Patent ID: 7298370

Claim:
A method for determining a depth ordering between first and second planes in a three dimensional workspace of a compositing application, the depth ordering being in relation to a reference position in the workspace, the method comprising: projecting vectors from the reference position through predetermined points of interest on the first and second planes; determining, for each point of interest on a particular plane, a corresponding point on the other plane that is intersected by the vector intersecting the point of interest on the particular plane; determining a first number comprising the number of points of interest on the first plane having a depth coordinate lower than its corresponding point on the second plane and a second number comprising the number of points of interest on the second plane having a depth coordinate lower than its corresponding point on the first plane; and setting the depth ordering to reflect that the first plane is closer to the reference position if the first number is greater than the second number and setting the depth ordering to reflect that the first plane is farther from the reference position if the first number is less than the second number.