Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for generating displays of vector drawing elements that have the appearance of being hand drawn using traditional media materials, such as a pencil. Multiple pencil strokes to be rendered on top of each other and the structure of the simulated paper surface remains constant, generating a realistic appearance for multiple rendered pencil strokes. A variety of physical characteristics of pencils and paper surfaces may be specified, and a convincing appearance may be achieved by modeling these parameters in software, and speed may be realized by rendering the pencil effect using a shader program executed on graphics hardware.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to render an edge effect for an object. An object is obtained in a computer-generated rendering having vector geometry. An interior geometry is created for a fill of the object. Contour geometry is created for an outline stroke that covers an edge of the object. A proximity to the edge of the object is calculated for each pixel of the object and each pixel of the contour geometry. An effect is then rendered based on the proximities.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and article of manufacture are configured to display a vector marker stroke. A stroked fill of vector splines and polygons having faces along the spline are created based on a user input marker stroke. A stencil buffer is created indicating the number of vector faces incident at each pixel. When the number indicates that a pixel has overlapping faces, a pixel shader (that determines an opacity value for the pixel in a mask) is executed as many times as the number. When the number indicates that a pixel has at least one face and is at a beginning or an ending of the stroke, the shader is executed to add to the opacity value. A blur shading operation is executed on each of the pixels. The stroked fill is rendered and a wet color is rendered, using the mask, on top of the stroked fill.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to display a stroked fill for an object. A computer-generated rendering is obtained that consists of vector geometry. Closed geometry is obtained in the computer-generated rendering. Lastly, a fill is automatically created. The fill consists of a series of two or more curves, wherein each curve in the series crosses an interior of the closed geometry.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to render an edge effect for an object. An object is obtained in a computer-generated rendering having vector geometry. An interior geometry is created for a fill of the object. Contour geometry is created for an outline stroke that covers an edge of the object. A proximity to the edge of the object is calculated for each pixel of the object and each pixel of the contour geometry. An effect is then rendered based on the proximities.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for generating displays of vector drawing elements that have the appearance of being hand drawn using traditional media materials, such as a pencil. Multiple pencil strokes to be rendered on top of each other and the structure of the simulated paper surface remains constant, generating a realistic appearance for multiple rendered pencil strokes. A variety of physical characteristics of pencils and paper surfaces may be specified, and a convincing appearance may be achieved by modeling these parameters in software, and speed may be realized by rendering the pencil effect using a shader program executed on graphics hardware.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and article of manufacture are configured to display a vector marker stroke. A stroked fill of vector splines and polygons having faces along the spline are created based on a user input marker stroke. A stencil buffer is created indicating the number of vector faces incident at each pixel. When the number indicates that a pixel has overlapping faces, a pixel shader (that determines an opacity value for the pixel in a mask) is executed as many times as the number. When the number indicates that a pixel has at least one face and is at a beginning or an ending of the stroke, the shader is executed to add to the opacity value. A blur shading operation is executed on each of the pixels. The stroked fill is rendered and a wet color is rendered, using the mask, on top of the stroked fill.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to display a stroked fill for an object. A computer-generated rendering is obtained that consists of vector geometry. Closed geometry is obtained in the computer-generated rendering. Lastly, a fill is automatically created. The fill consists of a series of two or more curves, wherein each curve in the series crosses an interior of the closed geometry.

Abstract: A mechanism for translating objects between applications that use different formats is described. As described, a source object is generated using a source application. The source object is then translated to a target object in a target application. The target application having a format that is not supported by the source application. A first modification, which is not supported by the source application, is then performed to the target object. A second modification is also performed to the source object in the source application. Based on the modifications, the target object in the target application is revised to reflect the second modification to the source object without removing the first modification to the target object.

Abstract: An approach is described for modifying subobjects of geometry objects based on per-subobject objects. A per-subobject object is associated with a sequence of components, such as a modifier stack, that are used to modify a geometry object. The per-subobject object may take one or more actions with respect to subobjects of the mesh object, such as applying data to specified faces. After a subsequent modification of the geometry object, the per-subobject object reapplies data to the faces that result from the modification. For example, the per-subobject object may specify the data to apply to faces that result from splitting faces during the modification or to faces that result from merging faces during the modification. The data for the faces may be accessed using a data channel that is associated with the per-subobject object.

Abstract: An approach is described for using hardware devices to generate modified geometry objects based on instructions provided by extension objects. An extension object is associated with a sequence of components, such as a modifier stack, that are used to modify a geometry object to generate an initial representation of the geometry object. Instructions that are based on the extension object are associated with the initial representation. A graphics device, such as a hardware shader, is used to generate a final representation of the geometry object based on the instructions and the initial representation. The instructions may be executed by an application program interface to provide instructions to the graphics device for generating the final representation of the geometry object. The instructions may be generated based on the extension object, and a graphics card may execute the instructions to generate the final representation of the geometry object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing stack extensions in a modifier stack that is associated with a plurality of components that are sequentially applied to a geometry object when the modifier stack is evaluated. According to one aspect of the invention, an extension channel object is attached to the geometry object. The extension channel object is associated with a notification mechanism that notifies the extension channel object if a particular event occurs while the modifier stack is being evaluating. In response to receiving a notification that one of the plurality of components has caused a particular event to occur while the modifier stack is being evaluated, the extension channel object influences how the geometry object is modified by the component within the modifier stack.