Abstract: Color video data is compressed by storing only the most frequently occurring colors in a block of pixel data. A minimum number of colors for the block is determined by consolidating comparatively close colors. Two comparatively close colors are consolidated by substituting the more frequently occurring color for the less frequently occurring color in the block. Colors are comparatively close when the difference in their color values is less than a color threshold value. The color threshold value can be set by the user. If the minimum number of colors determined for the block is greater than four, then the color thresholds are adjusted and a new minimum number of colors is then determined. The pixel data of the block are stored in accordance with the minimum number of colors determined for that block. Greater compression is achieved when a lower minimum number of colors is determined for the block.

Abstract: A technique and system for the real-time computation of visual scenes reduces the three-dimensional computation to two additions and further reduces the need for three-dimensional computations by displaying several screen pixels per three-dimensional computation. The approach when implemented in hardware or software significantly speeds up scene generation time. From a two-dimensional array of elevations a series of cross-sections perpendicular to the observer are constructed. For each elevation within the cross-section, a series of screen pixels is drawn. The next array element in the cross-section is found by adding a value to both indexes in the two-dimensional array.