Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solutions LLC

Harold Dee Gardiner

Russell Joseph Urry

Seth John Thorup

Ronald J Muffler

David A Buckmiller

Thomas Peter Skowyra

Raymond Lee Fitzgerald

Steve O Hadfield

A computerized method and system of rendering a graphical image containing a volumetric object on an electronic display is provided. The method includes defining, at a processing circuit, the volumetric object as a volume. The volume comprises a plurality of polygons. The method includes rendering the volume for a first plurality of pixels of the electronic display. The volume is described by volume characteristics. The method includes rendering a graphical image for a second plurality of pixels of the electronic display. The graphical image is described by global characteristics. When a view ray for at least one of the second plurality of pixels intersects at least one of the first plurality of pixels, the global characteristics and a proportion of the volume characteristics are combined when rendering the graphical image. The proportion is defined by an extent of the intersection of the view ray.

Volume rendering a graphical 3D scene containing a 3D volumetric object and atmospheric effects

Rendering of objects techniques can include a method, a system, and a graphics device. The method can include receiving data for one or more objects. The data for each object can include a fidelity code, wherein the fidelity code indicates object fidelity level. The method further can include computing pixels touched by each received object based on a pixel grid associated with the fidelity code of the object. The method further can include providing pixel data for objects having fidelity code indicating a lower fidelity object.

Adaptive rendering of indistinct objects

A system for simulating depth of field in a computer graphics display is provided according to an exemplary embodiment. The system comprises an image generation circuit configured to generate an image representing a plurality of objects for display on the computer graphics display. The image generation circuit is configured to generate the image using a single blur parameter for each of the plurality of objects that represents both a magnitude of blur and a relative distance with respect to a lens focal distance being simulated by the image generation circuit.

Systems and methods for simulating depth of field on a computer generated display

A system for rendering point primitives for output to an electronic display includes electronics configured to determine a position of a point primitive within a sub-pixel grid. The electronics configured to determine a size of the point primitive and to determine a positional relationship between a pixel and the sub-pixel grid. The system includes a storage circuit configured to determine a first sample bit mask based on the size and based on the position of the point primitive. The system includes at least one set of selector circuits configured to select a second sample bit mask the size of the pixel based on the first sample bit mask and based on the positional relationship between the pixel and the sub-pixel grid. The second sample bit mask indicates which sub-pixels are to be illuminated on the electronic display to represent the point primitive.

System and method for graphical rendering of point primitives

A method is disclosed for rendering a volumetric obscurant in a computer generated graphical image. The method can include the operation of defining a polygon template as a first surface of the volumetric obscurant comprising pixels and sub-pixels. A further operation can be spreading a depth of the sub-pixels for pixels in the polygon template to create a thickness in the volumetric obscurant. Finally, another operation can be modulating a depth density of the sub-pixels to vary the distances between the sub-pixels in the volumetric obscurant.

Method for rendering volumetric obscurants

A device is provided for rendering computer graphic images with a database and geometric processor to process a plurality of polygons. The device includes a background rendering engine to render the polygons received from the geometric processor. A critical item detector is configured to identify polygons received from the geometric processor that have at least a portion of the polygon within a critical item region. In addition, a critical item rendering engine is included to render polygons identified by the critical item detector. The identified polygons in the critical item engine are rendered at a higher resolution than the polygons rendered by the background rendering engine. A critical item load manager is coupled to the critical item rendering engine to increase or decrease a critical item load being rendered by the critical item rendering engine, and to match a deterministic processing time allowed.

System and method for rendering high-resolution critical items

A method for enabling reduced transport display in a computer image generator connected to a host simulator which receives real-time input. The first step is performing real-time matrices calculations with the real-time input. The next step is processing geometry for primitives in a scene and storing the primitives in a double-buffered geometry buffer. The geometry buffer toggles as soon as the geometry processing is done without waiting for a field sync signal which reduces the transport delay normally found in image generation systems. Another step is rendering the primitives into a pixel frame buffer as soon as the geometry buffer toggles. The final step is displaying the pixel frame buffer. The rendering hardware and geometry processing hardware can also include enough processing power to complete the geometric transformations and rendering and in less than one display frame. Allowing the geometry and rendering to complete faster allows reduces the transport delay because the geometry buffer can toggle sooner and the pixels can be displayed sooner.

Method for reducing transport delay in a synchronous image generator

This invention relates generally to the field of computer graphics display, and more particularly to reducing the amount of time needed to render complex virtual scenes on a computer graphics display. This invention combines the advantages of the prior art methods of list priority and depth buffering (e.g. Z-buffering) with new simplified and enhanced full buffer processes. In one embodiment, a simplified full buffer arrangement enables the elimination of rendering primitives prior to pixel shading for regions of the screen which have previously been covered by closer primitives. Another embodiment provides for an enhanced full buffer that combines the coverage of a previously rendered primitive in a partial buffer and associates it with a current primitive to cover pixel arrays. This enhanced full buffer technique enables the use of higher order model primitives such as strips, fans and meshes, to increase the effectiveness of the full buffer by allowing more than one primitive to combine to fill a scanned pixel region on the screen.

System and method for reducing the rendering load for high depth complexity scenes on a computer graphics display

A method for rendering large-area time-based shadows. A first step is to pre-process a database of three dimensional constructs that define all primitives and attributes of the primitives in a three dimensional simulated environment. The pre-processing step determines the time relevant behavior of the shadows by calculating an angle at which the primitive is illuminated, and an angle at which illumination ceases. The second step is to process the database at run-time using the pre-processed database of three dimensional constructs and pre-calculated illumination and no-illumination angles.

Method for time based shadow rendering

A method and apparatus for rendering a real-time synthetic environment on a computer display. A hidden surface removal technique is provided which combines an efficient pixel rendering architecture with a simplified modeling process. Specifically, the computer pixel graphics hardware processing load is balanced against a software geometric load to obtain optimum rendering performance by utilizing a 'full' buffer in combination with adaptations of the z-Buffer and priority-list algorithms.

Method for reducing the rendering load for high depth complexity scenes

A method for rendering a shadow cast from an object illuminated by at least one light source onto at least another object on a graphical computer display. The preferred embodiment enables the rendering of accurate and realistic shadows in real-time, consequently providing a realistic view of three-dimensional objects in two dimensions. The shadow can also provide more visual clues than are otherwise available from ambient light sources. In this way, more visual information is provided to an observer.

Growing community of inventors

Sandy, UT, United States of America

Harold Dee Gardiner