Abstract: A method and system for displaying one or more products includes displaying a virtual, three-dimensional view of at least one product on a display system, selecting at least one action with the virtual, three-dimensional view of the product, and displaying a three-dimensional animation of the selected action with the product on the display system.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for facilitating discoverability of user interface elements associated with search engine homepages are provided. When users navigate to a search engine homepage having a background image associated therewith and perform a specified action with respect thereto (for instance, moving a mouse pointer over the image, clicking on the image, or tapping on the image), a plurality of user interface elements is surfaced. Each user interface element is associated with information with which the user may be presented upon interaction with the element. Upon the user ceasing to perform the specified action (or upon the expiration of a predefined period of time), the user interface elements cease to be presented and the user is able to view the search engine homepage without the embedded information.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for integrating third party content with search engine homepages. Users indicate preferences for content to be presented in association with all of part of a search engine homepage such that, upon requesting presentation of the search engine homepage, the preferred content is presented. Generally, the preferred content is provided by a third-party content provider. User preferences may be indicated via a user interface control that permits selection of preferred content from a plurality of content options. Upon receiving the user preference, the search engine requests presentation of the preferred content from the third-party provider each time the user requests presentation of the search engine homepage.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage media for generating a virtual workspace that references online media content of interest, facilitates re-visitation of encountered instances of content, and shares those instances with other software applications are provided. Upon receiving an indication that an online media content item has been selected, at least a reference thereto is copied to a virtual workspace where it may be accessed at a later time. The virtual workspace may be organized into content collections via the use of reference groupings, folders, categories, tags, labels, and the like and may be accessible in the context of a plurality of applications. In embodiments, the virtual workspace is associated with a display area that is presented concurrently with an application being utilized so that the virtual workspace may be accessed and utilized without leaving the context of an active application.

Abstract: A method and system for displaying one or more products includes displaying a virtual, three-dimensional view of at least one product on a display system, selecting at least one action with the virtual, three-dimensional view of the product, and displaying a three-dimensional animation of the selected action with the product on the display system.

Abstract: A method and system for measuring an object represented by a three dimensional model includes an algorithm for displaying the three dimensional object in a 2 dimensional space. Once rendered in two dimensions, a user can identify two points on the object in that two dimensional space and in accordance with the invention, the system can determine the distance between the two points in the three dimensional space of the object. The system and method can use a pick function to determine the coordinates of each point in three dimensional space as a function of the two dimensional coordinates of each point selected in the two dimensional display space and determine the distance between the three dimensional coordinates of each point in the three dimensional space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for determining quality or resolution settings for encoding a three dimensional model within a desired size budget. The system allows the user to select or change the size budget and either the quality settings or resolution settings. The system, applying the method of the invention, then determines the resolution or quality settings for each image in the model so as to meet the size budget. The user may also lock certain settings so that they are not changed by the system when other modifications are made by the user.

Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for creating a textured, three dimensional model with a low polygon count from a source model having a high polygon count, while maintaining details of the model. The invention creates textures from the source model for polygons in the newly created model to maintain detail. In particular, a decimation technique is used to reduce the number of polygons from the source model to the resulting model. The system then renders sets of polygons, including textures, in the source model corresponding to each polygon in the resulting model. The rendered polygons are used to create textures for the resulting model.

Abstract: A method and system for creating seamless textured three dimensional models of objects includes unwrapping a plurality of images, joining the plurality of images and feathering the textures of the images where transitions or seams are visible. The unwrapping process includes processing the images whereby the ratio of texture area to surface area is nearly constant across the model. This can be accomplished by selecting a starting polygon in a mesh of polygons and re-orienting each polygon adjacent to the starting polygon by rotating or projecting the polygon onto the plane of the starting polygon. Each polygon adjacent to a re-oriented polygon is also re-oriented until all the polygons are oriented into the plane of the starting polygon. Where re-orienting a polygon resulting in a gap or crack, one or more vertexes of the polygon can be relocated to avoid the gap, even though some distortion may occur.

Abstract: The system and method of the present invention use public key cryptography to ensure that content provided to a rendering platform has been properly authorized and licensed. Once the content is created, a digital signature is generated based upon at least a portion of the content using a private key. The private key is stored in a secure server separate from the content development environment. The rendering platform uses a corresponding public key to check authentication of the content prior to display. The system also allows different levels of rendering based upon the creation of the digital signature.

Abstract: A method and system for measuring an object represented by a three dimensional model includes an algorithm for displaying the three dimensional object in a 2 dimensional space. Once rendered in two dimensions, a user can identify two points on the object in that two dimensional space and in accordance with the invention, the system can determine the distance between the two points in the three dimensional space of the object. The system and method can use a pick function to determine the coordinates of each point in three dimensional space as a function of the two dimensional coordinates of each point selected in the two dimensional display space and determine the distance between the three dimensional coordinates of each point in the three dimensional space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for providing customer service communications which allows simultaneous display of a three dimensional model. One or more customers are communicatively linked to a customer service provider. A three dimensional model is maintained by the customers and the customer service provider. A distributed synchronization algorithm coordinates the display of the model and allows all of the participants to make changes to the display.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for determining quality or resolution settings for encoding a three dimensional model within a desired size budget. The system allows the user to select or change the size budget and either the quality settings or resolution settings. The system, applying the method of the invention, then determines the resolution or quality settings for each image in the model so as to meet the size budget. The user may also lock certain settings so that they are not changed by the system when other modifications are made by the user.