Animating three dimensional images by selectively processing intermediate animation frames

• US 5,756,354 A
• Filed: 01/09/1997
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elbit Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: BVR Technologies, Ltd. (Technoprises Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tzidon, Aviv, Polak, Menachem
• Primary Examiner(s): FETTING, ANTON W
• Application Number:
  US08/782,510
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 395/121-124, 395/502, 395/506, 395/512, 435/421-424
• US Class Current: 345/424
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal

Abstract

A method and system for animating a 3-dimensional graphics model composed of geometrical elements which is viewed by an observer whose line of sight effects relative movement with respect to the model. Successive frames of pixels are processed by obtaining motion parameters corresponding to the relative movement of the observer'"'"'s line of sight with respect to the model and processing all of the geometrical elements in the 3-dimensional graphics model in order to derive a large number of voxels some of which are hidden from the observer'"'"'s line of sight and are therefore superfluous. The superfluous voxels are eliminated from the large number of voxels so as to derive successive intermediate frames each containing a relatively small number of voxels within the observer'"'"'s line of sight, and each intermediate frame is processed at a rate no less than the frequency of fusion so as to produce and display successive intermittent frames of pixels wherein relative movement appears continuous to the observer.

Claims

1. In a process for animating a 3-dimensional graphics model composed of geometrical elements which is viewed by an observer whose line of sight effects relative movement with respect to the model, a method for animating frames of pixels, comprising the steps of:

(1) obtaining motion parameters corresponding to the relative movement of the observer'"'"'s line of sight with respect to the model,

(2) processing all of the geometrical elements in the 3-dimensional graphics model in order to derive a plurality of voxels of which a first portion of the plurality of voxels are hidden from the observer'"'"'s line of sight,

(3) eliminating the first portion of the plurality of voxels from the plurality of voxels so as to derive a second portion of voxels which are within the observer'"'"'s line of sight,

(4) producing an intermediate frame of voxels from the second portion of voxels,

(5) writing the intermediate frame of voxels to a memory;

(6) cyclically repeating steps 1-5 at a first variable speed whereby the intermediate frame of voxels overwrites each cycle the prior intermediate frame of voxels;

(7) processing the intermediate frame of voxels presently in the memory so as to produce an intermittent frame of pixels;

(8) displaying the intermittent frame of pixels, and

(9) cyclically repeating steps 7-8 independent of steps 1-5 and at a second constant speed which is greater than the first variable speed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first speed is variable and which at least partially depends on the complexity of the 3-dimensional graphics model and on the total number of voxels derived therefrom.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first speed is performed at a fixed rate and wherein the second constant speed is greater than the first speed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 3-dimensional graphics model is processed using polygon modeling.

5. A system for animating a 3-dimensional graphics model composed of geometrical elements which is viewed by an observer whose line of sight effects relative movement with respect to the model, said system comprising:

storage means for storing the 3-dimensional graphics model,

movement determination means for determining relative movement of the observer'"'"'s line of sight with respect to the model,

geometrical processing means coupled to the storage means and to the movement determination means and responsive to the relative movement of the observer'"'"'s line of sight with respect to the model for processing the 3-dimensional graphics model in order to derive a plurality of voxels of which a first portion of the plurality of voxels are hidden from the observer'"'"'s line of sight,

voxel processing means coupled to the geometrical processing means and to the movement determination means and responsive to the relative movement of the observer'"'"'s line of sight with respect to the model for eliminating the first portion of the plurality of voxels from the plurality of voxels so as to derive a second portion of voxels which are within the observer'"'"'s line of sight

frame processing means coupled to the voxel processing means for producing an intermediate frame of voxels from the second portion of voxels, and for storing the intermediate frame of voxels by the storage means

generation cycling means coupled to the movement determination means, the geometrical processing means, the voxel processing means and the frame processing means, for cycling at a first variable speed through the generation of an intermediate frame of voxels by the movement determination means, the geometrical processing means, the voxel processing means and the frame processing means, whereby the intermediate frame of voxels generated overwrites each cycle the prior intermediate frame of voxels,

pixel processing means for processing the intermediate frame of voxels presently stored by the storage means so as to produce an intermittent frame of pixels,

display means coupled to the pixel processing means for displaying the intermittent frame of pixel,

display cycling means coupled to the pixel processing means and the display means for cycling at a second constant speed through the display of a subset of the intermediate frames of voxels using intermittent frames of pixels and

wherein the first variable speed at which the generation cycling means operates is at a rate which is lower than the second constant speed at which the display cycling means operates.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first variable speed at which the generation cycling means operates is variable and depends at least in part on the complexity of the 3-dimensional graphics model and on the total number of voxels derived therefrom.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first speed at which the generation processing means operates is fixed.