Application exit for potentially pickable primitives in a graphics system
First Claim
1. In a computer graphics system having a processor that executes sets of microcoded instructions to generate data corresponding to basic graphic elements, called primitives, in response to a main list of application display instruction, said primitives comprising a plurality of pickable primitives, capable of being selected by an operator, and a plurality of non-pickable primitives, not capable of being selected, said data being used to generate a display of those primitives, and that includes means for defining an operator defined selection region, called a pick window, for identifying for selection primitives that intersect said pick window, a method for enhancing the selectability of said plurality of pickable primitives that intersect said pick window, comprising the steps of:
- providing a further list of application display instructions, called a selection subroutine, for saving data pertaining to primitives that intersect with the pick window for the purpose of effecting subsequent modification of the generated display to facilitate selection of such intersecting primitives;
providing further microcoded instructions to test whether a set of microcoded instructions previously executed for generating data corresponding to one of said plurality of primitives caused one of said plurality of pickable primitives to be drawn in said pick window;
if the previous step determines that said pickable primitive has been drawn in the pick window, suspending execution of the main display list, and executing the selection subroutine; and
thenresuming execution of the main display list at a selected instruction therein.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is described that gives local control to an application program during the drawing process when a "pickable" primitive intersects the pick window. This control is provided in such a way that the state of graphics workstation remains unaltered. Thus the application program is permitted to make "picking" or visualization decisions at the moment the pick occurs, and then resume execution of the display program wherever desired (typically, at the graphic instruction following the one that caused the pick). This capability enables application programs to provide greater functionality, usability and productivity to their users.
30 Citations
7 Claims
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1. In a computer graphics system having a processor that executes sets of microcoded instructions to generate data corresponding to basic graphic elements, called primitives, in response to a main list of application display instruction, said primitives comprising a plurality of pickable primitives, capable of being selected by an operator, and a plurality of non-pickable primitives, not capable of being selected, said data being used to generate a display of those primitives, and that includes means for defining an operator defined selection region, called a pick window, for identifying for selection primitives that intersect said pick window, a method for enhancing the selectability of said plurality of pickable primitives that intersect said pick window, comprising the steps of:
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providing a further list of application display instructions, called a selection subroutine, for saving data pertaining to primitives that intersect with the pick window for the purpose of effecting subsequent modification of the generated display to facilitate selection of such intersecting primitives; providing further microcoded instructions to test whether a set of microcoded instructions previously executed for generating data corresponding to one of said plurality of primitives caused one of said plurality of pickable primitives to be drawn in said pick window; if the previous step determines that said pickable primitive has been drawn in the pick window, suspending execution of the main display list, and executing the selection subroutine; and
thenresuming execution of the main display list at a selected instruction therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for enabling application-specific processing when one of a plurality of graphics drawing instructions draws a drawn graphics object to intersect an operator defined selection region on a computer graphics display system having a processor and a display device, said drawn graphics object defined by said drawing instruction to be either "pickable primitive" or a "non-pickable primitive", said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of application-specific drawing instructions; generating said drawn graphics object from said graphics drawing instruction; testing, without operator intervention, said drawn graphics object to determine whether said object intersects said operator defined selection region;
if said object intersects said region, processing said plurality of application-specific drawing instructions;processing a next one of said plurality of graphics drawing instructions; repeating the above steps of generating, testing, and processing application-specific drawing instructions for each of said plurality of graphics drawing instructions. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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Specification