Apparatus and method for displaying surgical cuts in three-dimensional models.

摘要

A graphics workstation displays three-dimensional images from surface models generated with computer aided design (CAD) software or from three-dimensional volumetric data. A model clipping circuit determines points which are to be displayed, corresponding to a desired model clip box. The points may be inside or outside the clip box. A rotate circuit transforms a point and normal display list according to the desired orientation, and also converts the normal vectors into levels of shading according to the direction of each normal vector relative to the desired orientation. The points in the transformed display list are clipped to a desired screen viewing region by a screen clipping circuit. An AND circuit allows update of the depth buffer and an image memory buffer for points which do not lie behind other surfaces. The image buffer memory buffer is a screen map, displayed on a monitor. The models are cut and displayed much more rapidly on a low power workstation than would be possible using conventional methods.