Abstract: Video and other forms of animation are traditionally manually laid out on storyboards which set out the nature and timings of the events for which animation is desired. The storyboard then forms a plan for implementation in the creation of a visual performance. An automated storyboard system allows the user to flexibly create different sequences of animation clips and to be able to easily alter the ordering and nature of the clips, with the storyboard being automatically rendered on an audio and video processing system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for preprocessing fragments of two-dimensional graphic objects prior to display in a real-time rasterized format. The apparatus is formed as a pipeline having a translation and scaling section, a filter section, a pre-calculation section, and an interlace correction section. The preferred embodiment is specifically configured to process quadratic polynomial fragments (QPFs) of objects, and to calculate QPFs at high speed thereby permitting real-time rendering on a display. The preferred embodiment also forms part of a real-time object based graphics system.

Abstract: In a real-time object (RTO) graphics system, an RTO processor is disclosed which incorporates an object sort unit and an edge calculation unit. Object fragment data for each graphic object is received by the RTO processor, and is temporarily stored in memory. The sort unit sorts the fragment data for each scan line by first decomposing the fragment data into ordered sets, and then, commencing with the first active pixel for each fragment that commences on a line, sorting the data within the set and linking the sorted set with the next ordered set. Once sorted, the edge calculation unit reads the fragment data in line and pixel order from memory and calculates object edge intersections for each fragment on the current line being rendered while updating the memory with data for the respective fragment for the next scan line. The edge intersections are output in real-time and displayed on a display device.

Abstract: An object based graphics processor includes an input device for receiving object outlines of an image intended for rasterized display, each of the outline comprising at least one object fragment, a sorter for sorting the object fragments into a rasterization sequence corresponding to a scan line in a raster format for rasterized display, and a storage having a first storage area and a second storage area connected to the sorter for storing the rasterization sequence in one of the storage areas. A reading device connected to the storage reads a previously stored rasterization sequence in real-time and calculates object edges in a respective scan line, and prioritizing device assigns pixel data values within each of the scan lines based upon priority levels assigned to the object edges. The pixel data values are output from the processor for rasterized display.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for converting an object of a computerized graphics system defined by a plurality of spline formats into a corresponding object defined by a plurality of quadratic polynomial fragments (QPF). The method and apparatus include, for each spline of the object, selecting start and end points on the spline and designating the selected start and end points as control start and end points on the corresponding QPF, determining from the control points of the spline coefficients of a quadratic polynomial defining the QPF. The coefficients of the quadratic polynomial are used to determine if an error between the spline and the quadratic polynomial is below a predetermined level. In the case the error is below a predetermined level, QPF data describing the quadratic polynomial is determined from the coefficients of the quadratic polynomial.