Abstract: The disclosed device comprises a manually-actuated micro positioning stage that incorporates a mechanism for measurement and electronic output of the stage slider position. A Hall Effect sensor device is used to sense rotary position of the lead screw. based on the lead screw pitch. Processor means converts the Hall Effect sensor measurement of the lead screw rotational displacement into linear displacement of the stage slider for presentation on an electronic display. A magnetically-permeable cap contains a small disc magnet that is poled diametrically and is affixed to the end of the lead screw that is in contact with the stage slider by means of a sensor housing. The Hall Effect sensor contained in a surface mount electronic package is enclosed in a sensor housing that is part of the stage slider that is in contact with the lead screw and is positioned coaxially with the lead screw.

Abstract: An image representing a three-dimensional object is modelled as a stored set of parameters representing a model of a three-dimensional object and at least two two-dimensional images of the object, each image representing the object from a unique direction of view (x, y, z). The parameters include parameters defining the positions of a plurality of vertex points in a virtual space and parameters defining relationships between vertex points and hence surface elements of the object. For at least a subset of the surface elements a measure relative to each direction of view is determined, each measure being representative of the deviation of the surface of the element from the normal to the direction of view. The direction of view which exhibits the least deviation is then identified and texture applied to the surface element from the two-dimensional image which corresponds to the identified direction of view.