System and method for designing computer generated imagery of a two dimensional array of objects advancing in a third dimension

A machine readable storage device having stored therein encoding instructions for executing a process of generating animated images of a muscle structure comprising the steps of:

• defining an array of objects;
• defining a start position, an end position, and an advancement path associated with each of said objects, each said advancement path extending from the associated start position to the associated end position;
• defining a manifold surface including a locus of points each being defined in a three dimensional coordinate system and having an associated height coordinate value, each of said objects being associated with one of said points on said manifold surface;
• determining an associated advancement start time for each of said objects based on an associated height coordinate value of an associated point on said manifold surface;
• and
• defining animated images of said array of objects advancing along said associated advancement paths in accordance with said associated rates of advancement and said associated advancement start times.

A machine readable storage device as recited in claim 20 wherein said outer surface defines a muscle structure having a substantially concave shaped transverse cross-section, and wherein step of determining attributes of each of said primitives further comprises:

• determining a maximum transverse cross-sectional area of said muscle structure, said maximum transverse cross-sectional area being bounded by a maximum circumscribing boundary curve tracing said maximum transverse cross-sectional area on said outer surface;
• determining a first isoparm tracing a first portion of said boundary curve;
• determining a second isoparm tracing a second portion of said boundary curve;
• duplicating and morphing a selected one of said first and second isoparms to generate a replicated isoparm;
• determining fiber center points along said replicated isoparm;
• and
• determining an actual fiber diameter value for each of a plurality of fibers to be defined along said replicated isoparm.

A system for executing a process of generating animated images of a two-dimensional array of objects advancing in a third dimension, the system comprising:

• means for defining an array of objects;
• means for defining a start position, an end position, and an advancement path associated with each of said objects, each said advancement path extending from the associated start position to the associated end position;
• means for defining a manifold surface including a locus of points each being defined in a three dimensional coordinate system and having an associated height coordinate value, each of said objects being associated with one of said points on said manifold surface;
• means for determining an associated advancement start time for each of said objects based on an associated height coordinate value of an associated point on said manifold surface;
• and
• means for defining animated images of said array of objects advancing along said associated advancement paths in accordance with said associated rates of advancement and said associated advancement start times.