Patent ID: 7508391

Claim:
A computing system for displaying a graphical model comprising: a processor that employs instructions to perform actions, including: determining a plurality of framing abstractions in a virtual environment, wherein the framing abstractions having n-sides with n being an integer value greater than two; for each framing abstraction, determining major and minor lights from a plurality of lights incident to the framing abstraction; for each framing abstraction, calculating ambient values, each ambient value being related to an aggregate light illumination at a respective side of the framing abstraction by the minor lights, and associating the ambient values with the framing abstraction; selecting a framing abstraction based on a location of the model; determining the light illumination caused by the major lights for a pixel of the model; and modifying the determined light illumination by a value related to one or more of the ambient values associated with the selected framing abstraction; and a display screen arranged to display the model based on the modified light illumination.