Patent ID: 8248417

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: performing, by one or more computing devices: for each vertex in each polygon of a plurality of polygons of a 3-dimensional (3D) patch from a 3D graphics model: determining a vector from a seed point of the 3-dimensional (3D) patch to the vertex of the 3D patch; determining an axis in a plane of the polygon that includes the seed point and is perpendicular to the vector; and rotating the vector around the axis until the vector is in the plane of the polygon to generate a corresponding 2D vertex at the endpoint of the rotated vector in the plane; wherein said determining a vector, said determining an axis, and said rotating the vector for each vertex in each polygon of the 3D patch generates a 2D patch of co-planar polygons corresponding to the polygons of the 3D patch; and storing the 2D patch for use in a computer graphics application.