Computer graphics data generating apparatus, computer graphics animation editing apparatus, and animation path generating apparatus

• US 6,473,083 B1
• Filed: 02/05/1996
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LD Technology LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kamada, Hiroshi, Yumoto, Asako, Suzuki, Kaori, Kasai, Satoshi, Shibata, Kazumi, Tada, Atsuko, Hirota, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Application Number:
  US08/597,075
• Time in Patent Office: 2,458 Days
• Field of Search: 395/119-123, 395/125-127, 395/133, 395/134, 395/326, 395/357, 395/358, 345/419-423, 345/426, 345/427, 345/620
• US Class Current: 345/426
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/06 Ray-tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/958 Collision avoidance

Abstract

An apparatus for determining whether polygons which form objects defined by graphic data generated by CAD intersect with virtually generated light rays. Polygons which are not intersected are removed from the graphic data as unnecessary for the generation of CG data. An apparatus is also described in which path passage points which pass through an animation path within a virtual world are interactively set. If an object exists that interferes with a path that joins adjacent path passage points, an alternate route path which detours around the interfering object is generated. An apparatus is also described in which a path of a moving object is interactively set on a perspective view of the virtual world as viewed from one direction. The position of the set path in the virtual world is calculated, and the position of the path in the direction of viewing is corrected to a position that is removed from an object by a prescribed distance.

Claims

1. A computer graphics data generating apparatus for generating, from data that defines a virtual object made up of polygons, an intermediate CG data file that requires further processing prior to producing visible output, said CG data generating apparatus comprising:

a light ray generator which virtually generates a plurality of light rays originating from a plurality of points for analyzing each polygon in the data;

an intersecting judge which identifies whether each of said light rays intersects with said polygons which make up said object; and

a data deleting section to eliminate, from the data defining the virtual object, all data corresponding to first polygons for which a judgment has been made that none of said light rays intersects therewith, whereby only data corresponding to second polygons for which at least one of said light rays intersects, therefore which might possibly be seen, is left, and to save resultant CG data in the intermediate CG data file.

2. A CG data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of generated light rays are aimed from outside said object to the inside of said object.

3. A CG data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein with regard to an object which is viewed from the outside, said light ray generator generates light rays aimed from outside said object to the inside of said object, wherein with regard to an object which is viewed from inside only, said light ray generator generates light rays aimed from inside said object to the outside of said object, and wherein with regard to an object that has the possibility of being viewed from both inside and outside, said light ray generator generates both light rays aimed from outside said object to the inside of said object and light rays from inside said object to the outside of said object.

4. A CG data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said intersecting judge includes a first judgment section for performing a judgment concerning the light rays aimed from outside said object to the inside of said object, and a second judgment section for performing a judgment concerning light rays aimed from inside said object to the outside of said object, and wherein said data deleting section includes a first deleting section for eliminating data corresponding to a polygon which is judged by said first judgment section to intersect with none of the plurality of light rays, thereby generating first CG data suitable for making a CG image of said object when viewed from outside, said a second deleting section for eliminating data corresponding to a polygon which is judged by said first judgment section to intersect with none of the plurality of light rays, thereby generating second CG data suitable for making a CG image of said object when viewed from inside.

5. A CG animation editing apparatus for generating CG animation of a virtual object from CAD data which defines the object as a plurality of polygons, said CG animation editing apparatus comprising:

a light ray generator to virtually generate a plurality of light rays originating from a plurality of points;

an intersecting judge to identify whether each of said light rays intersects with said polygons which make up said object;

a data deleting section to eliminate all of the CAD data corresponding to polygons for which a judgment has been made that no light ray intersects therewith indicating that such polygons could not be viewed, while leaving all of the CAD data corresponding to remaining polygons for which at least one of said light rays intersects indicating that the remaining polygons may be viewed, to produce an intermediate CG data file; and

a CG animation generating section to generate CG animation using said intermediate CG data file.

6. A CG animation editing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of generated light rays are aimed from outside said object to the inside of said object.

7. A CG animation editing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein with regard to an object which is viewed from the outside, said light ray generator generates light rays aimed from outside said object to the inside of said object, wherein with regard to an object which is viewed from inside only, said light ray generator generates light rays aimed from inside said object to the outside of said object, and wherein with regard to an object that has the possibility of being viewed from both inside and outside, said light ray generator generates both light rays aimed from outside said object to the inside of said object and light rays aimed from inside said object to the outside of said object.

8. A CG animation editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said intersecting judge includes a first judgment section for performing a judgment concerning light rays aimed from outside said object to the inside of said object, and a second judgment section for performing a judgment concerning light rays aimed from inside said object to the outside of said object, and wherein said data deleting section includes a first deleting section for eliminating data corresponds to a polygon which is judged by said first judgment section to interest with none of the plurality of light rays, thereby generating first CG data suitable for making a CG image of said object when viewed from outside, and a second deleting section for eliminating data corresponding to a polygon which is judged by said first judgment section to intersect with none of the plurality of light rays, thereby generating a second CG data suitable for making a CG image of said object when viewed from inside, said CG animation editing apparatus further comprising a viewing point judgment section which judges whether the current viewing point is inside an object or outside an object, and said CG animation generating section selecting one of said first and second CG data, in accordance with judgment of said viewing point judgment section, thereby generating CG animation.

9. A computer graphics data generating apparatus for generating, from data that defines a virtual object made up of polygons, an intermediate CG data file that requires further processing prior to producing visible output, said CG data generating apparatus comprising:

a light ray generator that virtually generates a plurality of light rays originating from a plurality of points corresponding to possible viewing points of the virtual object;

an intersecting judge which identifies whether each of said light rays intersects with said polygons which make up the virtual object; and

a data deleting section to eliminate, from the data defining the virtual object, all data corresponding to first polygons for which a judgment has been made that none of said light rays intersects therewith, while leaving all data corresponding to second polygons for which at least one of said light rays intersects, thereby generating CG data without the data corresponding to the first polygons which cannot be seen from any possible viewing angle and saving the CG data into an intermediate CG data file for future use by an animation or graphics program.

10. A CG data generating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of generated light rays are aimed from outside the virtual object to the inside of the virtual object.

11. A CG data generating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein with regard to a virtual object which is viewed from the outside, said light ray generator generates light rays aimed from outside said object to the inside of the virtual object, wherein with regard to an object which is viewed from inside only, said light ray generator generates light rays aimed from inside the virtual object to the outside of the virtual object, and wherein with regard to a virtual object that has the possibility of being viewed from both inside and outside, said light ray generator generates both light rays aimed from outside the virtual object to the inside of the virtual object and light rays from inside the virtual object to the outside of the virtual object.