Patent ID: 6069634
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A system for deforming a graphical object displayed amongst other graphical objects, comprising:means including a computer for characterizing a graphical object as a volumetric object with volumetric elements;a user interface coupled to said computer for selecting and moving a selected one of said volumetric elements;means responsive to said user interface for deforming said graphical object by moving said selected volumetric element an amount specified by said user interface, the movement of said selected volumetric element resulting in the deformation of said graphical object;means for detecting and preventing collisions between graphical objects during the deformation of said graphical object;means coupled to the output of said graphical object deforming means for relaxing the relative positions of volumetric elements in the deformed graphical object based on the elasticity thereof; and,means coupled to the output of said relaxing means and including a display for rendering the result of moving, deforming and relaxing said volumetric graphical object.