New algorithm for two-dimensional line clipping

Line segment clipping is a basic element of the visualization process in a graphics system. So far there exist two approaches for development of algorithms for clipping a line segment with respect to a rectangular window. According to the first approach the line segment locations with respect to the window are described by a certain generalized model. As a result all line segments are clipped identically. The second approach is based on the observation that the great diversity of line segment locations could by systematized in several basic cases. For each one of them the clipping is performed in a preliminary defined way. The algorithm described in the papers uses the second approach. The basic cases of the line segment locations with respect to the window are selected so that the time consuming computations as division and multiplication are reduced to a minimum. An analytical comparison is made with the other algorithms using this approach that are theoretically and experimentally proved to be more efficient than those developed on base of the first approach.