Abstract: A system models a graphics object by first providing a model of the object, generation parameters specifying a fixed level-of-detail, and conversion parameters specifying variable levels-of-detail. An adaptively sampled distance field having the fixed level-of-detail is generated from the model, and the adaptively sampled distance field is converted from the fixed level-of-detail to the variable levels-of-detail while concurrently generating rendering primitives.

Abstract: A method for converts an adaptively sampled distance field of a graphics model to a triangle model, The adaptively sampled distance field includes surface cells storing distance values that have corresponding gradients. A vertex is assigned to a center location of each surface cell. The vertices of neighboring surface cells are connected to form triangles while satisfying a predetermined constraint. Then, each vertex is moved, in a single step, to a new location according to the distance value and corresponding gradient of the vertex to substantially conform the triangles to a surface of the model.

Abstract: A method edits a graphics object with a computer implemented tool by first representing the graphics object by an adaptively sampled distance field, and defining a mask by a distance field. Then, the tool is iteratively moved with respect to the object while constraining the movement according to the mask to edit the object.

Abstract: A method models a graphics object by providing a model of the graphics object and generating a first adaptively sampled distance field for the model. Next, a topological hint is constructed. A second adaptively sampled distance field is generated from the topological hint. First locations of the second adaptively sampled distance field are sampled to determine a corresponding topological feature for each location. Second locations in the first adaptively sampled distance are determined from the corresponding topological features. The first adaptively sampled distance field is then sampled at the second locations to determine a distance value for each of the second locations to model the graphics object according to the topological hint.

Abstract: A system interactively edits a graphics object. The system includes a user interface for setting editing parameters, and providing a model of the graphics object. An adaptively sample distance field is generated from the model, and an interactive editor manipulates the adaptively sampled distance field. The manipulated adaptively sampled distance field is then converted to rendering primitives to be rendered by a rendering engine.

Abstract: A method corrects an adaptively sampled distance field of a model. The adaptively sampled distance field includes a multiple of cells. Each cell stores distance values at vertices of the cell. The cells include interior cells, surface cells, and exterior cells, and neighboring cells have a common edge. Selected cells are marked as unprocessed cells, and the surface cells as marked as processed cells. A particular vertex of each unprocessed cell is marked as a minimum vertex if it has a minimum absolute value distance value. The unprocessed cells in an ascending order of the minimum vertices are further processed by appending, for each common edge of each unprocessed cell, distance values of neighboring processed cells to the common edge, adjusting the distance values of the vertices of the unprocessed cell according to the appended distance values of the edges and the distance values of the vertices, and marking the unprocessed cell as processed.

Abstract: A method edits a surface of a graphics object with a computer implemented tool by first generating an adaptively sampled distance field from the graphics object, and defining a tool path. A gradient for each point on the surface nearest to each location of the tool on the tool path is determined, as well as the distance between each point and each location. The tool is iteratively moved along the tool path in a direction of the gradient and an amount proportional to the distance to maintain the tool on the surface of the object while editing the surface of the object.

Abstract: A method converts range data of an object to a model of the object by first generating an adaptively sampled distance field from the range data. The adaptively sampled distance field is then edited to produce the model. The range data can include a plurality of range images that are converted to range meshes in a single coordinate system, and an adaptively sampled distance field is generated for each of the range meshes.

Abstract: A method generates a detail directed hierarchical representation of a distance field that is enclosed by a bounding box. The method begins by partitioning the bounding box enclosing the distance field into cells. Each cell has a size corresponding to detail of the distance field and a location with respect to the bounding box. Next, the distance field is sampled to obtain a set of values of the distance field for each cell. A method for reconstructing the portion of the distance field enclosed by the cell is specified for each cell. The location and size, the set of values, and the method for reconstructing for each cell are stored in a memory to enable reconstruction of the distance field by applying the reconstruction methods of the cells to the values.

Abstract: Voxel-based objects are manipulated and interacted with in a physically ristic way such that during movement of the graphical objects, collisions are automatically detected and the graphical objects are prevented from penetrating each other. Applications include computer graphics and animation, CAD/CAM, and virtual reality applications that require real-time interaction between complex three-dimensional object models. When objects are represented in a voxel-based format where objects consist of clusters of regularly or irregularly spaced sampled data points, rather than a conventional graphic format where objects are represented by lists of polygons, primitive surfaces, or geometries, moving objects in virtual space involves shifting the voxel-based data in a large memory array representing the virtual space of the system and detecting collisions among moving objects by checking the new memory locations of object voxels to see if they are already occupied.