Avid Technology Limited

Claude Cajolet

R&eacute;jean Gagn&eacute;

Rejean Gagne

Sylvain G Moreau

Réjean Gagné

A non-linear editing (NLE) system for editing and/or modifying 3D animation information comprises elements represented by clip objects which can be positioned and/or manipulated relative to a time line. The elements can comprise conventional 1D (audio) or 2D (video) information or can comprise 3D animation information which can include animation objects and animation parameters associated with them, as well as 2D renderings of those objects. Positioning and/or manipulation of clip objects representing 3D animation elements can result in alteration of the 2D rendering and or re-rendering of the 3D information, as appropriate.

Method and system for editing or modifying 3D animations in a non-linear editing environment

A system and method for managing the creation and production of computer generated works permits two or more users to create a work by a collaborative process. The work, or a component of a work, to be created and/or produced is organised into a project structure which includes a plurality of scene structures, each of which can include a plurality of element structures which are used to construct the scenes. A project manager device operates to manage the accessing and modification of elements structures and scenes in the project by the users and manages the relationships between elements structures. The project manager device performs read reference locking of element structures and scenes to ensure that users are always using an appropriate version of the elements and/or scenes and that updates to elements and scenes are correctly propagated to other elements and to users. The project manager device allows users to work in parallel, on different elements and scenes, without requiring other elements or scenes to have been completed and allows users the ability to interact with other elements or scenes, whether completed or not, while an element or scene of interest is worked on by the user. The system and method allow the decomposition of a work into elements which can be re-used and/or which can easily be altered and modified. The system and method is essentially non-intrusive to users and much of the management of the creation and production of the work is performed automatically by the system and method.

System and method for managing the creation and production of computer generated works

A complex computational task is processed by a plurality of computers coupled to a network. A plurality of different computers (,) are each assigned a different portion of a distributed processing task by a problem dispatcher (,). Each computer determines if a local operator has not used a keyboard (,) or a mouse (,) for a predefined period of time. If not, a screen saving program is initiated and the computer begins monitoring the network to determine if a request for participation in a distributed processing task has been transmitted. Upon receiving such a request, the screen saver program responds, indicating that the computer is available to participate in the task. Each computer also sends characteristics to the problem dispatcher, which selects assistant computers to participate in the task. The problem dispatcher assigns specific portions of the task to each of the assistant computers until the task is completed. If a local operator interrupts, the portion of the task being processed by that computer is assigned to a different assistant computer. In this manner, the complex computational task is processed relatively quickly using only those computers that are available and have the appropriate capabilities.

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Montreal, Canada

Claude Cajolet