摘要:
A system and method for rapid processing of scene-graph-based data and/or programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may be configured to utilize a scene graph directly. In another embodiment, the system may be configured to generate a plurality of structures and thread that manage the data originally received as part of the scene graph. The structures and threads may be configured to convey information about state changes through the use of messaging. The system may include support for messaging between threads, messaging with time and/or event stamps, epochs to ensure consistency, and ancillary structures such as render-bins, geometry structures, and rendering environment structures.
摘要:
A high-speed ring topology. In one embodiment, two base chip types are required: a “drawing” chip, LoopDraw, and an “interface” chip, LoopInterface. Each of these chips have a set of pins that supports an identical high speed point to point unidirectional input and output ring interconnect interface: the LoopLink. The LoopDraw chip uses additional pins to connect to several standard memories that form a high bandwidth local memory sub-system. The LoopInterface chip uses additional pins to support a high speed host computer host interface, at least one video output interface, and possibly also additional non-local interconnects to other LoopInterface chip(s).
摘要:
A graphical computing system comprising a control unit and a set of edge processing units. The control unit (a) receives a surface primitive, (b) transfers edge specifying information for each edge of the surface primitive to a corresponding one of the edge processing units, and (c) transfers a horizontal address CX and a vertical address CY of a current pixel to the edge processing units. Each of the edge processing units computes trimming information for the current pixel with respect to the corresponding edge using the horizontal address CX and vertical address CY. The trimming information specifies a portion of the corresponding edge which intersects the current pixel. The control unit collects the trimming information from the edge processing units and transmits an output packet including the addresses CX and CY of the current pixel along with the collected trimming information.
摘要翻译:一种包括控制单元和一组边缘处理单元的图形计算系统。 控制单元(a)接收表面原语,(b)将表面原语的每个边缘的边缘指定信息传送到相应的一个边缘处理单元,(c)将水平地址C < SUB&gt;和当前像素的垂直地址C SUB&gt; Y SUB>到边缘处理单元。 每个边缘处理单元使用水平地址C X和垂直地址C YY来计算相对于对应边缘的当前像素的修剪信息。 修剪信息指定与当前像素相交的相应边缘的一部分。 控制单元从边缘处理单元收集修剪信息,并且将包含当前像素的地址C SUB和C Y Y的输出分组与收集的修整信息一起发送。
摘要:
A method and apparatus for performing fast clip-testing operations in a general purpose processor are provided. This is accomplished by executing a single instruction for comparing a first value x to a second value y and, as a result of the comparison, determining whether x is less than y and whether x is less than negative y. The values x and y are stored in respective source registers of the processor specified by the instruction. Finally, as a result of the determination, one or more binary values representing the results of the determination are inserted into a destination register of the processor also specified by the instruction. Accordingly, the invention advantageously provides a general purpose processor with the ability to execute a clip-testing function with a single instruction compared with prior art general purpose processors that require multiple instructions to perform the same function. Thus, the general purpose processor of the present invention allows for more efficient and faster clip-testing operations.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for creating motion blur, depth of field, and screen door effects when rendering three-dimensional graphics data are disclosed. A graphics system configured with a graphics processor, a super-sampled sample buffer, and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit is disclosed. The graphics processor may be configured to use a sample mask to select different subsets of sample coordinates to be rendered for a particular frame. Each subset may be rendered applying a different set of attributes, and the resulting samples may then be stored together in the sample buffer. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may be configured to filter the samples into output pixels that are provided to a display device. The attributes that may be changed from subset to subset include the viewpoint, the time at which objects in the data are rendered, which objects or geometric primitives in the data are rendered, the position of objects in the data, the color of objects in the data, the transparency of objects in the data, and the shape of objects in the data.
摘要:
A graphics system comprises pixel calculation units and a sample buffer which stores a two-dimensional field of samples. Each pixel calculation unit selects positions in the two-dimensional field at which pixel values (e.g. red, green, blue) are computed. The pixel computation positions are selected to compensate for image distortions introduced by a display device and/or display surface. Non-uniformities in a viewer's perceived intensity distribution from a display surface (e.g. hot spots, overlap brightness) are corrected by appropriately scaling pixel values prior to transmission to display devices. Two or more sets of pixel calculation units driving two or more display devices adjust their respective pixel computation centers to align the edges of two or more displayed images. Physical barriers prevent light spillage at the interface between any two of the display images. Separate pixel computation positions may be used for distinct colors to compensate for color distortions.
摘要:
A system and method is disclosed for management of sample data to enable video rate anti-aliasing convolution. Sample data may be moved simultaneously from a sample buffer to a bin scanline cache and from the bin scanline cache to an array of N2 processor—memory units (e.g. 25 for N=5). Pixel data may be convolved from an N×N sample bin array that may be approximately centered on the pixel location. Since each sample bin contains Ns/b samples, Ns/b×N2 samples may be filtered for each pixel (e.g. 400 for N=5 and Ns/b=16). Each processor—memory unit convolves the sample data for one sample bin in the N×N sample bin array and supports a variety of filter functions. Pixel data may be output to a real time video data stream.
摘要:
A graphics system comprising a control unit and a series of calculation units coupled together in a closed chain by a segmented communication bus. The calculation unit collaboratively generate one or more video signals. Each calculation unit is programmably assigned to contribute its locally-generated pixels to one of the video streams. The control unit sends a frame readback request to a selected one of the calculation units through the segmented communication bus. The frame readback request specifies some subset of the pixels in one of the video streams for readback to the control unit. In response to the frame readback request, the selected calculation unit transmits the subset of pixels of the specified video stream to the control unit, and the control unit forwards the subset of pixels to a target memory block (e.g. in system memory of a host computer or memory within the graphics system).
摘要:
A graphics system comprises a rendering unit, a sample buffer and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The rendering unit receives graphics data specifying three triangle vertices, generates sample positions, and determines which samples reside inside the triangle. The rendering unit computes an axial rate of change of an ordinate based on the positions and ordinates of the vertices, and, for each sample residing inside the triangle, (a) multiplies the axial rate by a edge-relative sample displacement resulting in a first product, (b) interpolates a projection value for a projection point on a first edge of the triangle, and (c) adds the first product to the projection value resulting in a sample ordinate value. The sample buffer stores the sample ordinate value the samples inside the triangle. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit reads sample ordinate values from the sample buffer and generates a pixel value by filtering the sample ordinate values.
摘要:
A method and instruction set for geometry compression and decompression is disclosed. The method and instruction set includes one or more of the following attributes and instructions: a gosub-type instruction, a goto-type instruction, direct and indirect attribute-setting instructions, and matrix manipulation instructions. The instructions may be embedded within individual vertex descriptions, or they may be specified independent of any individual vertex in order to set global state information that applies to all vertices that follow the instruction. Individual vertex instructions may temporarily override the global settings. A graphics system configured to execute the instruction set is also disclosed.