Hair generation and other natural phenomena with surface derived control volumes in computer graphics and animation
AssigneeJoseph Alter Inc.
InventorJoseph Scott Alter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for defining smooth and continuous coordinate systems in a volume comprised of a lattice structure of guide columns derived from arbitrarily modeled surface topologies involving polygons, nurbs, linear segments, and subdivision surfaces. Applications of these techniques in computer graphics and computer animation include: (1) the definition of pseudo-coordinate systems for use in creating geometry which must grow from said surface (2) the creation of a highly stable coordinate system involving guide columns in which Cartesian physical simulations may be carried out and rendered as well as deformed and rerendered if desired.
Claims10
An improved method in the fields of computer graphics and animation for defining and maintaining a surfaced referenced control volume for the purposes of creating computer graphic hair and other large geometric systems, comprising the following steps:
- a. selecting an arbitrary three-dimensional geometric graphical surface having a surface topology comprising a set of interconnected surface vertices,
- b. creating a plurality of geometric guide curves, each of said geometric guide curves having a root at one of said surface vertices with one or more segment divisions at regular intervals along said geometric guide curve,
- c. using said surface topology to interconnect said geometric guide curves to form a layered lattice structure, whereby said geometric guide curves form columns of said layered lattice structure, said layered lattice structure having one or more layers at vertices of said segments of said geometric guide curve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.