Patent ID: 6972764

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for generating a graphical object comprising a plurality of closed loops, the method comprising the steps of: a first providing step of providing a set of one or more closed first curves defining a boundary of a surface, wherein the set of one or more closed first curves contains no self-crossover points; a second providing step of providing a set of continuous second curves lying on the surface, wherein each of the continuous second curves intersects and crosses over one or more of the closed first curves but does not intersect other ones of the continuous second curves and wherein the set of continuous second curves contains no self-crossover points; a first determining step in which the computer determines a set of intersection points, wherein the intersection points are those points where the one or more closed first curves intersect the continuous second curves and which lie on the boundary of the surface; a second determining step in which the computer determines a set of crossover points from the determined set of intersection points; an assembling step in which the computer assembles, without user intervention, the plurality of closed loops from curve intervals, delimited by adjacent determined crossover points, from the set of one or more closed first curves and the set of continuous second curves in accordance with a predetermined rule, whereby the plurality of closed loops abuts a substantial portion of the boundary of the surface and whereby each of the plurality of closed loops does not share a curve interval with any other one of the closed loops; and a filling step in which the computer fills the plurality of closed loops with a fill to produce the graphical object.