31. An apparatus for providing simple generalized conservative visibility, comprising: a programmable machine including a display for viewing at least one object; and a processor; said processor defining at least one occluder node, wherein said at least one occluder node comprises a plane having a given width and height in object space that blocks the rendering of objects behind it in world space; said processor calculating bounding planes which form a bounding volume in which said object is occluded; said processor testing if a camera is inside an occlusion volume associated with an object, such that said object is visible to said camera, wherein an object not visible to said camera is not rendered; wherein said at least one occluder node is used by said processor to compute a conservative set of visible objects from a current view point for viewing on said display; providing an activationDistance field which specifies how far a camera must be from an occluder node for said occluder node to be active; and said processor rendering a conservative set of visible objects.
31. An apparatus for providing simple generalized conservative visibility, comprising: a programmable machine including a display for viewing at least one object; and a processor; said processor defining at least one occluder node, wherein said at least one occluder node comprises a plane having a given width and height in object space that blocks the rendering of objects behind it in world space; said processor calculating bounding planes which form a bounding volume in which said object is occluded; said processor testing if a camera is inside an occlusion volume associated with an object, such that said object is visible to said camera, wherein an object not visible to said camera is not rendered; wherein said at least one occluder node is used by said processor to compute a conservative set of visible objects from a current view point for viewing on said display; providing an activationDistance field which specifies how far a camera must be from an occluder node for said occluder node to be active; and said processor rendering a conservative set of visible objects. 37. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising: a Boolean field which controls whether or not said at least one occluder node is active in a scene.