Assignee: Pixar

Location: Emeryville, CA
No. of patents: 128

Number	Title	Issue Date
8174524	Ray hit coalescing in a computer rendering program Ray trees are evaluated to render an image in a computer graphic program with a shaded object by launching rays from an object to be shaded in a scene. The rays intersect other objects in the scene at hit points. The hit points that can be shaded by the same shader ...	05/08/2012
8169438	Temporally coherent hair deformation In various embodiments, deformations caused by kinematic or reference objects to secondary objects such as hair or fur may be computed in parallel using a temporally coherent deformation technique. A single or uniform direction for a deformation may be determined fr...	05/01/2012
8164590	Methods and apparatus for determining high quality sampling data from low quality sampling data A method for a computer system includes determining a plurality of illumination modes associated with a plurality of scene descriptors, wherein the plurality of scene descriptors includes a first scene descriptor and a second scene descriptor, determining a first pl...	04/24/2012
8159500	Methods and apparatus for color grading with gamut match preview A method for color grading an image within RGB color space including color values includes receiving a source image having first pixels, wherein second pixels from the first pixels are associated with colors within a first gamut but not a second gamut, receiving a c...	04/17/2012
8154544	User specified contact deformations for computer graphics An embodiment of the invention creates contact deformations in objects by combining two deformations. A collider contacting an object defines a primary deformation that modifies at least a portion of the object in contact with the collider. A secondary deformation b...	04/10/2012
8106906	Optical system effects for computer graphics Users define the aperture shape and brightness characteristics of a virtual lens system to generate optical system effects in computer graphics images. An image sample point is associated with a aperture point within the aperture. The location of the aperture point ...	01/31/2012
8102403	Techniques for interior coordinates A method for determining interior coordinates is disclosed. The method includes receiving information specifying an object having a plurality of sites and a boundary. Interior coordinates associated with each of the plurality of sites are determined based on the bou...	01/24/2012
8099682	Proxies for viewing hierarchical data A display area displays a subset of a set of items. Items may be the ancestor or descendant of one or more other items. As an ancestor item having one or more visible descendant items becomes not visible, for example by scrolling outside the display area, a proxy in...	01/17/2012
8085303	Animated display calibration method and apparatus A method for adjusting properties of a display includes displaying a first pluge image on the display to a user, wherein the display includes a plurality of locations, wherein the first pluge image comprises a first plurality of output values associated with the plu...	12/27/2011
8077183	Stepmode animation visualization A stepmode animation visualization emphasizes authored values of computer graphics variables. Users select all or a portion of the computer graphics variables associated with objects in a scene to be included in the stepmode animation visualization. When users activ...	12/13/2011
8059127	Techniques for animating complex scenes Techniques that enable users (e.g., animators) to accurately animate models in a scene without having to load all the models involved in the scene concurrently in computer memory. For a particular model that a user wishes to animate, only a minimal set of models inv...	11/15/2011
8054311	Rig baking for arbitrary deformers Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for creating posed models. In various embodiments, deformations resulting from posing a model can be represented in a set of training poses. The sets of training poses for the model and a desired target pos...	11/08/2011
8026915	Programmable visible surface compositing Programmable or user-defined visibility functions can be defined to achieve rendering effects and eliminate rendering errors. A renderer traverses the set of geometry samples potentially visible to an image sample. Rather than accumulate opacity and color in strict ...	09/27/2011
8010330	Extracting temporally coherent surfaces from particle systems The space including a particle system is discretized into volume elements. Signed distance values at each time and velocity values at a time are assigned to volume elements based on the particle system. The each volume element's position at the current time is extra...	08/30/2011
7995059	Mid-field and far-field irradiance approximation A method for a computer system includes retrieving from a computer readable medium a first irradiance approximation for a plurality of light sources for a first distance in the midfield from the light sources; retrieving from the computer readable medium a second ir...	08/09/2011
7983884	Water particle manipulation Realistic sprays for simulated fluids are created by adding a set of spray particles to a boundary region just below the fluid surface. The fluid surface is determined by solving a level set equation for a zero level corresponding to the fluid surface. Additionally,...	07/19/2011
7978203	Methods and apparatus for color grading with gamut match preview A method for color grading within a component color space associated with a display includes receiving a source image comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel is associated with a color comprising a plurality of color component values in the component co...	07/12/2011
7973805	Methods and apparatus for invising objects in computer animation A method for invising objects includes receiving information indicating an intersection between a first object and a second object. Visibility of the first object is modified based on the amount of interpenetration between the first object and the second object. A p...	07/05/2011
7973789	Dynamic model generation methods and apparatus A method for a computer system includes opening a model of an object, wherein the model comprises a plurality of geometric elements, determining a subset of geometric elements from the plurality of geometric elements of the model, modifying properties of one or more...	07/05/2011
7969447	Dynamic wrinkle mapping A method for a computer system includes retrieving a plurality of base poses for an object, retrieving a plurality of base texture maps associated with the plurality of base poses, receiving a desired pose for the object, determining a plurality of coefficients asso...	06/28/2011
7969433	Methods and apparatus for determining high quality sampling data from low quality sampling data A method for a computer system includes determining a plurality of illumination modes associated with a plurality of scene descriptors, wherein the plurality of scene descriptors includes a first scene descriptor and a second scene descriptor, determining a first pl...	06/28/2011
7965294	Key frame animation with path-based motion Techniques that give animators the direct control they are accustomed to with key frame animation, while providing for path-based motion. A key frame animation-based interface is used to achieve path-based motion. ...	06/21/2011
7952582	Mid-field and far-field irradiance approximation A computerized method for computing an approximation for irradiance at a point in space from a plurality of distant lights sources includes determining a normal to a surface at a point on the surface being illuminated by the light sources, and determining a directio...	05/31/2011
7944449	Methods and apparatus for export of animation data to non-native articulation schemes A method for exporting animation data from a native animation environment to a non-native animation environment includes determining first object poses in response to a first object model in the native environment and animation variables, determining a second object...	05/17/2011
7944443	Sliding patch deformer Points can be manipulated through multiple operations with respect to a guide surface using only a single projection operation. A point is projected from its native coordinate system, such as an object space or world space coordinate system, into the parametric spac...	05/17/2011
H2253	Multiple personality articulation for animated characters A method for a computer system includes determining a model for a first personality of a component of an object, wherein the model for the first personality of the component is associated with a component name and a first personality indicia, determining a model for...	05/03/2011
RE42287	Stochastic level of detail in computer animation A method for smoothly transitioning between different object representations in computer animation using stochastic sampling. The method allows for level of detail transitions between object representations made up of different geometric primitives, of different typ...	04/12/2011
7917535	Task membership and task masks Components are presented to users based on the components' assigned task memberships. The tasks represents the different activities performed by users within a digital production pipeline. Each stage of the digital production pipeline may be associated with a task. ...	03/29/2011
7911469	Pose-based collision fly-papering: a method for simulating objects in computer animation Methods and an apparatus allow animators to control the extent by which scripted character motions affect simulated objects' motions. The simulated objects are connected to the character or non-simulated object, such as clothing or hair, and the motion of the simula...	03/22/2011
7885454	Recursive filters on GPUs A computer-implemented method for generating depth-of-field effects includes receiving information specifying an input image rendered using a pinhole camera. A first set of circles of confusion associated with portions of the input image are determined based a set o...	02/08/2011
7884826	Maintaining the groom Methods and apparatus are disclosure for maintaining realistic grooming of simulated objects. In a method for simulating objects, a reference shape associated with a simulated object is received. A predetermined orientation is also received. A force acting on the si...	02/08/2011
7880743	Systems and methods for elliptical filtering An improved attribute determination process allows the sharpness of a surface attribute function to be adjusted on a per-object, per-surface, per-texture, per-function, or other appropriate basis. A computer-based animator then can selectively adjust the sharpness o...	02/01/2011
7876326	Posing articulated models in contact with a surface A system and method enables animators to efficiently pose character models' feet. An initial foot model position is received. The initial foot model position specifies a foot model contact point. One or more foot roll parameters are specified that change the relativ...	01/25/2011
7873685	System and method for flexible path handling A method for a computer system includes receiving a mapping schema between a plurality of asset-types within an asset-type hierarchy and a plurality of paths within an on-disk storage structure, receiving an asset-type definition list from a user, wherein the asset-...	01/18/2011
7872649	Filtered specular reflection of linear light sources An image rendering method for a computer system includes identifying a point in space to be illuminated from at least one line light for the point, and determining an illumination direction of the line light. The method further includes generating a plane passing th...	01/18/2011
7865532	Customizing widget draw styles Techniques for customizing draw styles of widgets to better accommodate a user's direct manipulation needs. A user can customize various attributes of a widget and its manipulators to suit the user's needs. The customizations are stored as a style. The stored style ...	01/04/2011
7864181	Shape friction: shape preservation of simulated objects in computer animation A method for simulating objects includes receiving a target shape associated with a simulated object. A difference is determined between the target shape and a measured shape associated with the simulated object. One or more forces are generated to act on the simula...	01/04/2011
7864180	Methods and apparatus for auto-scaling properties of simulated objects A method for auto-scaling properties of simulated objects includes receiving a metric associated with a reference object. A value associated with a property of a simulated object is adjusted in response to the metric. The value of the property is related to an at-re...	01/04/2011
7864176	Translucent object rendering methods and apparatus A computer system method includes determining a first surface illumination on an object based upon a respective irradiance, determining a first surface reflection based upon the respective irradiance, determining a second surface illumination on the object based upo...	01/04/2011
7859530	Subsurface rendering methods and apparatus A method for a computer system includes receiving a three-dimensional model of an object, wherein the object includes a surface region, determining an incident irradiance associated with the surface region, determining a plurality of voxels associated with the three...	12/28/2010

«First «Previous1 2 3 4 Next»Last»

PatentStorm

Bizarre Patents

PatentStorm News

Assignee: Pixar