Abstract: A method for generating graphics of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment includes: receiving, with a processor, weather data corresponding to a geographic region, the weather data including a sequence of precipitation intensity values, each precipitation intensity value being associated with a respective timestamp of a chronological sequence of timestamps; calculating, with the processor, a first precipitation accumulation value based on the sequence of precipitation intensity values, the first precipitation accumulation value corresponding to a first time; and rendering, with the processor, a depiction of accumulated precipitation in the 3D virtual environment, the depiction of accumulated precipitation depending on the first precipitation accumulation value.

Abstract: A system for determining a quantitative accuracy of a test movement relative to a reference movement includes a display output device, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the display output device and the memory. The memory stores motion capture data and programming instructions. The processor executes the programming instructions to determine a quantitative accuracy of the test movement relative to the reference movement. A method, executable by the processor, for determining the quantitative accuracy includes receiving, with the processor, motion capture data that includes the reference movement and the test movement. The motion data is split into individual movements, and the test movement is aligned with the reference movement. The processor computes a quantitative accuracy of the test movement relative to the reference movement, and generates, with the display output device, a visualization representative of the test movement. The computed accuracy is encoded into the visualization.

Abstract: Using a global optimization, a cycle within a frame buffer including frames corresponding to one or more cycles of query activity sequences is detected. The detection includes creating a plurality of cycle segmentations by recursively iterating through the frame buffer to identify candidate cycles corresponding to cycles of a reference activity sequence until the frame buffer lacks sufficient frames to create additional cycles, computing segmentation errors for each of the plurality of cycle segmentations, and identifying the detected cycle as the one of the plurality of cycle segmentations having a lowest segmentation error. Cycle duration data for the detected cycle is generated. Frames belonging to the detected cycle are removed from the frame buffer. The cycle duration data is output.

Abstract: Motion windows are generated from a query activity sequence. For each of the motion windows in the query activity sequence, a corresponding motion window in the reference activity sequence is found. One or more difference calculations are performed between the motion windows of the query activity sequence and the corresponding motion windows in the reference activity sequence based on at least one criterion associated with physical meaning. Abnormality of the motion windows is determined based on the one or more difference calculations. A standardized evaluation result of the query activity sequence is output based on the detected abnormal motion windows in the query activity sequence.

Abstract: A system for determining a quantitative accuracy of a test movement relative to a reference movement includes a display output device, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the display output device and the memory. The memory stores motion capture data and programming instructions. The processor executes the programming instructions to determine a quantitative accuracy of the test movement relative to the reference movement. A method, executable by the processor, for determining the quantitative accuracy includes receiving, with the processor, motion capture data that includes the reference movement and the test movement. The motion data is split into individual movements, and the test movement is aligned with the reference movement. The processor computes a quantitative accuracy of the test movement relative to the reference movement, and generates, with the display output device, a visualization representative of the test movement. The computed accuracy is encoded into the visualization.

Abstract: A method and device for determining a footprint of a 3D structure are disclosed. The method includes: receiving mesh data for the 3D structure that includes vertices and edges that form polygons of the 3D structure; determining a connection graph including candidate nodes and candidate lines by (i) identifying all edges having a vertex that is less than threshold height value, and (ii) mapping the identified edges and vertices thereof onto a 2D plane; determining an adjacency list that indicates, for each candidate node, which other candidate nodes are connected to the candidate node by a candidate line; and generating a footprint of the 3D structure based on the connection graph and the adjacency list, the footprint including vertices corresponding to a selection of the candidate nodes and including edges corresponding to a selection of the candidate lines.

Abstract: A method for displaying graphics of clouds in a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment includes generating a filtered texture based on a threshold filter applied to a cloud texture where the filter threshold corresponds to cloud coverage information in weather data of a geographic region. The method further includes mapping the filtered texture to a geometric surface corresponding to a sky dome in the 3D virtual environment, coloring a plurality of texels in the mapped filtered texture on the geometric surface stored in the memory based on an isotropic single-scatter color model, and generating a graphical depiction of the 3D virtual environment including at least a portion of the geometric surface corresponding to the sky dome with clouds based on the plurality of texels of the filtered texture that are colored and mapped to the geometric surface.

Abstract: A method for displaying graphics of clouds in a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment includes generating a filtered texture based on a threshold filter applied to a cloud texture where the filter threshold corresponds to cloud coverage information in weather data of a geographic region. The method further includes mapping the filtered texture to a geometric surface corresponding to a sky dome in the 3D virtual environment, coloring a plurality of texels in the mapped filtered texture on the geometric surface stored in the memory based on an isotropic single-scatter color model, and generating a graphical depiction of the 3D virtual environment including at least a portion of the geometric surface corresponding to the sky dome with clouds based on the plurality of texels of the filtered texture that are colored and mapped to the geometric surface.

Abstract: A method for generating graphics of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment includes: receiving, with a processor, a first camera position in the 3D virtual environment and a first viewing direction in the 3D virtual environment; receiving, with the processor, weather data including first precipitation information corresponding to a first geographic region corresponding to the first camera position in the 3D virtual environment; defining, with the processor, a bounding geometry at first position that is a first distance from the first camera position in the first viewing direction, the bounding geometry being dimensioned so as to cover a field of view from the first camera position in the first viewing direction; and rendering, with the processor, a 3D particle system in the 3D virtual environment depicting precipitation only within the bounding geometry, the 3D particle system having features depending on the first precipitation information.

Abstract: A method for generating graphics of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment includes: receiving, with a processor, weather data corresponding to a geographic region, the weather data including a sequence of precipitation intensity values, each precipitation intensity value being associated with a respective timestamp of a chronological sequence of timestamps; calculating, with the processor, a first precipitation accumulation value based on the sequence of precipitation intensity values, the first precipitation accumulation value corresponding to a first time; and rendering, with the processor, a depiction of accumulated precipitation in the 3D virtual environment, the depiction of accumulated precipitation depending on the first precipitation accumulation value.

Abstract: A method and device for determining a footprint of a 3D structure are disclosed. The method includes: receiving mesh data for the 3D structure that includes vertices and edges that form polygons of the 3D structure; determining a connection graph including candidate nodes and candidate lines by (i) identifying all edges having a vertex that is less than threshold height value, and (ii) mapping the identified edges and vertices thereof onto a 2D plane; determining an adjacency list that indicates, for each candidate node, which other candidate nodes are connected to the candidate node by a candidate line; and generating a footprint of the 3D structure based on the connection graph and the adjacency list, the footprint including vertices corresponding to a selection of the candidate nodes and including edges corresponding to a selection of the candidate lines.

Abstract: Methods for generating ground shadow and lighting effects for three-dimensional models include identifying polygon data for a three-dimensional model, generating a convex polygon around a base of the model, generating hard and soft shadow meshes in and around the base of the model, and rendering the model with the shadow meshes with a display device. Methods for generating wall shadows and lighting effects for the three dimensional models further include identifying an orientation and height of a polygon in the model that extends from a ground surface in a virtual environment, and rendering the model with a lighting texture applied to either the full polygon if the polygon height is less than a threshold height or to only a portion of the polygon below the threshold height if the polygon exceeds the threshold height.

Abstract: A system and method of procedural generation of graphics includes generating a bounding polygon corresponding to a size and shape of a region within a three-dimensional virtual environment that includes the plurality of objects, aligning, with the processor the bounding polygon with a two-dimensional arrangement of tiles that include predetermined locations corresponding to the objects, identifying object locations within the bounding polygon based on the data corresponding to the predetermined plurality of locations within the tiles, each object location corresponding to one predetermined location in one tile in the plurality of tiles that lies within the bounding polygon, and generating, with the processor and a display device, a graphical depiction of the three-dimensional virtual environment including graphical depictions of the plurality of objects positioned in the plurality of object locations within the bounding polygon in the region.

Abstract: A system and method of procedural generation of graphics corresponding to a plurality of buildings in a three-dimensional virtual environment includes identifying a region in the three-dimensional virtual environment that is enclosed by a plurality of streets within the three-dimensional virtual environment, generating a two-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of tiles within the region, identifying one building segment graphic in the subset of building segment graphics corresponding to each tile based on an array of pseudo-random index values stored in the memory for each tile in the plurality of tiles, and generating a graphical depiction of the three-dimensional virtual environment including a graphical depiction of the plurality of buildings in the region based on the two-dimensional arrangement of the plurality of tiles and the building segment graphic identified for each tile in the plurality of tiles.

Abstract: A system and method of procedural generation of graphics includes generating a bounding polygon corresponding to a size and shape of a region within a three-dimensional virtual environment that includes the plurality of objects, aligning, with the processor the bounding polygon with a two-dimensional arrangement of tiles that include predetermined locations corresponding to the objects, identifying object locations within the bounding polygon based on the data corresponding to the predetermined plurality of locations within the tiles, each object location corresponding to one predetermined location in one tile in the plurality of tiles that lies within the bounding polygon, and generating, with the processor and a display device, a graphical depiction of the three-dimensional virtual environment including graphical depictions of the plurality of objects positioned in the plurality of object locations within the bounding polygon in the region.

Abstract: A system and method of procedural generation of graphics corresponding to a plurality of buildings in a three-dimensional virtual environment includes identifying a region in the three-dimensional virtual environment that is enclosed by a plurality of streets within the three-dimensional virtual environment, generating a two-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of tiles within the region, identifying one building segment graphic in the subset of building segment graphics corresponding to each tile based on an array of pseudo-random index values stored in the memory for each tile in the plurality of tiles, and generating a graphical depiction of the three-dimensional virtual environment including a graphical depiction of the plurality of buildings in the region based on the two-dimensional arrangement of the plurality of tiles and the building segment graphic identified for each tile in the plurality of tiles.

Abstract: A method of generating three-dimensional graphics enables the generation of performance and quality balanced sun position sensitive soft shadows for objects including three-dimensional models of buildings. The method includes identification of both convex and concave object shapes for the generation of the soft shadow meshes and the modification of the soft shadow meshes based on the position of a light source in a three-dimensional virtual environment to generate realistic shadow graphics including shadows that change shape in response to movement of the light source.

Abstract: Methods for generating ground shadow and lighting effects for three-dimensional models include identifying polygon data for a three-dimensional model, generating a convex polygon around a base of the model, generating hard and soft shadow meshes in and around the base of the model, and rendering the model with the shadow meshes with a display device. Methods for generating wall shadows and lighting effects for the three dimensional models further include identifying an orientation and height of a polygon in the model that extends from a ground surface in a virtual environment, and rendering the model with a lighting texture applied to either the full polygon if the polygon height is less than a threshold height or to only a portion of the polygon below the threshold height if the polygon exceeds the threshold height.

Abstract: Methods for generating ground shadow and lighting effects for three-dimensional models include identifying polygon data for a three-dimensional model, generating a convex polygon around a base of the model, generating hard and soft shadow meshes in and around the base of the model, and rendering the model with the shadow meshes with a display device. Methods for generating wall shadows and lighting effects for the three dimensional models further include identifying an orientation and height of a polygon in the model that extends from a ground surface in a virtual environment, and rendering the model with a lighting texture applied to either the full polygon if the polygon height is less than a threshold height or to only a portion of the polygon below the threshold height if the polygon exceeds the threshold height.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for generating textured graphics includes identifying border colors of pixels around two texture images and generating arrangements of border texels from the border colors that are positioned next to the two images in a texture atlas. The method includes generating mip-maps of the texture atlas with texels in the jump level assigned with the border color of the corresponding textures in the full-resolution texture atlas instead of the averaged color of the textures that would be assigned using a traditional mip-map process. The method includes storing the texture atlas including the two texture images and the border texels in a memory for use in generating repeated textures on an object in a virtual environment using at least one of the texture images with a mip-map without seam artifacts between the repeated textures.