초록 ▼

A visualization console acquires a 3D data set representing a 3D scene. The visualization console then transfers at least some of the 3D objects within the 3D scene to a pool of workstations. The collection of workstations associates an identifier with each of the 3D objects, and manages the storage

A visualization console acquires a 3D data set representing a 3D scene. The visualization console then transfers at least some of the 3D objects within the 3D scene to a pool of workstations. The collection of workstations associates an identifier with each of the 3D objects, and manages the storage of these 3D objects. Sometime later, the visualization console sends a request to the pool of workstations for the data needed to render a 3D object contained in the workstation. The workstations perform multiresolution modeling computation and create a different set of models with the appropriate level of detail for the 3D object identified by the request. The workstations then send the mesh representation of the 3D objects requested to the visualization console for display. The visualization console will thus be able to render these models more efficiently than prior systems that either render the complete 3D scene or perform multiresolution computation by themselves.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for utilizing a network of computers to render a three dimensional scene, comprising: sending a plurality of request from a first computer to a plurality of other computers over a high speed network, the plurality of other computers each storing high resolution three

What is claimed is: 1. A method for utilizing a network of computers to render a three dimensional scene, comprising: sending a plurality of request from a first computer to a plurality of other computers over a high speed network, the plurality of other computers each storing high resolution three dimensional scene objects, wherein the requests identify selected three dimensional objects stored at the plurality of other computers; operating the plurality of other computers in parallel to create respective LOD mesh representations of the selected three dimensional objects stored at the other computers; and communicating the respective LOD mesh representations of the selected three dimensional objects from the plurality of other computers in parallel over the network to the first computer, and processing the received LOD mesh representations in a graphics rendering pipeline in the first computer to create solely from the received LOD mesh representations, a display image of a three dimensional scene. 2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: initially distributing the high resolution three dimensional objects from the first computer for storage by the plurality of other computers; and associating identifiers with the three dimensional objects. 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the requests include a specified level of detail for creation of the LOD mesh representations from the stored high resolution three dimensional objects. 4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the creating step includes creating LOD representations of the three dimensional objects with the specified level of detail as contained in the requests. 5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving an input from a user on the first computer; processing the input to determine a first three dimensional scene that corresponds with the input; and receiving subsequent inputs from the user and processing the inputs to determine subsequent three dimensional scenes that correspond with the subsequent inputs, wherein the user interactively controls the display of the subsequent three dimensional scenes by subsequent inputs. 6. A computer system for rendering a three dimensional scene, comprising: a visualization console including a graphics processor and a display; a plurality of workstations, connected to the visualization console by a high speed network to enable the visualization console and the plurality of workstations to operate together; each of the plurality of workstations storing three dimensional objects, the stored three dimensional objects collectively representing a three dimensional scene; and the visualization console storing identifiers of each of the three dimensional objects stored at the plurality of workstations; wherein the visualization console is operable under user control to communicate requests to the plurality of workstations over the high speed network, said requests including identifiers of selected ones of the three dimensional objects stored at the workstations representing a complete selected view of the three dimensional scene; the workstations are responsive to received requests to operate in parallel to create LOD representations of the respective stored three dimensional objects identified by the requests received from the visualization console for assembling the complete selected view of the three dimensional scene and to communicate the LOD representations of the selected three dimensional objects in parallel to the visualization console for rendering by the visualization console graphics processor to create a composite image display representation by the visualization console display of the selected view of the three dimensional scene, assembled solely from the LOD mesh representations communicated by the workstations to the visualization console. 7. The computer system as recited in claim 6, wherein the requests include a specified level of detail for the LOD representations of the selected three dimensional objects to be created by the workstations. 8. The computer system as recited in claim 7, wherein the workstations create meshes comprising LOD representations of the three dimensional objects with the specified level of detail as contained in the requests. 9. A computer system for rendering a three dimensional scene, comprising: a visualization console including a graphics processor and a display; a plurality of workstations, connected to the visualization console by a high speed network; means for sending request from the visualization console to the plurality of workstations over the high speed network, wherein the requests identify three dimensional objects stored at the plurality of workstations; the workstations including means operable in parallel for creating a LOD representation of each three dimensional object stored at a respective workstation and that is identified by a request received from the visualization console; and said workstations also including means for effecting parallel communication of the LOD representations of the three dimensional objects to the visualization console, and the visualization console including graphics processing means for creating from the received LOD representations of the three dimensional objects, an image display by said visualization console of a three dimensional scene assembled completely from said received LOD representations. 10. The computer system as recited in claim 9, wherein the visualization console includes means for distributing said three dimensional objects for storage at the plurality of workstations over the high speed network. 11. The computer system as recited in claim 9, wherein the requests include a specified level of detail for the LOD representations to be created from the three dimensional objects stored at the workstations. 12. The computer system as recited in claim 9, further comprising: means for receiving an input from a user on the first computer; means for processing the input to determine a first three dimensional scene that corresponds with the input; and means for receiving subsequent inputs from the user and processing the inputs to determine subsequent three dimensional scenes that correspond with the subsequent inputs, wherein the user interactively controls the display of the subsequent three dimensional scenes by his subsequent inputs. 13. A method of displaying a three dimensional scene image, comprising: from a first computer coupled to a display, transmitting a retrieval request to each of a plurality of second computers storing three dimensional scene objects distributively stored at said second computers together with associated identifiers, said stored three dimensional scene objects collectively representing a three dimensional scene, said retrieval request including identifiers associated with stored scene objects representing at least a portion of the three dimensional scene selected for display; the second computers retrieving and processing in parallel three dimensional scene objects stored at individual ones of the second computers based on matches between three dimensional scene object identifiers in the received request and three dimensional scene objects stored at the second computers, the processing by the second computers creating respective meshes of the retrieved three dimensional scene objects at a selected level of detail; the second computers communicating the processed three dimensional scene object meshes in parallel to a graphics rendering pipeline processor in the first computer to render and create a display a representation of the selected portion of the three dimensional scene assembled from the three dimensional scene object meshes communicated by the plurality of second computers to the first computer; wherein the three dimensional scene objects are stored at the second computers as high resolution models, and the processing carried out by the second computers creates respective meshes of the retrieved three dimensional scene objects at a selected lower level of resolution. 14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein each three dimensional scene object identifier includes the location of that object in the three dimensional scene. 15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the three dimensional scene objects stored at the second computers include information concerning one or more of geometry, color and texture of the object. 16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the stored three dimensional scene objects are distributed in a predetermined manner amongst the plurality of second computers. 17. A method of displaying a three dimensional scene image, comprising: from a first computer coupled to a display, transmitting a retrieval request to each of a plurality of second computers storing three dimensional scene objects distributively stored at said second computers, said retrieval request including parameters describing a selected part of the three dimensional scene to be displayed; the second computers responding to the retrieval request by selectively retrieving and processing in parallel according to said parameters, three dimensional scene objects stored by the second computers, the processing by the second computers creating respective meshes of the retrieved three dimensional scene objects at a selected level of detail; and the second computers communicating the processed three dimensional scene object meshes in parallel to a graphics rendering pipeline in the first computer to create on said display a representation of the selected part of the three dimensional scene assembled from the three dimensional scene object meshes communicated by the plurality of second computers to the first computer wherein the stored three dimensional scene objects are distributed in a predetermined manner amongst the plurality of second computers, the three dimensional scene objects are stored at the second computers as high resolution models, and the processing carried out by the second computers creates respective meshes of the retrieved three dimensional scene objects at a selected lower level of resolution than the resolution of the stored three dimensional scene object. 18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the three dimensional scene objects stored at the second computers each includes information concerning one or more of geometry, color and texture of that stored object; and wherein said request parameters include for each object in the selected portion of the three dimensional scene, an object identifier and the location of that object in the three dimensional scene. 19. A method of displaying a three dimensional scene image, comprising: initially, from a first computer coupled to a display, transmitting to and distributively storing at a plurality of second computers a plurality of three dimensional scene objects together with associated identifiers, said three dimensional scene objects stored at the second computers collectively representing a three dimensional scene, and storing at the first computer, identifiers for the respective three dimensional scene objects stored at the plurality of second computers; subsequently, transmitting retrieval request from the first computer to the plurality of second computers, said retrieval requests including identifiers associated with selected ones of the three dimensional scene objects distributively stored at said second computers representing a portion of the three dimensional scene selected for display; the second computers retrieving and processing in parallel three dimensional scene objects stored at individual ones of the second computers based on each match between a three dimensional scene object identifier in the received request and a three dimensional scene object identifier stored at that second computer, the processing by the second computers creating respective meshes of the retrieved three dimensional scene objects at a selected level of detail; the second computers communicating in parallel the processed three dimensional scene object meshes to a graphics rendering processor of the first computer to create on said display a representation of the selected portion of the three dimensional scene assembled from the three dimensional scene object meshes communicated by the plurality of second computers to the first computer. 20. A computer system for rendering a three dimensional scene, comprising: a first computer including a display; a plurality of workstations operably coupled to the first computer by communication network; each workstation storing three dimensional scene objects, the three dimensional scene objects stored by the workstations collectively representing a high resolution three dimensional scene; the first computer storing an object identifier for each three dimensional scene object stored at the plurality of workstations; the first computer operable to send over said communication links a retrieval request to the plurality of workstations, the retrieval request including object identifiers and storage locations associated with a selected plurality of said stored three dimensional scene objects representing a selected portion of said three dimensional scene; the workstations operable in parallel to retrieve and process three dimensional scene objects stored at individual ones of the workstations identified by the object identifiers in the retrieval request to create respective meshes of the retrieved three dimensional scene objects at a selected lower resolution and to communicate the processed three dimensional scene object meshes in parallel over the communication network to the first computer; and wherein the first computer includes a graphics processor operable to render the received three dimensional scene object meshes to create on said display a representation of said selected portion of the three dimensional scene. 21. A computer system for rendering a three dimensional scene, comprising: a first computer including a graphics rendering pipeline and a display; a plurality of workstations operably coupled to the first computer by communication network; a database of three dimensional scene objects collectively representing a three dimensional scene, said database accessible by the workstations; each workstation storing references to said database entries; the first computer operable to send over said communication links a retrieval request to the plurality of workstations identifying a selected plurality of said stored three dimensional scene objects representing a selected view of said three dimensional scene; the workstations operable in parallel to retrieve and process three dimensional scene objects based on the retrieval request to create respective meshes of the retrieved three dimensional scene objects at a selected level of detail and to effect parallel communication of the processed three dimensional scene object meshes over the communication network to the graphics rendering pipeline of the first computer; and wherein the first computer is operable to create on said display a representation of the selected view of the three dimensional scene assembled solely from the three dimensional scene object meshes received from the workstations. 22. The computer system as recited in claim 21, wherein the retrieval request specifies the location of each selected object in the three dimensional scene. 23. The computer system as recited in claim 21, wherein the three dimensional scene objects stored at the workstations include information concerning geometry, color and texture of the object. 24. The computer system as recited in claim 21, wherein the selected three dimensional scene objects are distributed in a predetermined manner amongst the plurality workstations for processing.