Brightness controls for visual separation of vector and raster information

A method for distinguishing raster data display images from vector data display images in a modeling system in which both raster data and vector data display images are simultaneously viewable on the same display window, wherein said system includes a cathode ray tube (CRT) having a defined display window, a color table for storing color specifications assigned to data to be displayed on said CRT, wherein said color table is partitioned into a first set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color intensity of raster data and a mutually exclusive second set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color intensity of vector data, a color manager for modifying color table entries in response to user input control signals, control means for inputting said control signals, a graphics manager for processing vector commands, and an image manager for processing raster commands, comprising the steps of:

• (a) predefining said first set of color table entries and predefining second set of color table entries;
• (b) increasing simultaneously in real time the color intensity of all of the entries in said first set of color table entries via said color manager directly in response to a first control signal input to said color manager by the user via said control means to thereby increase the brightness of all raster data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user;
• (c) decreasing simultaneously in real time the color intensity of all of the entries in said first set of color table entries via said color manager directly in response to a first control signal input to said color manager by the user via said control means to thereby decrease the brightness of all raster data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user;
• (d) increasing simultaneously in real time the color intensity of all of the entries in said second set of color table entries via said color manager directly in response to a second control signal input to said color manager by the user via said control means to thereby increase the brightness of all vector data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user;
• (e) decreasing simultaneously in real time the color intensity of all of the entries in said second set of color table entries via said color manager directly in response to a second control signal input to said color manager by the user via said control means to thereby decrease the brightness of all vector data images displayed during a given display cycle, via a single user operation in which color table entry modification is transparent to the user,
• whereby the user is able to view an animated color differentiation between vector and raster data as the user adjusts vector and/or raster data image brightness.

A method for selectively controlling the brightness of raster data images and vector data images on a display screen in a computer graphics system that includes a color table partitioned into a first set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color of raster data and a mutually exclusive second set of color table entries each dedicated exclusively for specifying the color of vector data, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inputting a user request to said system to change the brightness of either said raster data, said vector data or both said raster data and said vector data being displayed on said screen in real time;
• and
• (b) simultaneously incrementally modifying all color table entries in said first set of color table entries whenever the input user request is to change the brightness of raster data, simultaneously incrementally modifying all color table entries in said second set of color table entries whenever the input user request is to change the brightness of vector data and simultaneously incrementally modifying all color table entries in both said first and second set of color table entries whenever the input user request is to change the brightness of both raster and vector data, to thereby adjust the brightness of data images displayed during a given display cycle enabling the user to view an animated color differentiation between vector and raster data as the user adjusts vector and/or raster data image brightness.

Apparatus for distinguishing raster data display images from vector data display images in a computer graphics system in which both raster data and vector data display images are simultaneously viewable on the same display window, wherein said system includes a cathode ray tube (CRT) having a defined display window, a vector command processor, a raster command processor, and further wherein a first set of color intensity specifications are defined for raster data and a second mutually exclusive set of color intensity specifications are defined for vector data, comprising:

• (a) partitioned color specification storage means, for storing said first and second mutually exclusive sets of color specifications assigned to data to be displayed on said CRT, wherein said color specification storage means is initialized with said first and second mutually exclusive sets of color specifications;
• (b) user input control means for inputting a user request to said system, in the form of at least one brightness control signal, to change the brightness of either said raster data, said vector data or both said raster data and said vector data displayed in said display window in real time;
• and
• (c) color specification modification means, for modifying color specification storage means entries in response to said at least one brightness control signal, operative to incrementally modify all the entries in said first set of color specifications stored in said color specification storage means simultaneously in real time whenever said at least one control signal indicates that the brightness of raster data is to be modified, and operative to incrementally modify all the entries in said second set of color specifications stored in said color specification storage means simultaneously in real time whenever said at least one control signal indicates that the brightness of vector data is to be modified, to thereby adjust the brightness of data images displayed during a given display cycle enabling the user to view an animated color differentiation between vector and raster data as the user adjusts vector and/or raster data image brightness.