Storing intra-model dependency information

• US 20050248573A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: da Silva, Marco Jorge, Grassia, Frank Sebastian
• Application Number:
  US10/843,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248573A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/005 Tree description, e.g. octree, quadtree
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/61 Scene description

Abstract

Techniques for determining intra-model dependencies for a model and persistently storing the determined dependency information. The dependency information for a model may be stored in file associated with the model.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of storing information for a model, the method comprising:

accessing model information for a model, the model information comprising information identifying one or more inputs and one or more outputs of the model;

determining a set of dependencies for the model based upon the model information, each dependency in the set of dependencies identifying a dependency of an output of the model on an input of the model; and

storing information identifying the set of dependencies.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the information identifying the set of dependencies comprises storing the information in a file associated with the model.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving information indicative of a change in the model information for the model; and

updating the information identifying the set of dependencies stored in the file to reflect the change in the model information.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving information identifying the model.

5. A computer-implemented method of storing information for a set of models, the method comprising:

receiving information identifying a scene;

determining a set of models included in the scene; and

for each model in the set of models;

loading into computer memory model information for the model, the model information comprising information identifying one or more inputs and one or more outputs of the model;

analyzing the model information to determine a set of static dependencies for the model, each static dependency identifying a dependency of an output of the model on an input of the model; and

storing information identifying the set of static dependencies.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein storing the information identifying the set of static dependencies for each model in the set of models comprises storing the information in a file associated with the model.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

for each model in the set of models;

unloading the model information from the computer memory after determining the set of static dependencies for the model.

8. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium for storing information for a model, the computer program product comprising:

code for accessing model information for a model, the model information comprising information identifying one or more inputs and one or more outputs of the model;

code for determining a set of dependencies for the model based upon the model information, each dependency in the set of dependencies identifying a dependency of an output of the model on an input of the model; and

code for storing information identifying the set of dependencies.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the code for storing the information identifying the set of dependencies comprises code for storing the information in a file associated with the model.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

code for receiving information indicative of a change in the model information for the model; and

code for updating the information identifying the set of dependencies stored in the file to reflect the change in the model information.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising code for receiving information identifying the model.

12. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium for storing information for a set of models, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving information identifying a scene;

code for determining a set of models included in the scene; and

for each model in the set of models;

code for loading into computer memory model information for the model, the model information comprising information identifying one or more inputs and one or more outputs of the model;

code for analyzing the model information to determine a set of static dependencies for the model, each static dependency identifying a dependency of an output of the model on an input of the model; and

code for storing information identifying the set of static dependencies.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the code for storing the information identifying the set of static dependencies for each model in the set of models comprises code for storing the information in a file associated with the model.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising code for unloading, for each model in the set of models, the model information from the computer memory after determining the set of static dependencies for the model.

15. An apparatus for storing information for a model, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing model information for a model, the model information comprising information identifying one or more inputs and one or more outputs of the model;

means for determining a set of dependencies for the model based upon the model information, each dependency in the set of dependencies identifying a dependency of an output of the model on an input of the model; and

means for storing information identifying the set of dependencies.

16. An apparatus for storing information for a set of models, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving information identifying a scene;

means for determining a set of models included in the scene; and

for each model in the set of models;

means for loading into computer memory model information for the model, the model information comprising information identifying one or more inputs and one or more outputs of the model;

means for analyzing the model information to determine a set of static dependencies for the model, each static dependency identifying a dependency of an output of the model on an input of the model; and

means for storing information identifying the set of static dependencies.

17. A data processing system for storing information for a model, the data processing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store a plurality of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

access model information for a model, the model information comprising information identifying one or more inputs and one or more outputs of the model;

determining a set of dependencies for the model based upon the model information, each dependency in the set of dependencies identifying a dependency of an output of the model on an input of the model; and

store information identifying the set of dependencies in the memory.

18. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein the information identifying the set of dependencies is stored in a file associated with the model.

19. A data processing system for storing information for a set of models, the data processing system comprising:

a processor;

a volatile memory coupled to the processor;

a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor, the non-volatile memory configured to store a plurality of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive information identifying a scene;

determine a set of models included in the scene; and

for each model in the set of models;

loading into volatile memory model information for the model, the model information comprising information identifying one or more inputs and one or more outputs of the model;

analyze the model information loaded into volatile memory to determine a set of static dependencies for the model, each static dependency identifying a dependency of an output of the model on an input of the model; and

store information identifying the set of static dependencies in the non-volatile memory.

20. The data processing system of claim 19 wherein the information identifying the set of dependencies is stored in a file associated with the model.