cutting, jointing and tearing volumetric objects
US6054992A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 19, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 25, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 19, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T17/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A linked volumetric representation for graphical objects is presented together with techniques for physically-plausible modeling of object cutting, joining and tearing. In one embodiment, each element is may be explicitly linked to its six nearest neighbors by storing pointers to those neighbors in the element's data structure. The link between two elements can be cut when a graphical representation of cutting tool passes between the elements by setting the appropriate neighbor pointers in the two elements to point to NULL instead of to each other. If material limits in the link between two elements are exceeded during simulation of object deformation, the link can be torn apart by setting the appropriate neighbor pointers in the two elements to NULL. When a joining tool is applied to two volumetric objects in close proximity, edge elements in the two objects that have complimentary neighbors set to NULL can be joined by setting these missing neighbors to point to each other.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.