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A three-dimensional object may be imaged from several viewpoints distributed about the object, and the image obtained at each viewpoint may be stored in conjunction with the viewpoint's coordinates about the object. The object's image can then be transmitted for display over a client-server computer network, and the user may issue commands to manipulate the object, so as to very accurately simulate manipulation of the actual three-dimensional object. The client computer may display the object's image from one of the viewpoints. If the user then wishes to manipulate the object, the user will issue a command to the server to index from the coordinates of the first viewpoint to the coordinates of some adjacent viewpoint(s). The images of the adjacent viewpoints will then be displayed in a sequence corresponding to the order in which the coordinates of the viewpoints are indexed. Zooming (enlargement and reduction of views) and other features are also discussed, as well as various procedures for enhancing transmission time (and thus display speed).
1. A method of displaying an electronic image of a three-dimensional object over a server-client network,
the server containing images of the object obtained from several different viewpoints distributed about the object, each image having coordinates which correspond to its viewpoint,
the method comprising:
a. the client displaying the image of a first one of the viewpoints;
b. the server obtaining a command from the client, the command indexing from the coordinates of the first viewpoint to the coordinates of an adjacent second one of the viewpoints; and
c. the client displaying the image of the second viewpoint.
2. The method of
3. The method of
4. The method of
5. The method of
6. The method of
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. The method of
each viewpoint may have its image rendered at a selected one of several levels of resolution, the several levels ranging from a lowest-resolution level to a highest-resolution level, and wherein one of these several levels constitutes a default resolution level;
b. prior to the server receiving a zoom-in command from the client, all images transmitted by the server to the client are at the default resolution level;
c. after receiving a zoom-in command from the client for a selected viewpoint, the server transmits at least a portion of the image of the selected viewpoint to the client at a resolution level higher than the default resolution level, if one is available.
10. The method of
a. the image of the first viewpoint is displayed at a first resolution level;
b. the server obtains one or more commands from the client to index from the coordinates of the first viewpoint to the coordinates of some final viewpoint, such indexing occurring between the coordinates of adjacent viewpoints, and
c. at each newly-indexed viewpoint after the first,
(1) the image of the viewpoint is displayed at a second resolution level lower than the first resolution level, and
(2) the image of the viewpoint is subsequently displayed at the first resolution level until another indexing command is received.
11. The method of
and wherein the method includes the performance of the following steps for at least one of the images:
a. sampling points within the background region of the image in the image space;
b. constructing bounding envelopes about at least the sampled points in the RGB space,
c. replacing the bounded points in image space with points having preselected RGB values.
12. A method wherein the steps of
a. for each of these images, constructing bounding envelopes about points of similar color within the object region in RGB space;
b. correlating between these images the locations in image space of the points within each image's bounding envelopes;
c. for at least some of these images, relocating in image space at least some of the points within their object regions to increase the correlation of the locations of the boundary envelopes.
13. The method of
wherein the image of the first one of the viewpoints contains an object region and a background region, each region containing a number of points, each point having an RGB value;
the method further comprising the following steps:
a. within the two-dimensional image space of the image of the first one of the viewpoints, sampling points in the background region;
b. within the three-dimensional RGB space of the image of the first one of the viewpoints, constructing bounding envelopes about the sampled points;
c. within the image of the first one of the viewpoints, redefining the RGB values of the points in the bounding envelopes,
thereby redefining the RGB values of at least a portion of the background region.
14. The method of
wherein the image at each viewpoint contains an object region and a background region, each region containing a number of points, the points existing in both a two-dimensional image space defined by the displayed image and in a three-dimensional RGB space defined by the RGB values of the points in the image,
further comprising the following steps:
a. for the images of at least two adjacent viewpoints, constructing bounding envelopes in RGB space about points of similar color in each image's object region,
b. for at least one of these images, correlating the locations in image space of the points within its boundary envelopes versus the locations in image space of the points within the corresponding boundary envelopes of the other images.
15. The method of
16. The method of
wherein the image at each viewpoint contains an object region and a background region,
further comprising the steps of
a. projecting the object regions of at least some of the viewpoints until they intersect, and
b. reconstructing a three-dimensional model of the object from the intersections.
17. The method of
18. An apparatus for displaying an electronic image of a three-dimensional object, the apparatus comprising:
a. an electronic memory containing images of the object obtained from several different viewpoints distributed about the object, each image having coordinates which correspond to its viewpoint;
b. an input device wherein a user may input commands indexing from the coordinates of one image to the coordinates of an adjacent image;
c. an output device displaying the image of the viewpoint for which the user has indexed to its coordinates.
19. The apparatus of
20. A method of displaying an electronic image of a three-dimensional object comprising:
a. imaging the object from several viewpoints distributed about the object, wherein all viewpoints are distributed about the object in an array in which all viewpoints are at least substantially equally spaced from their adjacent viewpoints;
b. storing the image obtained at each viewpoint with respect to the coordinates of the viewpoint about the object;
c. displaying the image of one viewpoint;
d. obtaining a command indexing from the coordinates of the one viewpoint to the coordinates of another adjacent viewpoint; and
e. displaying the image of the adjacent viewpoint.
This invention was made with United States government support awarded by the following agencies:
NSF Grant No: [MUST BE INSERTED ONCE DETERMINED] The United States may have certain rights in this invention.
This invention relates generally to the field of computer graphics and animation, and more specifically to the field of computerized virtual reality environments and the display, manipulation, and navigation of three-dimensional objects (in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional formats).
It is often desirable to be able to display and navigate a lifelike three-dimensional representation of an object or scene in a computerized environment. However, known applications directed to this purpose tend to suffer from several shortcomings. Initially, they tend to utilize computer-generated 3D models of objects which are then rendered on a computer monitor (or other output device) in 2D form. While the rendered models should theoretically closely resemble their real-world counterparts, they generally do not look very realistic. Realism may be enhanced by increasing their level of detail, but this results in increased processing burden and slower rendering speed. Speed is particularly problematic where viewing and navigation is to be provided in a networked environment, e.g., over the Internet/World Wide Web, largely owing to the size of the image data to be transmitted. There is great interest in the ability to allow users to view, manipulate, and navigate realistic three-dimensional objects in virtual environments over the Internet, since this would enhance personal communications, provide greater possibilities for entertainment, and allow consumers to closely inspect goods prior to engaging in e-commerce transactions. However, prior efforts to allow display, manipulation, and navigation of three-dimensional objects have largely been thwarted by the limited bandwidth available to most users.
The current invention provides methods and apparats for review of images of three-dimensional objects in a system of networked computers, and navigation through the computerized virtual environment of the objects (i.e., in the environment in which they are displayed). The invention may be implemented in any form that is encompassed by the claims set forth at the end of this document. So that the reader may better understand the invention and some of the various forms in which it may be provided, following is a brief summary of particularly preferred versions of the invention.
A three-dimensional object may be imaged (e.g., by a digital camera) from several viewpoints distributed about the object, and the image obtained at each viewpoint may be stored in conjunction with the viewpoint's coordinates about the object. Preferably, the viewpoints are densely and evenly distributed about the object; for example, the images might be obtained from viewpoints evenly spread about the surface of a virtual sphere surrounding the object, with each viewpoint being situated no more than 30 degrees from an adjacent viewpoint (with lesser angular separation being more desirable).
The object's image can then be transmitted for display by a client computer over a client-server network, and the user may issue commands to manipulate the object so as to accurately simulate manipulation of the actual three-dimensional object. The client computer may display the object's image from one of the viewpoints. If the user then wishes to manipulate the object, the user will issue a command to the server to index from the coordinates of the first viewpoint to the coordinates of some adjacent viewpoint(s). The images of the adjacent viewpoints will then be displayed in a sequence corresponding to the order in which the coordinates of the viewpoints are indexed. As an example, the user may �rotate� the virtual object by indexing about the coordinates of viewpoints encircling the object, and images of the viewpoints at these coordinates will be displayed to the user in succession. To the user, this may appear as an animated view of the rotating three-dimensional object, or of a rotating three-dimensional model of the object, even though the display is rendered solely from two-dimensional images.
This arrangement is advantageously implemented in either multi-user or single-user settings. In a multi-user setting, the images are preferably stored locally on the client computer, and the network is used to transmit data other than images (e.g., each user's current viewpoint coordinates, indexing commands). Thus, each user may manipulate and navigate the object on his/her computer, but can obtain the viewpoint coordinates at other client computers so as to obtain the same view as another user. Alternatively, the user may obtain the indexing commands being issued by users at other client computers so as to allow these commands to apply to the user's own display.
In a single-user setting, the images are initially stored entirely by the server. Prior to navigation, the client obtains the image of the first viewpoint from the server, and preferably also the images from some set of �neighboring� adjacent viewpoints prior to allowing navigation. This allows the user to immediately index between the images of these adjacent viewpoints when navigation begins, as opposed to requiring that the user wait to index between viewpoints. As an example, prior to allowing navigation, the client might obtain the images of a set of viewpoints which encircles the object; once these images are loaded, the user will be able to view images corresponding to a full orbit about the object without having to pause while further images are transmitted from the server.
The invention also preferably incorporates features which allow users to zoom images in and out (i.e., to enlarge or reduce the scale of images) without significant loss of resolution or unduly long delays in image transmission. When the object is initially imaged from the various viewpoints, these images are advantageously obtained at high resolution. As a result, the images can readily be scaled down to a lower resolution level using known scaling algorithms. In the single-user mode noted earlier, the images can then initially be transmitted to the client at some default resolution level which is preferably low, since such images are more rapidly transmitted than high-resolution images. When the user then issues a command to zoom in on the image, scaling algorithms can be used at the client to enlarge the image until some threshold level of coarseness is reached (i.e., until the image appears too �grainy�). If the user then continues to issue zoom commands, the client can obtain a higher-resolution image from the server to compensate for the decreasing level of resolution. The higher-resolution image can then be subjected to scaling algorithms if the user enters further zoom commands, and images of still higher resolution can be obtained from the server if other coarseness thresholds are passed. The reverse process can be followed if the user issues commands to zoom out of the image, but this process may be faster if previously loaded (and currently cached) images are used. Since higher-resolution (and slower-transmission) images are only transmitted to the client when needed to maintain a desired level of resolution, transmission speed is enhanced.
The zoom process can be further enhanced if the concept of tiling is introduced. Images are divided into sets of arrayed sections or �tiles� of identical size, as by placing a uniform grid over each image; as an example, an image might be divided into four tiles by bisecting it both horizontally and vertically. If the user zooms in on an area of the image which consists of less than all of the tiles�for example, an area in one quadrant (one tile) of the image, or in one half (two adjacent tiles) of the image�the server will transmit to the client only the higher-resolution versions of these particular tiles once the coarseness threshold is reached. In other words, the server will transmit only so many tiles as are necessary to render the portion of the image being zoomed.
It is preferable to also implement certain procedures when users wish to index from a first viewpoint to another viewpoint, and wherein the image of the first viewpoint is already being displayed at higher than the default resolution (i.e., where a user first zooms in on a viewpoint to obtain an enlarged view, and then wishes to index to adjacent viewpoints at the same level of enlargement). If indexing from one zoomed-in view to adjacent zoomed-in views is done by having the server transmit higher-resolution zoomed-in images (or tiles) at every indexing step, the time required for indexing may be significant. To reduce the indexing time, it is preferred that when the user issues commands to index from a first zoomed-in viewpoint to adjacent viewpoints, the images of the adjacent viewpoints are initially displayed at the default (lower) resolution level. As previously noted, these images may already be loaded in the client's memory as �neighborhood� images (thus requiring no transmission from the server); if they are not already present at the client, they still have lesser transmission time between the server and client because they are at lower resolution. When the user ceases issuing indexing commands for long enough that the image of the current viewpoint can be transmitted to the client at high resolution, the current viewpoint will then display the high-resolution image. Thus, when a user indexes from one zoomed-in viewpoint to adjacent viewpoints, the image of the first viewpoint will be displayed at high resolution and the images of intermediate viewpoints will be displayed at the (lower) default resolution. The image of the final viewpoint will first be displayed at the lower default resolution, but will then be displayed at high resolution once the high resolution image has sufficient time to load (i.e., if it can load before another indexing command is issued by the user).
Additionally, the framework of the invention is well-adapted for the incorporation of optional (but advantageous) features such as automated registration of the object's images about a common center in the virtual sphere (i.e., centering of the object within all of its images), to prevent aberrations when the object is rotated or otherwise manipulated; automatic cleaning of the background of the images to isolate the object in the images; and reconstruction of a 3D model of the object by using its multiple 2D images. These features will be discussed at greater length later in this document.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a potential image distribution scheme wherein an object centered within the virtual sphere is imaged from each of the illustrated viewpoints about the sphere.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a potential image distribution scheme wherein an to object centered within the virtual sphere is imaged from viewpoints distributed about latitude circles spaced along the sphere (with two exemplary latitude circles being shown).
Initially, it should be understood that where this document discusses viewing or acting upon the �object,� the described action is generally being taken with regard to the object's image rather than with regard to the actual object itself. More accurately, the action is generally being taken with regard to the sphere (or other volume) about which the object's images are obtained. In the following discussion, whether the word �object� refers to the actual object, the object's image, or the sphere (or other bounding volume) should be clear from the context of the discussion. Additionally, it is noted that the word �object� may be used as a shorthand expression for multiple objects which coexist in the same virtual environment, as well as for a single object.
The function and operation of preferred versions of the invention may be described as follows.
The object of interest is digitally imaged from different angles and locations to obtain images of the object from a variety of viewpoints distributed about the object. The images may be obtained by use of a digital camera, by digital imaging of photographs of the object, or other methods.
Section I.A. Distribution of Images About the Object
Preferably, the images are distributed about the object as described in one of the following Sections. It is noted that these Sections will describe imaging the object at points distributed about the surface of a virtual bounding sphere wherein the object is situated; however, it is noted that bounding volumes other than spheres may be used, with a sphere being the most preferable volume.
Section IA.1 Distribution of Images About the Object: Equal Arc Length/Angle Approach (FIG. 1)
Assume the object has a bounding sphere denoted R. Envision a virtual sphere S, which shares its center with R except that S has a larger radius. Define points on the surface of S wherein equal arc length exists between the points, or wherein equal angles exist between lines from the center of S to the points (as shown in FIG. 1). The resulting number of points on S is preferably between 121 and 384. The object is then imaged from each of these points (which may be thought of as �viewpoints�), and the images are saved and indexed versus their viewpoint coordinates on the sphere. Conceptually, one can envision the result as if the sphere was provided with a faceted surface, the facets being uniform polygons, wherein an image of the object is provided on each facet (with the imaging occurring along an axis directed from the center of the polygon to the center of the sphere.
Section I.A.2 Distribution of Images About the Object: Latitude Approach (FIG. 2)
In this approach, a virtual sphere S may be defined as in Section I.A.1. Latitude circles are defined on the surface of S (i.e., circles defined by the intersection of parallel planes with the surface of sphere S), as illustrated by the exemplary arrangement in FIG. 2. Adjacent latitude circles are preferably equally spaced and not separated by more than 30 degrees. A series of viewpoints is defined about each of the latitude circles. The viewpoints are preferably equally spaced about each circle; the number of viewpoints on each latitude circle is preferably not less than 12; and latitude circles of greater diameter might contain a greater number of viewpoints than latitude circles having lesser diameter. The object is then imaged from each of these viewpoints, and the images are saved and indexed versus their viewpoint coordinates.
Section IA.3 Distribution of Images About the Object: Other Approaches
Approaches other than those previously noted in Sections I.A.1 and I.A.2 may be used to obtain images distributed about the object's volume, the only guideline being that images are preferably obtained from a relatively uniform distribution of viewpoints about the object. As will be discussed later, users may view the object from different perspectives by indexing through the object's images about the sphere; therefore, a fairly uniform distribution of images is preferred if a smooth transition from viewpoint to viewpoint is to be attained. A fluid shift from one viewpoint to another is also enhanced by increasing the number of viewpoints on the sphere. It should also be understood that if stereo (3D) viewing of the object is to be provided in lieu of 2D viewing, the object is imaged at each viewpoint not just once, but twice: a pair of images with a parallax offset (corresponding to right and left eye distance) is taken at each viewpoint.
Section I.B. Resolution of the Images
As will be discussed later (e.g., in Section II), it may be desirable to later allow users to navigate about the object and/or manipulate it in such a manner that they can obtain a close-up, �zoomed-in� view of the object, or alternatively a more distant �zoomed-out� view of the object. If the user zooms in with respect to an object, it is desirable that the images of the object have:sufficiently high resolution that they do not begin to appear �coarse� and grainy. Unfortunately, high-resolution images require greater memory and processing capacity. Additionally, a user will often view the object from such a distance that high-resolution images are unnecessary and lower-resolution images will suffice, making the high-resolution images inefficient to use. Following are preferred methods of addressing these competing concerns.
Section I.B.1 Scaling of Images
When imaging the object as described in Section I, high-resolution (and thus more memory-intensive) images are preferably taken at each viewpoint; for example, images of 2048�1536 pixels may be obtained, which each occupy about 9 MB of memory space when in uncompressed form. To transmit this data over a network (such as the Internet) will often be slow and impractical owing to limited bandwidth, and in some cases efficient transmission may be effectively impossible. However, well-known methods exist for resealing such high-resolution images to lower-resolution images, e.g., of 1024�768, 512�384, or 256�192 pixels, and these lower-resolution images require far less memory and processing capacity. As will be discussed at greater length later (e.g., in Section II.A.2), speed and capacity problems can be addressed by transmitting an appropriate lower-resolution image in place of a higher-resolution image, and then transmitting higher-resolution images (or sections or �tiles� therein) only when their use is necessary.
Section I.B.2 Tiling of Images
Tiling is a method which can be used in conjunction with the rescaling process discussed at Section I.B.1. The image�both in its high-resolution form and when it is translated to lower resolution�is divided into indexed �tiles� formed of adjacent subsections of the image. For example, a 1024�768 image might be tiled by segmenting the image on a uniform 4�4 grid to obtain 16 arrayed tiles of size 256�192. The size of each tile is such that it may be transmitted more rapidly than a high-resolution image; for example, the uncompressed size of one 256�192 tile is 9 MB/64=150 KB, and if JPEG compression is used, the size of one 256�192 tile is usually less than 15 KB. When transmitted over a 56 KB dial-in-connected modem, theoretically it takes about 0.25 second for transmission of one tile to occur. As will be discussed later (e.g., in Section II.A.2), the tiles can be used to achieve high-quality display of images during manipulation of the object and/or navigation through its space.
The user(s) may then manipulate the object and/or navigate about its virtual environment. The details of these operations may vary depending on whether a single user is performing them, or whether the operations are being simultaneously performed by multiple users in collaboration. Therefore, both the single-user and multiple-user approaches will be described in the following Sections.
Section II.A. Single-User Display and Navigation
Section II.A.1. Transmission and Display of Object II.A.1.a First Image of Object (�Datum� Image)
When a user initially accesses the object in its virtual environment�i.e., submits a command to view the object�the server first transmits an image of the viewpoint which is chosen to be the user's first view of the object. This first or �datum� image may be arbitrarily chosen on the invisible virtual sphere S, but is preferably chosen to correspond to the frontmost central viewpoint of the object on the sphere. Additionally, the viewpoint chosen to be the first image is preferably situated at the origin of the coordinate system defined on the sphere.
Preferably, the first image is provided at the lowest resolution provided by the scaling process noted at Section I.B.1, with the object being displayed at such a zoomed-out distance that it does not appear overly grainy. However, if it is desired that a closer, zoomed-in image be displayed as the first image, a higher resolution image might first be displayed (with transmission speed decreasing as resolution increases).
II.A.1.b Neighborhood of First Image
After the first image is transmitted and displayed as described in Section II.A.1.a, the neighborhood of the�first image�i.e., the images of some number of viewpoints adjacent to the viewpoint of the first image on the sphere�is transmitted to the client/user at the same resolution as the first image. The neighborhood can be defined in any desired manner; for example, it may constitute some number N of the viewpoints which are most closely adjacent to the first image on the sphere, or some number N of viewpoints having some other predefined spatial relationship with respect to the first image (e.g., some number of N of adjacent viewpoints in some direction along the sphere's circumference). The neighborhood preferably consists of less than all of the viewpoints on the sphere, since transmission of all viewpoints could be slow and memory-intensive.
In the most preferred version of the invention, the neighborhood is defined as all viewpoints adjacent to the first image (situated at the front central location of the sphere) which rest along the horizontal equator of the sphere. By situating the neighborhood images along the sphere's equator, this means that after the user/client receives the first image and its neighborhood, the user will have a set of images which is sufficient to allow the user to view a full horizontal rotation of the object (or to view the object while making a full horizontal orbit around it).
II.A.1.c Remaining Images
In the preferred version of the invention, after the first image and its neighborhood have been transmitted, the images from all other viewpoints about the sphere are transmitted to the client/user (at the same resolution as the first image and its neighborhood) before the user can begin to manipulate the object and/or navigate its environment. Transmission of the remaining images can occur in any desired manner or order, e.g., by simply propagating outwardly from the neighborhood and transmitting images from the viewpoints encountered during this propagation. While this requires that the user must wait for all images to be transmitted prior to initiating manipulation and navigation steps, once the user receives and loads all images, manipulation and navigation is especially fast.
In alternative versions of the invention, manipulation/navigation might be allowed at any time after the user receives the first image and its neighborhood (in other words, after images have been transmitted for some, but not all, viewpoints on the sphere). In this situation, images from viewpoints outside the neighborhood might be streamed to the user during idle time, or might be transmitted to the user as needed when the user attempts to index to these viewpoints. Skipping the preloading of these more remote viewpoints will generally allow for a shorter wait (lesser loading time) before the user can begin manipulation/navigation. However, the user will initially only be able to move about the first image and its neighborhood, and will often encounter a delay in accessing images when attempting to move outside the neighborhood.
Section II.A.2. Manipulation/Navigation; Zooming
The user may then manipulate the object and/or navigate about its space using known input devices, some of which are summarized at Section III of this document. As noted in prior Sections, the first image and its neighborhood (and also preferably the remaining images about the sphere) are initially transmitted at lowest resolution (or some other �base� resolution). During initial manipulation/navigation, the user issues manipulation/navigation commands to index to different viewpoints/tiles about the virtual sphere S, thereby obtaining displays of the object from different perspectives. For example, if the imaging scheme of Section I.A.1 is used, when the user indicates that he/she wishes to rotate the view in some direction, the display may shift to the closest adjacent viewpoint or tile located on or about the specified direction. As another example, if the imaging scheme of Section I.A.2 is used, the user may index between different viewpoints on the latitude circles, and/or to the closest adjacent viewpoint or tile on adjacent latitude circles. Similarly, if the user navigates through the object's environment, the invention will simply determine the viewer's location in the virtual environment with respect to the center of the sphere, and will display the viewpoint/tile resting between the viewer's location and the sphere's center.
After a particular viewpoint or tile is transmitted and displayed, the image can be zoomed in or out. When this occurs, a zoom algorithm is used to enlarge or reduce the current viewpoint/tile (or a region therein) until some predetermined threshold level of coarseness or detail is achieved. (It is noted that various zoom algorithms are known in the art, and the selection and implementation of an appropriate algorithm is within the scope of the ordinary skills of one working in this field.) When a preset coarseness threshold of the currently-displayed viewpoint/tile is reached when zooming in, the corresponding higher-resolution viewpoint/tile is transmitted and displayed; similarly, when zooming out, when a preset detail threshold is reached, the lower-resolution viewpoint/tile is transmitted and displayed. This greatly enhances the rendering speed, and thereby enhances interactivity.
Further methods can be implemented to increase speed when manipulation and/or navigation occur when the object is viewed at other than the �base� resolution. Recall from Sections II.A.1.a-c that the images are initially loaded at some base resolution, preferably the lowest resolution, and therefore manipulation/navigation of the object is relatively fast when it is viewed at this degree of detail: the display is simply indexed from one image to the next appropriate image, which is already loaded. However, if the user is at a higher level of resolution�i.e., in a zoomed-in resolution�manipulation/navigation speed could be very slow when indexing from one high-resolution image to the next, since these images are not already loaded. Therefore, to increase speed when indexing through images in a high-resolution mode, the invention preferably displays the viewpoints currently being indexed (or tiles therein) at low resolution, and does not transmit a high-resolution image until indexing stops. To explain differently, when the user indexes from a high-resolution image, low-resolution images are displayed during indexing, and once indexing ceases, the final image will update to a high-resolution image once it completes loading. As a result, when rotating or translating the object (or the point from which the object is being viewed) starting from a high resolution display, the display will be at low resolution and will appear somewhat coarse until indexing is halted. The high-resolution image will then load, at which point the display will snap into focus. The coarseness of the intermediate viewpoints/tiles displayed between the start and finish of indexing is not very noticeable since it appears to the user to be an artifact of the indexing speed (i.e., it appears to arise because the object is moving so fast that it blurs), rather than a product of the image quality.
Section II.B. Multiple-User Display and Navigation (Collaboration)
The invention also allows multiple users at multiple locations to view and manipulate the same images at the same time, and to navigate the same environment simultaneously. By transmitting image information through the Internet or other networks, users can share their viewpoint, navigate the virtual environment, and manipulate the object in conjunction with other users. Although networking provides the infrastructure for collaboration by providing a means to share image data, due to the limited bandwidth available on many networks (e.g., the Internet), data transfer should be minimized to provide operations which occur in real-time (or nearly so).
When multiple users are to simultaneously view and navigate the virtual environment, the principles of the prior Sections are generally applicable. However, when high-resolution images (such as 1024�768 pixels or higher) are desired, it is often difficult to maintain real-time manipulation and display by transmitting images over a network. Therefore, rather than transmitting low-resolution images for standard use and then loading higher-resolution images as needed (as outlined in Section II.A), it is preferred that the images of all viewpoints, at all resolutions, are locally stored on each user's machine (e.g., on a hard drive or CD-ROM) prior to proceeding with collaboration. In general, this will allow desired images to be loaded for display much more rapidly than if they were transmitted over a network.
After all images are locally stored in each user's machine, collaboration within the networked environment may begin. No images are transmitted, and instead the other information necessary for operation is transmitted over the network, such as viewpoint information (the coordinates/indexing of the viewpoints) and manipulation/navigation commands. The viewpoint information and operation commands can be provided in the form of simple data strings, e.g., a string of integers, which are relatively small compared to the image data itself. When the client program on the local user's machine receives the image index or operation commands, the corresponding image and scene is updated. This approach minimizes the data transfer on the network and makes real-time collaboration possible.
When collaboration occurs, it is contemplated that two modes of operation will be particularly useful. In the first mode, the networked machines will accept commands from only one designated user, and therefore all users will see the display generated in accordance with the designated user's commands. In the second mode, all users view their own displays in accordance with the commands they issue, but each user may at any time access another specified user's viewpoint information and �jump to� that user's viewpoint. This can be done either temporarily (i.e., the user may be able to jump back to his/her prior viewpoint coordinates), or it may be permanent insofar as the user will afterward be �located� at the newly-accessed viewpoint and will have to navigate from that viewpoint thereafter.
Section III. Interface
Viewing objects and navigating their virtual environment may be achieved by use of traditional interface approaches, such as input via mouse clicking/dragging and output via display of images on a desktop computer screen. To provide a more intuitive and effective interface, VR (virtual reality) interface tools may be used; for example, the user may use his/her hands to manipulate the object and navigate the virtual environment by attaching a six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) motion tracker to her/his hands, or by holding a three-dimensional (3D) mouse. These allow the user to grab the object, move it, and release it using hand actions and motions. A 6DOF motion tracker could also be attached to the user's head to perform head/viewpoint tracking; when the user turns or moves his/her head, the images for the new corresponding viewpoint would be displayed. For visual feedback, a stereoscopic display may be utilized to provide the user with more realistic 3D images.
Section IV. Image Segmentation for Background Cleaning, Object Registration, and 3D Object Reconstruction
Section IV.A. Image Segmentation Separation of Imaged Object From Background)
When obtaining images of the object from the distributed viewpoints as per Section, one obtains images containing both the object and its background environment. In general, a user does not care about the background environment; he/she neither wishes to manipulate it nor examine it, since the object itself is the item of interest. Additionally, since the background of the object may vary in appearance as the object is being imaged from different viewpoints, the presence of the background environment can be distracting when indexing through the images. As an example, if lighting/shadows in the background vary from one imaged viewpoint to another, the background may get lighter and darker as a user indexes through the images. It is therefore desirable, when feasible, to remove the background from the various images before the images are used for visualizing, manipulating, and navigating the object.
At present, backgrounds are often �cleaned� from digital images using semiautomatic or manual methods provided in various photoprocessing applications/suites (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Systems, Inc., San Jose, Calif., USA). However, these methods generally: require that the background have a relatively uniform color. In an �ideal image� where the background has uniform color and the object has a different color (or colors), colors in the image may be categorized into two regions, the background region and the non-background (object) region, by comparing the RGB value of each image pixel to the RGB value of the background. Afterward, the pixels in the image which have the background pixel value can be �subtracted out� by setting their RGB values to zero, by replacing them with pixels having a uniform RGB value (preferably one significantly different from those of the object), or by replacing them with pixels which present some desired background image. However, since the background may vary in color and many factors will affect the appearance of the background and object, it is difficult to determine reference RGB values to use as points of comparison for classifying image pixels as background or object. As a result, it is difficult to directly partition the image into background and object regions. Thus, the following approach may be used.
IV.A.1 Sample the Background Region
The image can be considered to consist of a collection of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional image space, since each pixel in the image can be defined in terms of two dimensions (e.g., an X or width dimension versus a Y or height dimension). However, the image can also be considered in terms of a collection of pixels in a three-dimensional RGB space or �color space�: each pixel in the image has an RGB value, and thus can be assigned a location in a three-dimensional RGB space (a space having an R dimension, a G dimension, and a B dimension). Note that whereas each pixel in the image space is associated with a single location in RGB space (since each pixel in the image has only a single RGB value), each RGB location in the RGB space may correspond to multiple pixels in the image space. As an example, an image of a uniform color field (wherein all pixels at all locations in the image space have the same RGB value) will only occupy a single pixel in RGB space.
In most common images, both the object region and background region may contain a wide variety of RGB values, and the regions may have areas with the same or similar RGB values. Thus, the system may not be able to identify and differentiate object and background regions on its own. It is therefore preferable that the user sample representative values of the background color, as by clicking on one or more areas of the image's background with a mouse. If the background contains areas of disparate RGB values, it is preferable that the user sample each of these areas. As an example, if one background region contains colors in the red region and another contains colors in the green-blue region, the user will preferably sample a number of pixels in the red region (i.e., a number of background pixels which generally represent the range of red colors in the background), and also a number of pixels in the green-blue region (i.e., a number of background pixels which generally represent the range of colors in this region).
To reduce the need for sampling numerous pixels, sampling could be at least partially automated by allowing users to automatically sample a number of pixels within some region. For example, a user can click on a pixel within a region, and the application will consider that pixel to be sampled, as well as all pixels within some radius of N pixels (e.g., 3-10 pixels) away from the clicked pixel. The mean RGB value of the pixels within the circle can then be calculated as Rmean=(R1+ . . . +RN)/N, Gmean=(G1+G2+ . . . +GN)/N, and Bmean=(B1+B2+ . . . +BN)/N, with the calculated Rmean, Gmean, and Bmean values being rounded to the closest integer value. The �mean pixel� in RGB space having the value Rmean, Gmean, and Bmean could then be regarded as being a sampled pixel which represents the sample set (in RGB space only, as the pixel does not really have a corresponding pixel in the 2D image space).
IV.A.2 Build Clusters About the Sample Pixels
So that the background is more completely represented, it is preferred that a �clustering� method be applied to the sampled pixels in RGB space. First, some cluster threshold distance value D is defined, e.g., 5 pixels. Then, the application looks within D pixels of each sampled pixel in RGB space, and if a pixel from the image is present within this area, that second pixel is considered to be �clustered� with the sampled pixel in RGB space. The application then looks within D pixels of the second pixel in RGB space to find any other pixels from the image to add to the cluster, and so on. The cluster will stop growing once no further pixels are found within distance D of the prior pixel. Since the clustering method is applied to each of the sampled pixels in RGB space, it is possible that each pixel may develop its own cluster; that some clusters may merge when the clustering method is applied; or that all sample pixels may be included within the same cluster. To illustrate clustering by example, assume that the RGB pixels (255,255,255) and (105,100,100) are sampled points, and that they rest near pixels having RGB coordinates (250,255,255), (255,255,250), (100,100,100), (100,105,100), (105,100,100). If the cluster distance threshold value is 5, two clusters would be formed, one about the pixels (255,255,255), (250,255,255), (255,255,250), and the other about the pixels (100,100,100), (100,105,100), (105,100,100).
IV. A.3 Build a Bounding Envelope (or Envelopes) About the Sample Pixels
After clustering is performed, a bounding envelope is defined about the pixels in each cluster in RGB space. Preferably, convex hull techniques are used, though other bounding envelope techniques (such as bounding boxes) may suffice. The resulting envelopes are considered to constitute the background, whereas pixels outside the envelopes are presumed to primarily constitute the object.
IV.A.4 Expand Envelopes (Merge Adjacent Pixels into Background Envelopes)
If desired, the background envelopes may be further expanded so that they encompass regions in the background that may not have been accounted for in the prior steps. The user or application may define some expansion distance value E corresponding to a distance in RGB space. The RGB space can then be checked to see if any pixels are not included within the background envelopes, but are within the expansion distance E from the background envelopes. If they are, the background envelopes can be redefined to include these pixels. In effect, this envelope expansion step is an extension of the clustering step of Section IV.A.2: if any pixels outside an envelope are within a defined distance away from a background pixel cluster in RGB space, these pixels will be included within the cluster, and the background envelope is then redefined about the resulting cluster. However, the expansion distance value E need not be the same as the cluster threshold distance value D noted in Section IV.A.2. This is because the expansion distance value E is intended to capture �outlying� pixels in the background which are not included in the background envelope(s), but which have such similar color to a background envelope that they are probably a part of the background.
IV.A.5. Delete Aberrations Another optional step may be performed to further clean the background. For pixels outside the background envelopes noted in Section IV.A.3, a test can be performed to see whether these are leftover �spots� in the background in the 2D image�aberrations caused by noise in the digital imaging process, poor lighting, or other conditions that might cause off-color background pixels or collection of pixels. Stepping back to the 2D image space and looking at all pixels in the image which are not included in the background envelopes (i.e., all pixels in the 2D image space which do not correspond to pixels in the 3D RGB space within the background envelopes), the question is whether any pixel (or pixel cluster) is sitting spaced away from the object on the 2D image (which will presumably constitute a single area on the 2D image, though the object in RGB space may constitute numerous spaced pixels or pixel clusters). For example, there may be an aberration, e.g., a dark �smudge�, sitting in the background spaced away from the object in the 2D image. However, the pixels in the smudge may not necessarily be spaced away from the object in RGB space, since the object may itself have dark areas. Therefore, a test is performed on the pixels outside the background envelopes to determine whether they exist as isolated spots in 2D image space. This can be accomplished by a variety of methods, such as by counting the number of their closely adjacent/surrounding pixels in image space (these pixels also being outside the background envelopes in RGB space). If they are under some threshold number indicating that they exist as a small spot in the 2D image, the RGB values of these pixels can be reset to some RGB value contained within the background envelopes in RGB space. In effect, this tests to see whether the size of all regions in 2D image space which are situated outside the background envelopes in 3D RGB space are greater than some predetermined size. If they are, they are considered to be within the object, and if not, they are considered to be within the background.
It is noted that the pixel clusters which are identified as being �non-object� clusters are not merged into the background envelopes by expanding the envelopes to include them. Instead, the RGB values of the pixels in the non-object clusters are reassigned to values included within the background envelopes. This effectively moves the non-object clusters within the background envelopes, rather than moving the envelopes outwardly to envelop the clusters. Moving the background envelopes in RGB space is not recommended because the envelopes could then encompass not only the non-object clusters, but also pixels/pixel clusters on the object which have RGB values similar to those of the non-object clusters.
IV.A.6. Process Background
Following the steps of Sections IV.A.1-IV.A.5 above will generally result in the image being divided into a background region and an object region within the RGB color space. The background region can then have its RGB values set to unity or some other uniform value, resulting in the background adopting a totally uniform color in the 2D image space; alternatively, some predetermined nonuniform background scene can be rendered in the pixels outside of the object. Advantageously, if the object pixels can be identified, transmission time for images can be dramatically decreased because only object region data needs to be transmitted. In this case, �generic� backgrounds can be installed about the object region when the image is rendered (e.g., the object region can be rendered over a background having some predetermined RGB value or values).
After the first image has been processed in this manner, the processing of later images can be expedited, since the images of two adjacent viewpoints on the sphere will usually have little difference in content; they contain the same background and object, albeit at different orientations. The processing of a second image at an adjacent viewpoint can utilize the RGB values of the background (or object) clusters of the first image, and/or can use the background (or object) sample data previously supplied by the user, to segment the second image into background and object clusters, and the steps of Section IV.A.1-5 onward can be used to remove the background.
Section IV.B. Object Registration/Centering
Prior to displaying images, it is also preferable to implement an object registration step to give all of the images a common (or nearly common) center of rotation. This is desirable because it is difficult to precisely center the object in the center of the sphere/volume about which the images are obtained. If the object is not centered during imaging, this can lead to artifacts when manipulating the object and/or navigating its space; for example, when rotating the object, the object may approach the viewer and then retreat owing to �eccentricity� between the object's center and the axis of rotation.
If the object is subjected to the segmentation method noted above in Section IV.A (i.e., if convex hulls or other envelopes are used to segment the object), the object will be divided into object pixel clusters of similar color in RGB space. These object clusters correspond to areas of uniform or similar color which are separated in 2D space within the image. Since the image from one viewpoint will generally have only minor differences from an image from an adjacent viewpoint, a covariance matrix can be constructed which compares position data for the object clusters of one viewpoint to the position data for object clusters in the adjacent viewpoint, and which determine the correspondence in clusters between the two. A homogenous transformation can then be applied to the images to make the matching object clusters coincide.
Section IV.C. 3D Object Reconstruction
As previously noted, the invention is able to provide significant advantages because it represents/displays an object by use of multiple 2D images rather than by a 3D model of the object. However, it may in some instances be desirable to construct a 3D model from the multiple 2D images distributed about the sphere. A 3D model should theoretically be viewable from any orientation in 3D space, whereas the use of multiple 2D images, while having the advantages noted earlier, will only allow viewing from the discrete viewpoints/orientations of the 2D images. The construction of a 3D model can be done using the following steps.
1. The silhouette of the object in the various viewpoints may be used to initially reconstruct the 3D geometry by projecting the object's silhouette from the various viewpoints, and then determining their intersection. This step can be conceptualized as placing a sphere in 3D space, and using the silhouettes of the different viewpoints to carve the sphere to approximate the shape of the object.
The silhouette of the object can be defined as the boundary of the background cluster(s) (computed as in Section IV.A) and/or the object cluster(s) (computed as in Section IV.B). If the object's images are registered/centered as per Section IV.B, this can significantly enhance the accuracy of the reconstructed 3D geometry since any eccentricity in the object during initial imaging will not affect the intersection of the silhouette projections.
2. The object clusters can then be used to insert missing details on the reconstructed 3D geometry obtained from Step 1 above. Since there are silhouettes from viewpoints at widely distributed locations, the reconstructed 3D geometry will be very similar to the real object's geometry at its outside contour, but the reconstructed 3D geometry will lack any concavities that are present in the real object (since the concavities will not be reflected on a silhouette). Using a camera pin-hole model and the correspondences between matching object clusters (as determined in Section IV.B), a calculated z-value (depth) can be assigned to the matching pixels. This information can be added onto the geometry by comparing the calculated z-value to the z-value of the surface of the reconstructed 3D geometry, and adding concavities where the calculated z-value indicates greater depth than that present on the reconstructed 3D geometry.
Section IV. Other Options/Embodiments; Conclusion
To review, by replacing a 3D model of an object with 2D images of the object that are obtained about a sphere (or other volume) bounding the object, with the 2D images being indexed versus their coordinates on the sphere/volume, a more realistic-looking object can be displayed. By moving from one coordinate to another, the user may manipulate (e.g., rotate and/or translate) the object and/or navigate about its virtual environment, and view the object's appearance from different viewpoints, as if it were a 3D object in 3D space. As the user changes his/her viewpoint with respect to the object (or more accurately, its sphere), the user effectively moves the sphere with the object's images with respect to the user's viewpoint so that the displayed image of the object corresponds to the appearance of the object that would be seen if the user acted on the object in the real world in a manner analogous to the user's navigation/manipulation input. Thus, as the user rotates or translates the object-or navigates through its environment, the user's view of the object/sphere may change, and the corresponding images on the sphere are displayed to the user to reflect the change in viewpoint. This provides the user with interactive ways of viewing and examining the object.
By transmitting primarily low-resolution images which are translated from high-resolution images, interaction occurs in close to a real-time environment, even for detailed images of the object. Such translation also allows users to view images which are always at an appropriately high level of resolution when zooming in and out, i.e., the image is neither at too low of a resolution (causing a �grainy� image) or too high of a resolution (leading to greater transmission time). Stated differently, resolution can be optimized versus transmission time.
In addition, when a networked collaborative environment is established between multiple users (e.g., when the virtual environment is simultaneously viewed by multiple users over a computer network), all participants can have their own view of the object of interest, as well as share this view and navigate the virtual environment with other users.
The invention is not intended to be limited to the preferred versions described above, but rather is intended to be limited only by the claims set out below. Thus, the invention encompasses all different versions that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims. Further, it is understood that in the claims, means plus function clauses (i.e., elements defined as a means for performing a function) are intended to encompass the structures described above as performing their recited function, and also both structural equivalents and equivalent structures. As an example, though a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents insofar as a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure parts together whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the context of fastening parts, a nail and a screw are equivalent structures.
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We propose examining this part of the charge by trying to focus our work on two related areas, student transitions and school structures. School structures recommendations focus primarily on the institutional changes that might need to occur. Student transitions recommendations focus mainly on ways to improve students' success in transitioning from secondary to post-secondary education.
The placement of recommendations within a category is not fixed and only represents our best efforts to make the work of the task force more efficient.
STEM Forum and Expo, May 20-23!
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is hosting their national STEM forum in Minnesota in May. This unique, STEM-focused event is where educators gather to share tools and resources for implementing STEM education into schools and communities. What makes this event so different? The people presenting! One of whom is our own Doug Paulson, agency STEM Specialist. Visit NSTA site to learn more.
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Ambrisentan TabletsAstellas PharmaEpoprostenol sodiumFlolanGilead SciencesLetairisPrografProtopicRanexaRanolazinetacrolimus
Japanese drug major Astellas Pharma, which has been pursuing USA-based CV Therapeutics since last year,…
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I have been very impressed by your customer service. It's been a real pleasure dealing with you and look forward to doing business with you again. I will definitely recommend you to friends.
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Marijuana is now legal in four states, the District of Colombia and South Portland, Maine. It's been decriminalized in 17 states – among them our neighbors, North Carolina and Maryland.
So where does that leave Virginia? Is anyone calling for legal reforms here?
Jordan McNeish was a bright kid who finished high school early and began taking courses at Piedmont Virginia Community College. He'd been arrested once for possession of marijuana, paid a fine but spent no time in jail. Then, in 2009, he was charged with a second offense.
Charlottesville's newspaper, The Daily Progress, has released a recording of Rolling Stone's interview with UVA President Teresa Sullivan, in which she concedes the university has a problem with sexual assault, that one fraternity is under investigation and that two or three frats have been suspended every year since she took the job.
The telephone interview begins on a cagey note as reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdeley greets Teresa Sullivan, the school's vice president for communications and the associate V.P. of student affairs, Susan Davis.
Some parents expressed outrage when they heard that a child at their local elementary school had been handcuffed and hauled off to the sheriff's office after kicking and hitting the principal. Now, a national civil liberties group is getting involved on behalf of the boy, who's been diagnosed with ADHD.
Officials in Greene County don't deny that a sheriff's deputy, serving as a resource officer to Nathanael Greene Primary School, handcuffed an unruly 4-year-old, placed him in a cruiser, and later put the pre-kindergarten kid in leg irons.
A day after Rolling Stone published an article describing a brutal rape at the University of Virginia , a former Washington and Lee student says he was expelled for having consensual sex with another student who some months later regretted the encounter and claimed she was sexually assaulted.
Two people who appear under pseudonyms in Rolling Stone's article chronicling an alleged gang rape that happened at a University of Virginia fraternity party have spoken to the Associated Press. They're the ones who supposedly discouraged Jackie from seeking help after the incident – but they've set the record straight.


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MILAN -- Eni said it completed the sale of an 11.7% stake in Snam as part of its divestment from the Italian natural gas grid.
The offering totaled $1.92 billion and priced at $ 4.81 per share, Eni said. The sale of the stake in the natural gas infrastructure firm was carried out through an accelerated bookbuilding aimed at Italian and international investors.
The proceeds of the sale will be used for general corporate purposes.
Last year, the Italian government asked the oil major to sell its controlling stake in Snam to improve competition in the country's gas sector and reduce prices. Following the sale, Eni said it now holds an 8.54% stake in Snam, part of convertible bonds sold in January.
J.P. Morgan Chase and UniCredit were the joint bookrunners of the sale, Eni added.
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The landing zones at Remington Golf Club are wide enough that even poor shots may wind up in the fairway. It's the really poor shots that golfers should be worried about. As forgiving as the course's fairways and greens may appear to be, many of them sit a stone's throw from a water hazard that will make trespassing golf balls pay the ultimate price: their hope for a good hair day. From the tips, the 18-hole, par 72 course measures a formidable 7,111 yards, while four other sets of tees accommodate players across the handicap spectrum. To prepare for their round, golfers can warm up at the Club's distinct water driving range, where golfers hit buoyant range balls into a lake populated with floating targets.
Course at a Glance: * 18-hole, par 72 course * Length of 7,111 yards from the farthest tees * Course rating of 73.9 from the farthest tees * Slope rating of 134 from the farthest tees * Five tee options


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I just got some stuff called patgel, its used on cars and machines. I was told by a family member to put it on the rails of my 870, pump it a few hundred times, clean it out, then oil it and pump some more. the end result would be a nice slick and smooth slide. have any of you guys heard of this?
"I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country" Nathan Hale
Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
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I wouldn't use any abrasives or rouge on a gun. Normal use will loosen up a slide.
I wouldn't do it. If you do, let us know how it turns out. I have used vlave grinding compound to grind valves, and to hone a shotgun chamber, before I found out using a brake wheel cylinder hone was much easier.
What could have happened... did.
Valve grinding compound is TOO COURSE-use lapping compound instead-#400 will do the job nicely. Be SURE to flush it all out throughly with gun scrubber or something like it & relub.
Sometimes you earthlings REALLY amaze me!
ok, I now have lapping compound but am having trouble re assembling the action I'll work it out im sure, i have just a normal remington 870, not a wingmaster, nothing special. on the side it has a guy standing in some reeds holding a stick, and it came with a synthetic stock and foregrip. any helps on reassembling the pump would be much appreciated. it wont go in all the way, even when I hold when I hold down the shell catchers at the bottom of the chamber. the lapping compound isnt too coarse and I will give a range report here soon on how it performs.


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Written on: 05/12/2013 by forst003 (1 review written)
I returned the clothing because it was terribly made and cheap ... and I NEVER GOT MY MONEY BACK... ITs been 4 months and the customer service is terrible!!!Ive wasted over $50 in international calling!! Ive given up! SCREW YOU ASOS!
Written on: 09/12/2013
Hey, I'm truly sorry to hear this and I agree it's not acceptable to wait 4 months for a refund. Please can you get back in contact with us and quote 'Review Centre' - I'll then be happy to get this looked in to a-sap for you. Thanks ASOS David
Written on: 09/12/2013
Four months of this problem... hundreds of emails, numerous twitter messages, facebook messages, hours and a lot of money calling internationally to try to get this resolved. Loved hearing the same thing "oh contact us and we will resolve this" only to do so and never have anyone actually resolve the issue. The response I got was, oh I need to refer this to someone else and then never heard back abou it. I think other people need a warning before doing business with you and need to know the level of customer service you "provide".
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Mexico: Latest beverage news & analysis
Latest Insights
Coca-Cola FEMSA cuts 1,300 jobs as soda tax bites 23 Oct 2014
Coca-Cola FEMSA has had to cut around 1,300 jobs as its copes with Mexico's new soda tax, but volumes are not being as badly affected as predicted, according to its CFO.
Analysis - Mexico on track for Heineken 6 Dec 2013
Mexico is a "good story" for Heineken as it continues to integrate FEMSA Cerveza, an analyst has said.
Sugar tax will cost Coca-Cola FEMSA jobs - CFO 25 Oct 2013
Coca-Cola FEMSA's CFO has said a proposed tax on sugary beverages in its domestic market of Mexico will reduce volumes and lead to job losses at the bottler's plants.
'Modelo, Heineken to lose share to Mexico craft' 17 Jul 2013
Grupo Modelo and Heineken are likely to lose "modest" volumes to craft brewers in Mexico after the opening up of the country's beer market, but the two global brewers will see some "net positive", according to an analyst.
'Modelo to fare worse after Mexico probe' 12 Jul 2013
Grupo Modelo is likely to be worse affected than its rival Heineken by the opening up of Mexico's beer market, according to an analyst.
Latest News
Heineken to spend US$470m on new Mexico site 11 Mar 2015
Heineken has confirmed plans to invest MXN7.35bn (US$470m) in building its seventh brewery in Mexico as its eyes further growth.
Diageo reveals US$400m Tequila investment 4 Mar 2015
Diageo is putting its weight behind the Tequila category after revealing plans to invest around US$400m in its Mexico operations and Don Julio brand.
Diageo completes Don Julio, Bushmills swap deal 27 Feb 2015
Diageo has completed its deal to regain full control of Tequila Don Julio from former joint partner Casa Cuervo.
Coca-Cola FEMSA FY sales, profits drop 26 Feb 2015
Coca-Cola FEMSA has posted a drop in full-year profits and sales after currency fluctuations in Venezuela hit performance.
Heineken closes Empaque sale 19 Feb 2015
Heineken has completed the sale of Mexican packaging business Empaque to Crown Holdings, and has launched a share buyback using most of the proceeds.
Crown Holdings to build new Mexico plant 19 Feb 2015
Crown Holdings is to boost its beverage can capacity in Mexico by two million units after unveiling plans for a fourth production plant in the country.
Arca Continental sees FY profits, sales up 18 Feb 2015
Arca Continental has reported a rise in full-year profits and sales despite a slip in volumes following the first year of Mexico's soda tax.
Tequila set for export boost after record 2014 23 Dec 2014
Tequila exports are forecast to continue growing next year after new estimates showed they passed the US$1bn mark for the first time in 2014.
Pernod agrees Caribe Cooler sale to Grupo Bepensa 22 Dec 2014
Pernod Ricard is to sell its ready-to-drink Caribe Cooler brand as the company continues to focus on core wines and spirits.
Coca-Cola FEMSA posts nine-month profits lift 23 Oct 2014
Coca-Cola FEMSA has reported a healthy lift in nine-month sales as the group continued to benefit from its acquisitions in Brazil and Mexico last year.
Latest blogs
Mexico's uncomfortable truth - soda before toilet paper 2 May 2014
Before the government introduced a new sugar tax this year, Mexico's soft drinks industry was one of the world's biggest. Despite the rise, it's still pretty huge, largely because - no matter the price - Mexican's won't give up their soda.
Mexico's beer market under the spotlight 3 Jan 2014
How are things shaping up in the beer battleground that is Mexico? CNN took a closer look at one of the world's biggest beer markets, by volume, where Anheuser-Busch InBev, through Grupo Modelo, and Heineken, through its 2010 acquisition FEMSA Cerveza, are dominant.
Does A-B InBev have a different goal for Grupo Modelo? 12 Aug 2013
Anheuser-Busch InBev has sold the stake in Mexican football team Santos Laguna that it inherited through its US$20.1bn acquisition of Grupo Modelo.
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Official Site
About Sophie
IFBB Professional, Sophie Duquette, is one of female bodybuilding's freshest and most personable athletes. Sophie's interest in bodybuilding began in Sherbrooke Quebec at the age of 16 where she began training casually as a social outlet. At 17 when Sophie entered and placed 2nd in her first bodybuilding show she new she was hooked. By 21 Sophie had taken podiums at every show she entered and had won 1st place Miss Quebec de L'Est adding to her confidence and belief that she could meet the challenges that lay ahead.
At 23 years old Sophie's career took an important step forward when bodybuilding trainer and soon to be boyfriend Robert Joubert recognized her talent and dedicated his time and resources to the cultivation of her vast potential. Together they forged a pact that would lead them to the Canadian Championships where in 1999 the culmination of Sophie's perseverance and hard work earned her the distinguished honor of becoming Canada's first woman from Quebec to be awarded the overall victory at a Canadian championships since 1987, the year in which the CBBF first began selecting an overall champion.
Sophie now concentrates on her career more than ever, her excellent rankings in all recent appearances demonstrates her desire to bring her fans and supporters all the way to the top while always being a role model for young athletes interested in bodybuilding, femininity and healthy living.
Sophie's itinerary since entering the pro ranks has been phenomenal by any standards, it is exceptionally rare for an athlete to make it to the Olympia stage in under 14 months of pro competition but the grueling 5 contests in 14 months that Sophie will have undertaken by her maiden Olympia appearance is a further testament to her dedication and desire to excel as a premier bodybuilder.
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Understanding How FAITH Changes Us! The Gospel (Good News) leads us to FAITH - Not only ours, but Gods: Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it . . . It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God's command so what we see was made by something that cannot be seen. Hebrews 11.1, 3 Asking the RIGHT Questions: What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Romans 3.1 Asking the RIGHT Questions: What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Romans 3.3 Asking the RIGHT Questions: But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? Romans 3.5 Asking the RIGHT Questions: If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? Romans 3.7 God Uses and Empowers Me JUST AS I AM ___________: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus or good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2.10 Myth # 1 : God only uses me when I'm Good. Myth # 2 : God only uses people who have it all together. God doesn't ALWAYS call the qualified into His service. But God ALWAYS qualifies those whom He calls! God Faithfulness is Intrinsic to HIS NATURE __________: He is like a rock; what he does is perfect, and he is always fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong, who is right and fair. Deuteronomy 32.4 Myth # 1 : God goodness is contingent upon my actions. Myth # 2 : God helps those you help themselves. God does not operate on the basis of reciprocity. His ability to remain faithful, to be trustful, to be righteous does not depend on us. God Faithfulness is a Gift of HIS GRACE __________: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. 1 Corinthians 15.10 Myth # 1 : It doesn't matter how I live. Myth # 2 : Sin doesn't really matter. Let us not imagine that baptism (whether as an infants or a believer), or attending church, or a one-time conversion experience, or some overwhelming spiritual high irrevocable marks as members of the 'New Covenant' community. With privilege comes responsibility, otherwise Grace is received in vain!
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Chase Welcomes...
|Chase has been a leading lender in education loan funding for nearly 40 years. As a participant of the American Education Services (AES)/Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) Keystone Programs and through our partnership with your school, Chase can provide access to low-cost federal loan programs, with special benefits for those students and parents who live or go to school in Pennsylvania*. Chase also offers affordable private education loans, designed to help you fully fund your education.


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Avoid the Pitfalls of Refund Anticipation Loans
During tax time, it's common to see advertisements claiming that you can get your tax refund "early," or even walk out of a tax preparers office with your refund in hand. Before you get too excited about this, understand that you are likely being offered a refund anticipation loan.
Watch Out for Shady Tax Preparers
One of the ways you can increase your tax refund and ensure that you aren't leaving money on the table is to have a professional prepare your taxes. This year will be the seventh that I've used an accountant to prepare my taxes, and I don't regret it at all.
Did You Double-Check Form 1095-A?
Now that tax season is underway, it's time to double-check your forms and make sure that your information is as accurate as possible before you file. But what if the wrong information you use to file your taxes is someone else's fault?
What is the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel?
When it comes to paying taxes, many citizens feel as though they aren't heard. After all, the IRS seems like a huge agency that is far removed from the experiences of taxpayers. In past years, the IRS has received poor marks for customer service, although some of the perceptions about the IRS are changing.
4 Tax Time Mistakes to Avoid with your 2014 Tax Return
Now that tax season is in full swing, many taxpayers are workingthrough their documents, trying to organize everything for their 2014 tax return. As you get ready to file your own tax return, here are 4 tax time mistakes to avoid:
Tax Year 2015 to See Higher Penalty for Uninsured Americans
One of the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, also called Obamacare) is that those who don't obtain health insurance are required to pay a tax penalty.
Obama's 2016 Budget: $280 Billion in Tax Cuts for Some Americans
President Obama has revealed his proposed budget, and it includes close to $280 billion in tax cuts for families with low to middle incomes. The tax cuts for those income brackets would be paid for with about $1.5 trillion in new taxes over the next 10 years.
Pass Through Businesses Complicate Corporate Tax Reform
I have a business. It's registered as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), and is considered a "pass-through" business. This means that my LLC doesn't pay taxes in the corporate system. Instead, the profits pass through the business and are reported on the joint tax return filed by my husband and me each year. As individuals, we pay taxes on the income, but the business itself doesn't pay taxes.
Could Your Obamacare Subsidy Mean an Unpleasant Surprise for Your Taxes?
One of the features of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, also called Obamacare) passed in 2010 is the application of subsidies for those who need help paying insurance premiums. For those who need to purchase health insurance on an exchange, subsidies can help reduce the amount paid for premiums.
Gas Tax Tied to Prices Cause Revenue Problems
States try many schemes when it comes to raising revenue through taxes. Back when it seemed as though oil prices would keep rising -- and bring gas prices up with them -- some states decided to tie gas taxes to price. Kentucky is a state that ties gas taxes to the price of gas, and as oil and gas prices fall, Kentucky is starting to feel the pinch.
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Through the Library Scholars Grant Program, the Purdue University Libraries provide grants to untenured and recently-tenured Purdue professors to help them gain access to unique collections of information necessary for their research. Annual awards of up to $5,000 are made possible through the generosity of the 50th anniversary gift of the Class of 1935. The funds may be used for expenses associated with travel to archives or collections beyond Purdue. Upon completing research, grant recipients present a seminar about the information-related activities supported by the grant. Interested applicants should visit http://www.lib.purdue.edu/info/scholars/guidelines.html for further information.
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Friends and Allies: The Greek Military Junta and the United States, Jonathan Swarts
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Improvisational Dance Performances and the Performers' Use of Space and Time, Rebecca Bryant
Cercle et Carré, and Seuphor's Partaking in Revival of Geometric Abstraction, Catherine Dossin
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tag:destructoid.com,2006:blogPlayBoyMan's Blog :: DESTRUCTOIDhttp://www.destructoid.com/ul/user/1/150407-eae1f-50.jpgPlayBoyManhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/PlayBoyMan2013-05-23T16:27:05Ztag:destructoid.com,2008:281581Not coming back.....2014-09-24T11:21:38Z2014-09-24T11:21:38Z<!DOCTYPE html>
Reason: Gamergate. My digital heart is broken over such bias.

Really do NOT want to be a member if this group.

You can find me on the Twitter @PlayBoyMan, @PlayBoyMan and @PervMachine.

Goodbye DToiders.

-PBM
  tag:destructoid.com,2008:276604Goodbye Dtoid Blog.....For Now.2014-06-14T13:31:21Z2014-06-14T13:31:21ZI have been so busy with all of my other projects that I haven't had the time to manage this blog on DToid.

So I have made the choice to just stop blogging here. I'll still be a member of Dtoid, but I won't blog here.

I have a number of blogs I work on already, and sadly, some of them have to go.
If you want to see all of my other blogs that I'm actually working on so intensely, just follow me on the twitter, @PlayBoyMan.

Laters Dtoiders.tag:destructoid.com,2008:259217The latest update on "Sam and Hunni" (Video)2013-08-01T21:18:13Z2013-08-01T21:18:13ZIt took a little longer than expected, but I got a video of the progress I've done on "The Adventures of Sam and Hunni"

It's 18 Minutes long, so please stop what you are doing and watch it.
And please feel free to comment on, and suggest ideas for the game. PLEASE do not say I sound like Micheal Jackson - it's the best insult I can receive.

Enjoy!

<object width="630" height="457"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RON00A6Jfoc?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RON00A6Jfoc?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="630" height="457" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Oh, and I'll also be streaming myself working on the game on twitch now and then. Click here to go to my twitch profile.

And as always, thanks again for all the support, comments and advice. It's all welcome. Always.

Laters.tag:destructoid.com,2008:257862A Video Game is a Video Game....2013-07-10T12:10:54Z2013-07-10T12:10:54ZI had read an article about A "Video Game Church" over at the Dtoid Facebook Group.
While I did find the post amusing, it did bother me a bit, which resulted in this comment, and a reply:

A Good point and counterpoint, and I came up with a good reply (and so there is no confusion, this is a general chit-chat you are reading - I'm not pissed off at anybody)

This is the reply below, but I want to add more to it here, because FB has a text limit:

I have nothing against his religious beliefs, or anyone's personal views: to each his/her own. It's just that - a video game is a video game. In the 80's the Video game industry was leveled by pumping crappy games into the market...Now, I feel like the same thing is happening, but with real-life situations being thrown into the mix.

There is nothing wrong with a little realism in games, but I think we take it way too far sometimes. "over-sexualizing women", lack of over-sexualizing men, this shouldn't be like this or that, etc.

A Video Game is a work of art. It's OK to embellish reality to suit the needs of the GAME, provided it doesn't go to far and has a purpose therein.

The same can be said for movies: A naked woman showing up out of nowhere without rhyme or reason is just silly - the same ideal can apply to games too.

This article really resonated with me, because of the game I'm making. There is gonna be a part of the story that will involve boobs, but it will have a purpose to the story. As a matter of fact, the way I have the storyline planned out, it will be more funny than offensive, and it actually plays an active part to the game. I know that some of you will find it cheesy (and I'm sure that those in question might be a mix of men and women), but It will be done with tact and cunning.

And I won't be doing it the way I want because I don't want to offend people, I'm doing it because that is how my story is written. It should surprise you, it should make you laugh, and maybe shed a tear or two.

That's how good Video games...no, that is what makes ANY game a great game to play.

It's one of the main reasons I love Indie games so much - they are creative because they are the game designer's vision: it isn't about appealing to the easily offended - that is what hurts a game more than anything. It's about expressing one's vision for a game.

I'll say it till my dying breath: "A game is a game. You play it, you enjoy it, you have fun. It's an escape from reality, not an extension of reality. Leave your real life issues at the door, pick up that controller, press start and enjoy."

If you want to read that article that I read, you can click here. I welcome your comments. Now if you'll excuse me, I have art to make and a vision to complete.

Laters.

 tag:destructoid.com,2008:256446About my Game.....(it's an update, btw)2013-06-17T00:35:14Z2013-06-17T00:35:14ZHello fellow DToiders.

About 2 months ago, I mentioned that I was getting into the Indie Game Dev business...but I forgot to update you all on my progress thus far.

So, here's what been going on...

I have spent the last 2 months trying to learn how to use RPG Maker VX ACE Lite, and I'm making good progress. I've also been writing the storyline and building towns and characters too.

The Game also has a title: "The Adventures of Sam and Hunni" - catchy, isn't it?

This is the City I was working on for the game, when I started out:

And here it is now: 80% Finished:

The Town is named Cellno, and it is the Home and locale of our heroine's shop.

Even though it took 2 months to make the progress I've done, I've still got a long ways to go. I'm really glad of what I've done, and I'm only encouraged to keep on going.

I'm having fun making this game.

I'm working on making the intro and building the cutscenes, which I have learned are WAY too short - I get why there is so much dialog in a RPG now.

The One thing that won't be going into any game is crap that isn't needed.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I have a Tumblr blog for all the updates on this and all my future games: PBMgames.tumblr.com, and there is a twitter as well: @PlayBoyManGames.

If you have any ideas, suggestions, want to offer help, etc., feel free to chime in. I'm making this game for my fellow gamers (That's you guys), and I value any input and/or assistance you guys can offer.

Catch you on the flip side.

Laters.

 tag:destructoid.com,2008:254408PlayBoyMan's thoughts on the Xbox One...2013-05-23T16:27:05Z2013-05-23T16:27:05ZIt's a real POS.

Oh yes, I went there. I watched Mircosoft's reveal of their newest Gaming Console, which they foolishly called the Xbox One. I'm pretty sure that most of us all over the world were saying the same thing all at once:

And no one would blame you for doing so. There are so many things wrong with this device. Microsoft calls it the next gen console and it's an all in one device NOTHING can be further form the truth.

First off, next gen devices have a Next Gen feel and design. That means the device mustnt look like something you have seen before in the past.

The Xbox One looks a lot like a combination of VCR's and DVD Players I've owned throughout the years. I mean look at it:

It looks like the love child of a Fat-PS3, A Betamax Player, a Toshiba VCR from the 1990's, and the First Gen DVD players when they hit the market (Those bastards were huge, btw), and the gene pool was too funky for anything good-looking to come out as a result.

Who would seriously take this as a next-gen device? Where the hell would you put it in your house where it WON'T get in the way? It's big and clunky, and I swear it might be able to play my old VHS Cassettes if I push the right buttons. You can fit an Xbox 360 inside of it. Damn.

Let's move on to the 2nd biggest issue I, and many others have with this mash up of fail: The NAME.

Xbox ONE?! Really?

I don't know about you, but when I hear that name, I think of the first ORIGINAL Xbox:

You see, when something is the first, is should get the number 1, because it's the first in of its kind in a series. The same thing goes with the iPhone when the second one came out, it was called the iPhone 2. This continues whenever you make a never version of any product or device. The Xbox 360 may not have been called the Xbox 2, but we all knew it was the 2nd in the series of Xbox consoles.

And now, after all this time, Microsoft calls the 3rd console in the Xbox line the Xbox One, instead of something like, oh I don't know, Xbox 3? or how about the Xbox 720? A lot of gamers and tech news services called the latest Xbox the Xbox 720. You don't go back to 1, because it wasn't the first console. You are supposed to go UP in the version number, and keep going up in the number.

Are they gonna do this with the next version of their PC Operating System? The current one is called Windows 8, does that mean the new one is gonna be called Windows 6? I'm serious here. It's just dumb.

In addition of making devices that look like they belong in sci-fi movies from the 1980's and giving them dumb names, they love embracing two things gamers all over the world don't like very much nowadays: EA and DRM.

EA is the biggest fail-horse in the gaming world. So many bad moves and choices, and apparently, Microsoft is taking to them like a fish to water. If you were one of the unfortunate number of people who wasted an hour of their time not doing anything good by watching the reveal, you would know that EA wants to make a ton of Sport games for the Xbox One.

FIFA, NBA, NFL, Racing, and maybe a Hockey game, were the major highlights of the whole presentation. What about the rest of us who don't even PLAY these games? Where are the Action and Platformer Games? Puzzle Games? RPGs? Adventure Games, perhaps? Anyone? Anyone?

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And then, as if this golden nugget of WTF couldn't get any bigger and smellier, they pump the fail box full of DRM.

From what I know (And readers please correct me if I am wrong), Microsoft has confirmed that all Xbox One games will require mandatory installation onto the system's hard drive and, to install the same disc onto another user's drive, a fee must be paid. This KILLS the used games market.

Gross.

The damn thing is trying to be everything to everyone, and it fails big time. There is nothing wrong with a device or gadget that can do many things, but all of it's features cannot overshadow its primary purpose.

It's supposed to be a gaming console, first and foremost. All I heard about was how you can manage your Netflix account, and/or be on a Skype call while you are either watching TV or playing a game. I don't know about you, but When I'm watching TV or playing a game, the phone is not within reach, and I like it like that.

Its a household device that allows you to do all the things you do on your computer without leaving your living room, and can play games when you are bored with all of that mess.

And NOW the Xbox can play Blu-Ray Movies! WOW! It can play a medium that has been around since 1999! How cool is that?! It's not cool. Not at all.

We don't know about how good the gameplay is (Cinematics, is NOT gameplay btw), how much it costs, and why indie developers are snubbed from making their games available on the damn thing.

On the other hard, when you think about all the shortcomings I've mentioned, that's more like a blessing in disguise.

THIS, my fellow Dtoiders, is what happens when businesses, developers, and designers stop listening to the needs and demands of their customers, and just start focusing WAY too hard on the money and the Intellectual Property rights of publishers, which are only threatened by the stupid ideas like this.

The only people I can see buying this ridiculous console, are mega noobs with really a poor sense of design and context. No offense.

We are gamers. We are Geeks and Nerds. We are not a minority, and we are not stupid....We are a way of life, and Microsoft is insulting all of us with this craziness of a device they have come up with.

It's just a bad product all-around, and I'd rather wait for the PlayStation 4 instead.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off I love that film.
Btw - the Original Xbox was beautiful.

Laters.