Abstract: An editing application may allow a user to change a literal property value of an object in a conventional manner. The functionality of the editing application may be expanded to allow a user to access non-literal values for property values, by allowing the user to define a calculation based on one or more sources. To indicate that an associated property value of an object is a non-literal value, a non-literal cue may be presented to the user, such as through the display of the object, the associated property indicator, and/or the associated property value. To reduce the learning curve of the expanded functionality, the user interface for literal values of a property may remain minimally impacted, while, alternative gestures associated with the object, property indicator, and/or property value may be used to allow access to the non-literal value controls or information.

Abstract: The coordinates for laying out visual items in two-, three-, or n-dimensional space along an embedded one-manifold or path are calculated and coordinates are generated for placement of the items in a container. A one-manifold may be continuous, discontinuous, be contained entirely within a container or extent beyond a container. The one-manifold may be defined by a set of parameters defining a function, formula or set of points. The container may be a two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or n-dimensional container. Such a mechanism may be employed by a graphics application and may determine the location or positioning of an object or item. The object or item may be one of a set of objects or items. In response to receiving a set of parameters defining a one-manifold, the one-manifold may be embedded within a container.

Abstract: A method of converting between color spaces where color components are cached when they are well-defined after color space conversion. When the components become undefined after conversion, the cached values are used instead of using an arbitrary default value. The resulting color editing system is “robust” in that it matches users' expectations, shielding them from surprising glitches introduced by the user of the arbitrary values for undefined color components.

Abstract: An editing application may allow a user to change a literal property value of an object in a conventional manner. The functionality of the editing application may be expanded to allow a user to access non-literal values for property values, by allowing the user to define a calculation based on one or more sources. To indicate that an associated property value of an object is a non-literal value, a non-literal cue may be presented to the user, such as through the display of the object, the associated property indicator, and/or the associated property value. To reduce the learning curve of the expanded functionality, the user interface for literal values of a property may remain minimally impacted, while, alternative gestures associated with the object, property indicator, and/or property value may be used to allow access to the non-literal value controls or information.

Abstract: A three dimensional adorner may be displayed with a corresponding three dimensional object when the object is created or inserted into a display and also at any subsequent time that the object is selected. Additionally, if any portions of the adorner are obscured, the adorner may be reoriented such that the obscured portions are made accessible. Distortion of the adorner in a perspective view may be reduced by removing the adorner from the perspective view, regenerating the adorner in an orthographic view, and then merging the orthographic view of the regenerated adorner with the perspective view of the corresponding object.

Abstract: A system and method for rapid processing of scene-graph-based data and/or programs using a render bin is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may be configured to generate a plurality of structures and thread that manage the data originally received as part of the scene graph. The structures and threads may be configured to convey information about state changes through the use of messaging. The system may include support for messaging between threads, messaging with time and/or event stamps, epochs to ensure consistency, and ancillary structures such as render-bins, geometry structures, and rendering environment structures. One of the structures may be a render bin that may be used to implement parallel rendering.

Abstract: A system and method for rapid processing of scene-graph-based data and/or programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may be configured to utilize a scene graph directly. In another embodiment, the system may be configured to generate a parallel structure including a plurality of data structures and corresponding threads that manage the data originally received as part of the scene graph. The data structures and threads may be configured to convey information about state changes through the use of messaging. The system may include support for messaging between threads, messaging with time and/or event stamps, epochs to ensure consistency, and ancillary structures such as render-bins, geometry structures, and rendering environment structures.

Abstract: The coordinates for laying out visual items in two-, three-, or n-dimensional space along an embedded one-manifold or path are calculated and coordinates are generated for placement of the items in a container. A one-manifold may be continuous, discontinuous, be contained entirely within a container or extent beyond a container. The one-manifold may be defined by a set of parameters defining a function, formula or set of points. The container may be a two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or n-dimensional container. Such a mechanism may be employed by a graphics application and may determine the location or positioning of an object or item. The object or item may be one of a set of objects or items. In response to receiving a set of parameters defining a one-manifold, the one-manifold may be embedded within a container.

Abstract: A method of converting between color spaces where color components are cached when they are well-defined after color space conversion. When the components become undefined after conversion, the cached values are used instead of using an arbitrary default value. The resulting color editing system is “robust” in that it matches users' expectations, shielding them from Surprising glitches introduced by the user of the arbitrary values for undefined color components.

Abstract: A system and method for rapid processing of scene-graph-based data and/or programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may be configured to utilize a scene graph directly. In another embodiment, the system may be configured to generate a plurality of structures and thread that manage the data originally received as part of the scene graph. The structures and threads may be configured to convey information about state changes through the use of messaging. The system may include support for messaging between threads, messaging with time and/or event stamps, epochs to ensure consistency, and ancillary structures such as render-bins, geometry structures, and rendering environment structures.

Abstract: A system for performing visible object determination. Visualization software executing on one or more processors searches a cone tree with respect to a hull tree. Both trees respect the same group of transformations. Thus, the cone tree as stored in memory need not store all branches down to ultimate resolution. For example, the cone tree may store a selected cone and all its subcones down to the ultimate resolution, while subcones of other cones at the same level as the selected cone may not be represented in the stored cone tree. When the visualization software encounters a nonstored cone and a given hull H in its search procedure, the visualization software may apply an appropriate one of the group transformations to the given hull, and search the tranformed hull with respect to the selected cone (or a subcone of the selected cone).

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention generates random samples for a Bernoulli distribution. A first covariance matrix is generated using a desired mean vector and a desired covariance matrix of the Bernoulli distribution. A normal vector is constructed using the desired mean vector and the first covariance matrix. A sampling vector is generated using the normal vector and a threshold vector. The sampling vector has the desired mean vector and the desired covariance matrix.

Abstract: A system and method that manages scene graphs by data staging is contemplated. Data staging entails selectively loading only the portions of the scene graph that are currently needed or likely to be needed in the near future. Other objects in the scene graph that are not currently needed or likely to be needed may be replaced by pointers. The pointers may point to the location from which the objects may be accessed if necessary for a future frame. The replaced portions of the scene graph may be compressed and/or cached to a local memory device (e.g., a local array of read-write optical drives) capable of storing large amounts of data, with the pointers indicating where the objects are stored.

Abstract: A system and method for rapid processing of scene-graph-based data and/or programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may be configured to utilize a scene graph directly. In another embodiment, the system may be configured to generate a plurality of structures and threads that manage the data originally received as part of the scene graph. The structures and threads may be configured to convey information about state changes through the use of messaging. The system may include support for messaging between threads, messaging with time and/or event stamps, epochs to ensure consistency, and ancillary structures such as render-bins, geometry structures, and rendering environment structures. A master control thread may be utilized to manage the allocation of resources and the timing of thread execution.

Abstract: A system for performing visible object determination. Visualization software running on a host processor represents space with a hierarchy of cones, and generates a hierarchy of bounding hulls from a collection of objects by recursively grouping clusters of objects. Each hull node in the hull hierarchy stores parameters which characterize a bounding hull for the corresponding cluster or object. The visualization software searches the cone and hull hierarchies starting with the root cone and the root hull. Before exploring a given cone-hull pair, a normalized cone size for the cone and a normalized hull size for the hull may be computed, and the sizes compared. If the cone size is larger than the hull size, subcones of the cone are explored with respect to the hull. Conversely, if the hull size is larger than the cone size, subhulls of the hull are explored with respect to the cone.

Abstract: A system and method for rapid processing of scene-graph-based data and/or programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may be configured to utilize render molecules to more efficiently render objects. A render molecule is an object that defines the rest of the attribute settings for the geometries it contains. The attribute settings can include settings such as materials settings, the composite transform from the root of the scene graph to the objects contained in the render molecule.

Abstract: A system and method for determining graphical object visibility by utilizing ancillary geometry. When comparing visibility cones with bounding hulls of scene graph hierarchy leaf nodes, ancillary geometry may be used in place of the bounding hulls and the leaf node's actual geometry. The ancillary geometry may be created through a manual process, or by an automated decimation process. The ancillary geometry may be a simplistic analytic surface (e.g., a sphere or a cylinder), a NURB surface, a collection of polygons, or a combination of surfaces and polygons.

Abstract: A system for performing visible object determination. Visualization software executing on one or more processors searches a cone tree with respect to a hull tree. Both trees respect the same group of transformations. Thus, the cone tree as stored in memory need not store all branches down to ultimate resolution. For example, the cone tree may store a selected cone and all its subcones down to the ultimate resolution, while subcones of other cones at the same level as the selected cone may not be represented in the stored cone tree. When the visualization software encounters a nonstored cone and a given hull H in its search procedure, the visualization software may apply an appropriate one of the group transformations to the given hull, and search the tranformed hull with respect to the selected cone (or a subcone of the selected cone).

Abstract: A system and method for rapid processing of scene-graph-based data and/or programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may be configured to utilize a scene graph directly. In another embodiment, the system may be configured to generate a plurality of structures and thread that manage the data originally received as part of the scene graph. The structures and threads may be configured to convey information about state changes through the use of messaging. The system may include support for messaging between threads, messaging with time and/or event stamps, epochs to ensure consistency, and ancillary structures such as render-bins, geometry structures, and rendering environment structures.

Abstract: A system and method that manages scene graphs by data staging is contemplated. Data staging entails selectively loading only the portions of the scene graph that are currently needed or likely to be needed in the near future. Other objects in the scene graph that are not currently needed or likely to be needed may be replaced by pointers. The pointers may point to the location from which the objects may be accessed if necessary for a future frame. The replaced portions of the scene graph may be compressed and/or cached to a local memory device (e.g., a local array of read-write optical drives) capable of storing large amounts of data, with the pointers indicating where the objects are stored.