Autodesk, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

David Wayne Arsenault

Lawrence David Felser

William James Dhimitri

Kells A Elmquist

Walter Christian Welton-Lair

A framework is described that serves as an expression evaluator and notification manager for software objects, and can traverse individual object models to use parts of one model to define another. An object model (data model) is a map of an object's properties and methods, and the framework of the present invention binds to the properties and methods and intercepts access to the properties for storage and evaluation of variables within the definitions of the properties. Binding the framework to the object accesses and uses the type info for the object to determine the properties of the object. In addition, the framework provides a method for the object author to override and specialize the properties to describe extensions of the type information.

Framework for objects having authorable behaviors and appearances

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for executing intelligent shape programming in a computer within a CAD application program, wherein elements of the intelligent shape can be protected from unauthorized use and modification. The intelligent shape comprises several objects for use in connecting, manipulating, displaying, mapping, protecting, and otherwise creating a new component or modifying an existing one. To provide for the protection of a shape, the intelligent shape programming provides for the user of a protection object that comprises a read-write shape identification and a set password method. The set password method is utilized to assign a password to each shape that is combined with the shape identification such that the shape becomes password protected. Once password protected, properties and expressions of the shape cannot be modified, changed, deleted, etc. and the protection status of the shape cannot be changed. To provide for the protection of individual properties and expressions of a shape, a boolean protection property for each property/expression of a shape is maintained in an expressions object. When the protection property is set to TRUE (and the shape is password protected), the expression/property cannot be changed, modified, accessed, deleted, assigned, etc. Accordingly, an author supplied password is utilized to prevent unauthorized access and protect the author's investment in creating and defining the shape.

Protectable expressions in objects having authorable behaviors and appearances

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for enabling the creation of software content objects for displaying information on a monitor attached to a computer is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of creating a unit system of the shape object, creating a scale method property of the shape object, authoring the shape object in the unit system and producing a graphical output therefrom, and selectively modifying the graphical output of the shape object based on the unit system and the scale method property to display desired information on the monitor.

Method for defining the scale of reusable geometric content

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for creating a shape for displaying information on a monitor attached to a computer is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of creating a spatial frame of the shape wherein the spatial frame provides a mapping function for the shape and provides a geometric framework for the shape, creating at least one event handler of the shape, coupling the event handler to the shape, and using the event handler coupled to the shape to display desired information on the monitor.

Infrastructure for shape event handlers

An intelligent shape is displayed in conjunction with a CAD application program, wherein the intelligent shape can be authored by a user. The intelligent shape comprises a frame and at least one property which defines the shape. The intelligent shape comprises several objects for use in connecting, manipulating, displaying, mapping, and otherwise creating a new component or modifying an existing one. The intelligent shape also monitors the user's interaction with the CAD application program during execution of the sequence of steps, wherein handlers defined for the shape provide additional customization of the component shape during system operations.

Shape objects having authorable behaviors and appearances

Framework for objects having authorable behaviors and appearance

Shadow testing of a two dimensional projection of a three dimensional scene is accelerated by superimposing the projection with a plurality of scan areas, then examining points, and edges of objects, falling within each scan area. Points are identified as potentially shadowed points if bracketed by edges of any object, and the bracketing object is identified as a potential shadower of the potentially shadowed points. Potential shadowers and potentially shadowed points undergo a series of tests to rapidly determine which, if any, of the potential shadowers are actual shadowers of each potentially shadowed point.

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Ithaca, NY, United States of America

David Wayne Arsenault