Real-time simulation of a polygon face object system as viewed by a

Abstract

The visual system within an aircraft flight simulation system receives flight data from a flight simulation computer, and terrain data from a gaming area data base. A computer within the visual system organizes this image data in a buffer memory according to a particular format, and forwards the image data to an image processor. The following types of data are formatted and processed: Position vectors, defining the changing position of the aircraft with respect to the origin of the terrain coordinate system. Rotational data, defining the changing attitude of the aircraft with respect to the terrain coordinate system. Initialization vectors, defining the position of the landmark points within the terrain coordinate system. The landmark points are translated into the aircraft coordinate system to form translated vectors. Delta data, defining the position of other points, lines, and faces with respect to the landmark points. CIF data, defining color, intensity, defocus, etc. of individual lines and points and the texture within each face. Transfer data, which is coded to identify the data thereafter. The image processor translates delta data into face vertex vectors, defining the position relationship between the vertices of each terrain object and the aircraft. The image processor then rotates the face vertex vectors into channel vectors and clips the data outside the field of vision. The image processor then projects each three-dimensional channel vector into a two-dimensional display vector. Finally, the image processor generates raster scanlines and a display generator receives the display vector faces, and other image data to provide analog inputs to CRT devices which provide the window displays for the simulated aircraft.