Methods and systems for fractional level of detail assignment

A computer based system for smoothing transitions between image data displayed at discrete time steps comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a programmable memory storing instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to:
• receive images defining frames appearing at discrete respective time steps in an animated sequence, including receiving a first image and a second image defining consecutive image frames, wherein the first image frame has a first number of features and the second image has a second number of features, each feature individually representing a building,
• display the images of the animated sequence consecutively at the corresponding discrete time steps, unless, when the second number is greater than the first number at least by a factor of two, smooth distribution of the features by:
• computing fractional time steps between the first discrete time step and the second discrete time step to modify the animated sequence,
• determining features at the fractional time steps, including interpolate a number of features between the first number and the second number to generate a larger number of features at each time step in the sequence relative to a previous time step in the sequence, and
• generating respective frames for each of the computed fractional time steps, each of the frames including the corresponding determined features.

A computer based system for smoothing transitions between image data displayed at discrete time steps comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• an LOD assignor implemented on the one or more processors, wherein the LOD assignor:
• receives images defining frames appearing at discrete respective time steps in an animated sequence, including receiving a first image and a second image defining consecutive image frames, wherein the first image frame has a first number of features and the second image has a second number of features, each feature individually representing a building,
• displays the images of the animated sequence consecutively at the corresponding discrete time steps, unless, when the second number is greater than the first number at least by a factor of two, smoothing distribution of the features by:
• computing fractional time steps between the first discrete time step and the second discrete time step to modify the animated sequence,
• assigning fractional time steps to features embedded or overlaid within image data in accordance with interpolation in a number of features between the first number and the second number so that a larger number of features is embedded or overlaid within the image data at each time step in the sequence relative to a previous time step in the sequence, and
• providing the features and the image data at the fractional time steps.