Avoiding oscillation in interactive animation

Abstract

Interactive animation is performed in cycles, between which detail control data is communicated so that oscillation of detail can be avoided by maintaining detail. A cycle obtains data indicating the speed with which it renders an image and stores detail control data that depends on the rendering speed. The detail control data indicates a level of detail at which an image is presented in a following cycle. The level of detail can be used in rendering the image by producing data defining the image from data defining a scene. The data defining the scene can include level defining data indicating a rendering at each of a set of levels. The detail control data also includes maintenance information for use in determining whether to maintain detail. In one approach, the maintenance information indicates whether a level of detail is being maintained and a hold speed; the current rendering speed is compared with the hold speed and with a threshold speed in deciding whether to maintain detail. In another approach, the maintenance information also indicates a level of detail being maintained, so that if the current cycle has the same level of detail and rendering speed, the level and speed are continued. In this approach, the level of detail and rendering speed can be values on a detail/speed scale to permit direct comparison, and decisions about increasing and decreasing detail can be based on the relation between detail and speed, with the objective of providing a level of detail at which the designer's preferred rendering speed can be achieved.