Patent ID: 8675022

Claim:
A method implemented on a computing machine having at least one processor, storage, and communication platform, comprising: graphically rendering, by the at least one processor, a 3D rendering space in a first region on a display screen; graphically rendering, by the at least one processor, 3D data in the 3D rendering space on the display screen, the 3D data being rendered with display of its one or more cross sectional views determined based on one or more planes cutting through the 3D data in the 3D rendering space; graphically rendering, by the at least one processor in the 3D rendering space, a joy-stick on the display screen, having a stick base, a stick body, and a stick tip, with respect to a first plane of the one or more planes, where the first plane has a 3D position and a 3D orientation; receiving a user input to direct a manipulation of the joy-stick rendered on the display screen; and updating, by the at least one processor, the 3D position and the 3D orientation of the first plane in the 3D rendering space on the display screen based on the manipulation of the joy-stick in accordance with the received user input, wherein whenever the 3D position or the 3D orientation of the first plane is updated based on the manipulation of the joy-stick, the one or more cross sectional views of the 3D data are dynamically changed therewith.