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Weather effects generator for simulation systems

  • US 5,598,359 A
  • Filed: 11/18/1994
  • Issued: 01/28/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of providing data representing weather effects to an image generator that generates a three-dimensional infrared image, comprising the steps of:

  • accessing a three-dimensional real-world weather database to obtain a three-dimensional set of data elements, each data element having at least a three-dimensional location value, a liquid water content value, and a temperature value;

    culling said data elements to determine which are within a field-of-view, to obtain a set of field-of-view data elements;

    sorting said field-of-view data elements to form a list of data elements in depth order;

    assigning a graphics primitive to each of said field-of-view data elements;

    covering an image plane with the graphic primitives associated with the frontmost of said field-of-view data elements, such that a certain percentage of said image plane is covered;

    repeating said covering step, using said field-of-view data elements in front to back order, until the image plane has been covered a predetermined number of times or until a predetermined number of said field-of-view data elements have been used; and

    assigning said field-of-view data elements to one or more depth bins on the basis of the results of said covering step, so as to generate a prioritized display list.

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