Patent ID: 7505883
Filing Date: 2009-03-17
Classification: G06F,G06T

Abstract:
1. In an evaluator that evaluates a plurality of rigid bodies defined by values stored in a memory device, a method of calculating simulated motion of the plurality of rigid bodies that would occur given representations of positions of the plurality of rigid bodies in a model space at a first time, data representing behaviors of the plurality of rigid bodies in the model space, and parameters representing simulated forces that would be acting on the rigid bodies, the method comprising: (a) receiving in a processor, as input to the evaluator, constraint signals representing constraint parameters defining at least one constraint, wherein the at least one constraint is a condition limiting a motion parameter of at least one of the plurality of rigid bodies; (b) for a given constraint of the at least one constraint, calculating a value of a reaction parameter affecting the motion parameter using data defining a previous value of the motion parameter, and using data defining a previous value of the reaction parameter; (c) updating the value of the motion parameter using the calculated value of the reaction parameter, data defining the given constraint and the previous value of the motion parameter; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for each constraint; and (e) outputting the motion parameter of at least one of the plurality of rigid bodies as a representation of simulated motion of at least one of the plurality of rigid bodies.