Techniques for providing proprietary tile-based and/or non-tile-based graphics processing to an open-source infrastructure modeling platform

Inventors

Connelly, Paul

Assignees

Bentley Systems Inc

Abstract

In example embodiments, a proprietary implementation of tile-based and/or non-tile-based graphics processing is provided at run-time as a binary for use in an open-source infrastructure modeling platform. An open-source repository from which the infrastructure modeling platform is built includes a backend module and definitions of the interface of a visualization module from a private repository that implements the tile-based and/or non-tile-based processing. The open-source repository lacks code for the underlying implementation of the visualization module. The implementation of the visualization module is instead maintained in a private repository and built therefrom. In operation, the backend module calls an exposed function of a DLL that returns a pointer to a binary implementation of the visualization module. When graphics of an infrastructure model are required, the backend module utilizes the defined interface with the pointer to request tile-based and/or non-tile-based processing from the visualization module.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to rendering an infrastructure model within an open-source infrastructure modeling platform by dynamically loading a visualization module built from a private repository into a backend module. The backend module calls a function of a dynamically loaded module (DLL) to obtain a pointer to an implementation of the visualization module that implements tile-based graphics processing and, in related embodiments, non-tile-based graphics processing.

A core aspect is coordinating tile-tree driven rendering between the frontend module and the backend module, where the backend module determines a need to render graphics for at least a portion of the infrastructure model. The backend module receives an initial request for a description of a tile tree to which a tile belongs, calls the visualization module to obtain the description of the tile tree, and then receives a subsequent request to generate graphics for a tile in the tile tree.

The tile-based request includes an identification of a set of elements that intersect a volume of the tile, so that the visualization module processes tile-based graphics based on the tile-tree context and element intersection. In embodiments including non-tile-based processing, the request includes at least one of an identification of a set of elements or an identification of a symbology and geometric primitives, and the backend module uses defined primary interfaces and supporting interfaces for tile-based and non-tile-based processing to generate and return graphics for display.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes two independent claims, covering a method for rendering an infrastructure model in an open-source infrastructure modeling platform using a dynamically loaded visualization module from a private repository, with tile-based processing in one claim and tile-based plus non-tile-based processing with defined primary and supporting interfaces in the other claim.

Across the two independent claims, the main inventive features are dynamic loading of a visualization module implementation from a private repository via a DLL pointer in an open-source infrastructure modeling platform, tile-tree driven determination of a need to render, requesting tile-based graphics processing using an elements-intersecting-tile-volume input, and receiving processed graphics at a frontend module for display; the broader independent claim additionally specifies non-tile-based graphics processing using a primary tile interface and a supporting non-tile interface with element and/or symbology/geometric-primitive inputs.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found