Loading rendering data for an interactive computer

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for loading rendering data for a scene from a computer generated environment at an interactive computer simulation station. In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a content file is created that defines, for each of a plurality of virtual geographical sectors of a computer generated environment, available levels of detail for the virtual geographical sector and a latest available version that the available levels of detail are contained in. A file associated with an available level of detail in the latest available version is listed in the content file. The content file is loaded into memory during execution of an interactive computer simulation station for real-time access by the interactive computer simulation station to determine which files are available to be loaded for rending of the scene having a target level of detail in a latest available version.

1 . A method for loading rendering data for a scene from a computer generated environment at an interactive computer simulation station, the method comprising:
 defining a computer generated environment database, on disk, in a plurality of versions, the computer generated environment database comprising a plurality of virtual geographical sectors and each of the virtual geographical sectors being defined by 1 to f distinct files stored on the disk in the computer generated environment database, the 1 to f files being associated with distinct levels of detail for the virtual geographical sector;   defining, in one or more content files, available levels of detail and a latest version that the available levels of detail are contained in for each of the plurality of virtual geographical sectors by listing a corresponding one of the distinct files stored on disk;   during execution of an interactive computer simulation at the interactive computer simulation station, loading the one or more content files into memory for real-time access;   during execution of the interactive computer simulation at the interactive computer simulation station, identifying a subset of s sectors from the plurality of virtual geographical sectors relevant to the scene each having a target level of detail, with s≥1; and   for each sector s i  of the s sectors:
 accessing the one or more content files in the memory, for, in real-time, determining a latest available version for the sector s i  having the target level of detail; and for the sector s i , loading the file in the target level of detail from the latest available version from the disk storing the computer generated environment database. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive computer simulation station comprises an instrument module that is configured to receive commands from a user related to the interactive computer simulation, and wherein the rendering data for the scene is loaded in real-time based on the commands. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 rendering the scene at the interactive computer simulation station using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) module,   wherein rendering the scene comprises rendering the file in the target level of detail from the latest available version loaded for each sector s i  of the s sectors relevant to the scene.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of virtual geographical sectors defined in the computer generated environment database are associated with a subset of the computer generated environment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more content files are defined by the interactive computer simulation station and loaded into the memory upon execution of the interactive computer simulation at the interactive computer simulation station. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more content files are continuously defined by the interactive computer simulation station and loaded into the memory during execution of the interactive computer simulation at the interactive computer simulation station. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the target level of detail is a highest level of detail available for the respective virtual geographical sector. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the target level of detail for respective virtual geographical sectors is predefined based on the interactive computer simulation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the target level of detail for respective virtual geographical sectors dynamically changes based on relevance to the scene. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when there is no available version for the sector having the target level of detail, a determination is made of a latest available version for the sector having a level of detail less than the target level of detail, in descending order of the level of detail. 
     
     
         11 . A system for loading rendering data for a scene from a computer generated environment at an interactive computer simulation station, comprising:
 a storage system, comprising:
 a computer generated environment database stored on a disk, in a plurality of versions, the computer generated environment database comprising a plurality of virtual geographical sectors and each of the virtual geographical sectors being defined by 1 to f distinct files stored on the disk in the computer generated environment database, the 1 to f files being associated with distinct levels of detail for the virtual geographical sector; and 
 one or more content files comprising available levels of detail and a latest version that the available levels of detail are contained in for each of the plurality of virtual geographical sectors by listing a corresponding one of the distinct files stored on disk; 
 and 
   the interactive computer simulation station, operably coupled with the computer storage system, comprising a processor and a memory for storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor configure the processor during execution of an interactive computer simulation to:
 load the one or more content files into the memory for real-time access; 
 identify a subset of s sectors from the plurality of virtual geographical sectors relevant to the scene each having a target level of detail, with s≥1;and 
   for each sector s i  of the s sectors:
 access the one or more content files in the memory, for, in real-time, determining a latest available version for the sector si having the target level of detail; and 
 for the sector s i , load the file in the target level of detail from the latest available version from the disk storing the computer generated environment database. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the interactive computer simulation station further comprises an instrument module that is configured to receive commands from a user related to the interactive computer simulation, and wherein the rendering data for the scene is loaded in real-time based on the commands. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the interactive computer simulation station further comprises a Graphical User Interface (GUI) module configured to render the scene at the interactive computer simulation station by rendering the file in the target level of detail from the latest available version loaded for each sector si of the s sectors relevant to the scene. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the interactive computer simulation station further comprises a network interface module configured to receive the 1 to f files defining each of the plurality of virtual geographical sectors over a communications network, and wherein the plurality of virtual geographical sectors defined in the computer generated environment database are associated with a subset of the computer generated environment. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more content files are defined by the interactive computer simulation station and loaded into the memory upon execution of the interactive computer simulation station. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more content files are continuously defined by the interactive computer simulation station and loaded into the memory during execution of the interactive computer simulation. 
     
     
         17 . An interactive computer simulation station for loading rendering data for a scene from a computer generated environment, comprising:
 a storage system, comprising:
 a computer generated environment database stored on a disk, in a plurality of versions, the computer generated environment database comprising a plurality of virtual geographical sectors and each of the virtual geographical sectors being defined by 1 to f distinct files stored on the disk in the computer generated environment database, the 1 to f files being associated with distinct levels of detail for the virtual geographical sector; and 
 one or more content files comprising available levels of detail and a latest version that the available levels of detail are contained in for each of the plurality of virtual geographical sectors by listing a corresponding one of the distinct files stored on disk; 
 and 
   a processor and a memory for storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor configure the processor during execution of an interactive computer simulation to:
 load the one or more content files into the memory for real-time access; 
 identify a subset of s sectors from the plurality of virtual geographical sectors relevant to the scene each having a target level of detail, with s≥1; and 
 for each sector s i  of the s sectors:
 access the one or more content files in the memory, for, in real-time, determining a latest available version for the sector si having the target level of detail; and 
 for the sector s i , load the file in the target level of detail from the latest available version from the disk storing the computer generated environment database. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The interactive computer simulation station of  claim 17  further comprising an instrument module that is configured to receive commands from a user related to the interactive computer simulation, and wherein the rendering data for the scene is loaded in real-time based on the commands. 
     
     
         19 . The interactive computer simulation station of  claim 17  further comprising a Graphical User Interface (GUI) module configured to render the scene at the interactive computer simulation station by rendering the file in the target level of detail from the latest available version loaded for each sector s i  of the s sectors relevant to the scene. 
     
     
         20 . The interactive computer simulation station of  claim 17  further comprising a network interface module configured to receive the 1 to f files defining each of the plurality of virtual geographical sectors over a communications network, and wherein the plurality of virtual geographical sectors defined in the computer generated environment database are associated with a subset of the computer generated environment.