Multi-level simulation

• US 6,683,613 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilk, Daniel M., Simons, David P., Herbstman, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Application Number:
  US09/221,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 345/473, 345/474, 345/475
• US Class Current: 345/475
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal

Abstract

A method of integrating two independent simulations including running a first simulation simulating changes in an object over time. The first simulation includes a first simulation output reflective of a state of the first simulation at one or more predefined times. A second simulation is run concurrently simulating changes in a second object over time. An interaction between the first and second simulations is defined resulting in an integrated simulation output without affecting the first simulation state.

Claims

1. A method of integrating two independent simulations comprising:

running a first simulation simulating changes in a first object over time, the first simulation including one or more first actions to be applied to the first object during the first simulation, the first simulation further including a first simulation output reflective of a state of the first simulation at one or more predefined times;

running a second simulation concurrently simulating changes in a second object over time, the second simulation including one or more second actions to be applied to the second object during the second simulation; and

defining an interaction between the first and second simulations including applying one or more second actions associated with the second simulation to the first object, the interaction between the first and second simulations resulting in an integrated simulation output without affecting the first simulation state.

2. The method of claim 1 where the second simulation provides a second simulation output reflective of a state of the second simulation at one or more predefined times.

3. The method of claim 2 where the step of defining the interaction results in the integrated simulation output without affecting the second simulation state.

4. The method of claim 2 where the integrated simulation output combines the second simulation output and a modified first simulation output, the modified first simulation output being produced by the operation of the second simulation on the first simulation output.

5. The method of claim 2 further including

running a third simulation concurrently simulating changes in a third object over time where the third simulation provides a third simulation output reflective of a state of the third simulation at one or more predefined times; and

defining an interaction between the first, second and third simulations resulting in a second integrated simulation output without affecting the first or the second simulation state.

6. The method of claim 5 where the second integrated simulation output combines the third simulation output and a modified first integrated simulation output, the modified first integration simulation output being produced by the operation of the third simulation on the integrated simulation output.

7. The method of claim 1 where each of the first and second simulations simulate the animation of a layer in a multi-layer composition.

8. The method of claim 1 where the second simulation animates a property of the first object associated with the first simulation.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein actions of the first plurality of actions and the second plurality of actions are selected from the group consisting of actions defining applications of an effect to an object, actions defining motion of an object in a display space, and actions manipulating one or more properties associated with an object.

9. A method of integrating independent simulations comprising:

defining a first and second simulation, each simulation running concurrently and including one or more actions defining a progression of a simulation over time, each simulation including a simulation output reflective of a state of a simulation at prescribed times intervals during the simulation; and

defining an interaction between the first and second simulations including a direction of influence, where the direction of influence defines how the simulation output from the first simulation is combined with the simulation output from the second simulation at one or more of the prescribed time intervals in the second simulation to prevent a flow error.

10. The method of claim 9 where the step of defining an interaction includes:

providing the simulation output from the first simulation as an input to the second simulation;

operating on the first simulation output in the second simulation to produce a modified first simulation output; and

combining the modified first simulation output and the simulation output of the second simulation to produce a integrated simulation output.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising rendering the integrated simulation output to produce a frame of data for display.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing the integrated simulation output for a given time to a next action in the second simulation.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing only the simulation output from the second simulation at a given time to a next action in the second simulation.

14. A method of integrating independent simulations to produce a multi-level simulation comprising:

defining a first and second simulation, each simulation running concurrently and including one or more actions defining a progression of a simulation over time, each simulation including a simulation output reflective of a state of a simulation at prescribed times during the simulation; and

defining an interaction between the first and second simulations including,

providing the simulation output from the first simulation as an input to the second simulation;

operating on the first simulation output in the second simulation including applying one or more actions associated with the second simulation to the first simulation output to produce a modified first simulation output;

combining the modified first simulation output and the simulation output of the second simulation to produce an integrated simulation output; and

rendering the integrated simulation output to produce a frame of data for display.

15. A method of integrating two independent simulations comprising:

providing a first and second layer where each layer specifies separate but concurrent simulations and includes one or more actions defining a progression of a simulation over a plurality of time intervals, each time interval having an associated layer state input, one or more functions, and a resultant layer state output where the application of the one or more functions to the layer state input results in the resultant layer state output at a given time interval; and

defining an interaction between the first and second simulations including,

providing as an input to a second layer a first layer'"'"'s resultant state output;

operating on the first layer'"'"'s resultant state output including applying actions specified in the second layer to the first layer'"'"'s resultant state output to produce a modified resultant state output; and

combining the resultant state output for the second layer with the modified resultant state output to produce an integrated simulation state output; and

rendering the integrated simulation state output producing a frame for display.

16. The method of claim 15 where the combining step copies the resultant state output without affecting output produced by the second layer.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising rendering either of the resultant state outputs for the first or second layer to reflect the state of either simulation at a given time.

18. The method of claim 15 where step of rendering includes displaying an image representative of an interaction of the first and second layers at a particular time.

19. A simulation tool for providing multi-level simulations of concurrently running'"'"'simulations comprising:

a simulation engine operable to designate a first and second simulation each including a simulation output, to copy a simulation output from a first simulation and provide the copy of the first simulation output to the second simulation resulting in an application of one or more actions specified in the second simulation at a same time interval to the copy to produce a modified simulation output, and to combine the modified simulation output and a simulation output from the second simulation in a predefined time interval to produce an integrated simulation output without affecting the simulation output from the first simulation; and

a render designation tool for designating one or more times for rendering the integrated simulation output to produce a frame for display representative of the interaction of the first and second simulations.

20. A method for animating an object comprising:

selecting a property of an object to animate;

animating the property over a time interval including updating a value of the property;

defining and animating an ephemeral property of the object over the time interval where the value of the ephemeral property is determined from a value of the property at a same time and an associated function;

running a first simulation simulating an animation of the property producing a first simulation output reflective of a state of the first simulation at predefined times;

running a second simulation concurrently simulating an animation of the ephemeral property producing a second simulation output reflective of a state of the second simulation at the predefined times without affecting the state of the first simulation;

rendering a frame of data at the predefined times during the time interval using the second simulation output,

wherein animating the ephemeral property of the object includes reverting the ephemeral property of the object to an original value after each frame of data is rendered, and wherein the ephemeral property is animated for each individual frame without affecting underlying values of the property produced by the first animation.

22. A computer program product for integrating two independent simulations, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

run a first simulation simulating changes in a first object over time, the first simulation including one or more first actions to be applied to the first object during the first simulation, the first simulation further including a first simulation output reflective of a state of the first simulation at one or more predefined times;

run a second simulation concurrently simulating changes in a second object over time, the second simulation including one or more second actions to be applied to the second object during the second simulation; and

define an interaction between the first and second simulations including applying one or more second actions associated with the second simulation to the first object, the interaction between the first and second simulations resulting in an integrated simulation output without the first simulation state.

23. The product of claim 22, wherein the second simulation provides a second simulation output reflective of a state of the second simulation at one or more predefined times.

24. The product of claim 23, wherein the instructions to define an interaction results in the integrated simulation output without affecting the second simulation state.

25. The product of claim 23, wherein the integrated simulation output combines the second simulation output and a modified first simulation output, the modified first simulation output being produced by the operation of the second simulation on the first simulation output.

26. The product of claim 23, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

run a third simulation concurrently simulating changes in a third object over time where the third simulation provides a third simulation output reflective of a state of the third simulation at one or more predefined times; and

define an interaction between the first, second and third simulations resulting in a second integrated simulation output without affecting the first or the second simulation state.

27. The product of claim 26, wherein the second integrated simulation output combines the third simulation output and a modified first integrated simulation output, the modified first integration simulation output being produced by the operation of the third simulation on the integrated simulation output.

28. The product of claim 22, wherein actions of the first plurality of actions and the second plurality of actions are selected from the group consisting of actions defining applications of an effect to an object, actions defining motion of an object in a display space, and actions manipulating one or more properties associated with an object.

29. The product of claim 22, wherein each of the first and second simulations simulate the animation of a layer in a multi-layer composition.

30. The product of claim 22, wherein the second simulation animates a property of the first object associated with the first simulation.

31. A computer program product for integrating independent simulations, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

define a first and second simulation, each simulation running concurrently and including one or more actions defining a progression of a simulation over time, each simulation including a simulation output reflective of a state of a simulation at prescribed times intervals during the simulation; and

define an interaction between the first and second simulations including a direction of influence, where the direction of influence defines how the simulation output from the first simulation is combined with the simulation output from the second simulation at one or more of the prescribed time intervals in the second simulation to prevent a flow error.

32. The product of claim 31, wherein the instructions to define an interaction include instructions to cause a programmable to:

provide the simulation output from the first simulation as an input to the second simulation;

operate on the first simulation output in the second simulation to produce a modified first simulation output; and

combine the modified first simulation output and the simulation output of the second simulation to produce an integrated simulation output.

33. The product of claim 32, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to render the integrated simulation output to produce a frame of data for display.

34. The product of claim 32, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to provide the integrated simulation output for a given time to a next action in the second simulation.

35. The product of claim 32, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to provide only the simulation output from the second simulation at a given time to a next action in the second simulation.

36. A computer program product for integrating independent simulations to produce a multi-level simulation, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

define a first and second simulation, each simulation running concurrently and including one or more actions defining a progression of a simulation over time, each simulation including a simulation output reflective of a state of a simulation at prescribed times during the simulation; and

defining an interaction between the first and second simulations including,

providing the simulation output from the first simulation as an input to the second simulation;

operating on the first simulation output in the second simulation including applying one or more actions associated with the second simulation to the first simulation output to produce a modified first simulation output;

combining the modified first simulation output and the simulation output of the second simulation to produce an integrated simulation output; and

rendering the integrated simulation output to produce a frame of data for display.

37. A computer program product for integrating two independent simulations, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

provide a first and second layer where each layer specifies separate but concurrent simulations and includes one or more actions defining a progression of a simulation over a plurality of time intervals, each time interval having an associated layer state input, one or more functions, and a resultant layer state output where the application of the one or more functions to the layer state input results in the resultant layer state output at a given time interval; and

define an interaction between the first and second simulations including,

provide as an input to a second layer a first layer'"'"'s resultant state output;

operate on the first layer'"'"'s resultant state output including applying actions specified in the second layer to the first layer'"'"'s resultant state output to produce a modified resultant state output; and

combine the resultant state output for the second layer with the modified resultant state output to produce an integrated simulation state output; and

render the integrated simulation state output producing a frame for display.

38. The product of claim 37, wherein the instruction to combine includes instructions to cause a programmable to copy the resultant state output without affecting output produced by the second layer.

39. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to render either of the resultant state outputs for the first or second layer to reflect the state of either simulation at a given time.

40. The product of claim 37, wherein the instruction to render includes instructions to cause a programmable to display an image representative of an interaction of the first and second layers at a particular time.

41. A computer program product for animating an object, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

select a property of an object to animate;

animate the property over a time interval including updating a value of the property;

define and animate an ephemeral property of the object over the time interval where the value of the ephemeral property is determined from the value of the property at a same time and an associated function;

run a first simulation simulating an animation of the property producing a first simulation output reflective of a state of the first simulation at predefined times;

run a second simulation concurrently simulating an animation of the ephemeral property producing a second simulation output reflective of a state of the second simulation at the predefined times without affecting the state of the first simulation;

render a frame of data at the predefined times during the time interval using the second simulation output,

wherein the instruction to animate the ephemeral property of the object include an instruction to cause a programmable processor to revert the ephemeral property of the object to an original value after each frame of data is rendered, and wherein the ephemeral property is animated for each individual frame without affecting underlying values of the property produced by the first animation.