity values are accumulated for each segment of each ray. Starting depths of each segment are merged and sorted, in an ascending order, into a combined depth list. Consecutive pairs of starting depths are taken to perform the following steps until done. A front clip plane and a back clip plane are defined for each pair of starting depths. Polygons between the front clip plane and a next volume surface are composited, voxels between the front clip plane and the back clip plane are composited, and polygons between the next volume surface and the back clip plane are composited.

Abstract: A method generates a representation of a graphic object in a memory. A surface of the object is partitioned into a plurality of cells having a grid resolution related to an image plane resolution. A single zero-dimensional surface element is stored in the memory for each cell located on the surface of the object. A subset of the surface elements are selected as primary surface elements. The unselected surface elements are identified as secondary surface elements. Adjacent primary surface elements are connected by links. Primary attributes of the portion of the object contained in a particular cell are assigned to the associated primary surface element and the links of the associated primary surface element. The unselected surface elements are partitioned into groups, there being one group for each primary surface element, and secondary attributes of the portion of the object contained in a particular cell are assigned to the associated secondary surface elements.