Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.

Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs.

Jackson W J Pope

Ronald N Perry

Sarah F Frisken

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.

Modeling graphics objects with topological hints

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.

System and method for modeling graphics objects

A method generates a detail directed hierarchical representation of orientations of a surface of a graphics model. The surface of the graphics model is partitioned into surface cells, each surface cell enclosing a portion of the surface. The surface cells are stored in a hierarchical data structure having levels, wherein the number of levels for a particular portion of the surface is determined by surface detail of the particular portion. A visibility element of the enclosed portion of the surface is determined for each surface cell, the visibility element specifying an axis and a spread defining a range of normal values of the enclosed portion of the surface. The visibility element is stored with the associated surface cell. The surface detail of the particular portion can be determined by a degree of curvature and shading parameters of the surface of the particular portion.

Method for generating detail directed visibility elements for a graphics model

A method dynamically generates rendering elements for a graphics model. The model is first converted to an adaptively sampled distance field including surface cells representing a surface of the model. A visibility element is determined for each surface cell. A set of active cells is determined, where each active cell is associated with one of the surface cells of the adaptively sample distance field, and each active cell has a corresponding visibility element. Rendering elements are determined for each active cell. Active cells are added and deleted from the set of active cells dynamically according to a weight determined for each active cell by a weighting function. The weight of each active cell can depend on viewing and shading parameters. Rendering elements are dynamically generated when active cells are added to the set of active cells and dynamically deleted when active cells are deleted from the set of active cells.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Jackson W J Pope