Method and apparatus for performing conservative hidden surface removal in a graphics processor with deferred shading
    8.
    发明授权
    Method and apparatus for performing conservative hidden surface removal in a graphics processor with deferred shading 有权
    在具有延迟着色的图形处理器中执行保守的隐藏表面去除的方法和装置

    公开(公告)号:US06476807B1

    公开(公告)日:2002-11-05

    申请号:US09378391

    申请日:1999-08-20

    IPC分类号: G06T1540

    摘要: Structure, apparatus, and method for performing conservative hidden surface removal in a graphics processor. Culling is divided into two steps, a magnitude comparison content addressable memory cull operation (MCCAM Cull), and a subpixel cull operation. The MCCAM Cull discards primitives that are hidden completely by previously processed geometry. The Subpixel Cull takes the remaining primitives (which are partly or entirely visible), and determines the visible fragments. In one embodiment the method of performing hidden surface removal includes: selecting a current primitive comprising a plurality of stamps; comparing stamps to stamps from previously evaluated primitives; selecting a first stamp as a currently potentially visible stamp (CPVS) based on a relationship of depth states of samples in the first stamp with depth states of samples of previously evaluated stamps; comparing the CPVS to a second stamp; discarding the second stamp when no part of the second stamp would affect a final graphics display image based on the stamps that have been evaluated; discarding the CPVS and making the second stamp the CPVS, when the second stamp hides the CPVS; dispatching the CPVS and making the second stamp the CPVS when both the second stamp and the CPVS are at least partially visible in the final graphics display image; and dispatching the second stamp and the CPVS when the visibility of the second stamp and the CPVS depends on parameters evaluated later in the computer graphics pipeline.

    摘要翻译: 用于在图形处理器中执行保守的隐藏表面去除的结构,装置和方法。 剔除分为两个步骤,幅度比较内容可寻址存储器剔除操作(MCCAM Cull)和子像素剔除操作。 MCCAM Cull将丢弃由先前处理过的几何完全隐藏的原语。 子像素Cull获取剩余的基元(部分或全部可见),并确定可见碎片。 在一个实施例中,执行隐藏表面去除的方法包括:选择包括多个邮票的当前图元; 将邮票与先前评估的图案的邮票进行比较; 基于所述第一印记中的样本的深度状态与先前评估的标记的样本的深度状态的关系,选择第一印记作为当前潜在可见印记(CPVS); 将CPVS与第二个邮票进行比较; 当第二印章的任何部分都不会影响基于所评估的邮票的最终图形显示图像时,丢弃第二印记; 丢弃CPVS,并将第二个邮票隐藏CPVS; 在最终图形显示图像中至少部分地可见第二印记和CPVS时,分派CPVS并使第二印记CPVS; 并且当第二印章和CPVS的可视性取决于计算机图形管线中稍后评估的参数时,分派第二印记和CPVS。

    System, apparatus and method for spatially sorting image data in a three-dimensional graphics pipeline
    9.
    发明授权
    System, apparatus and method for spatially sorting image data in a three-dimensional graphics pipeline 有权
    用于在三维图形管线中空间分类图像数据的系统,装置和方法

    公开(公告)号:US06552723B1

    公开(公告)日:2003-04-22

    申请号:US09378633

    申请日:1999-08-20

    IPC分类号: G06T1700

    摘要: The present invention is a mid-pipeline sorting unit that sorts image data mid-pipeline in a tiled 3-D graphics pipeline architecture. The image data includes vertices of geometric primitives. The mid-pipeline sorting determines whether a geometric primitive intersects a region of a 2-D window. The 2-D window having been divided into multiple such regions. Upon determining which region of the 2-D window that the geometric primitive intersects, the mid-pipeline sorting unit stores the vertices that define the geometric primitive into a memory in a manner that associates each of the geometric primitive's vertices with the region that was intersected. After the image data is sorted into the memory, the mid pipeline sorting unit sends the sorted image data to the subsequent stage on a region by region basis. Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a guaranteed conservative memory estimate to the mid-pipeline sorting stage of whether there is enough free memory for the mid pipeline sorting unit to sort and store the image data. Yet another embodiment of the present invention sends image data from a memory to a next stage in a graphics pipeline in a spatially staggered sequence.

    摘要翻译: 本发明是一种中间流水线分拣单元,其以平铺的3-D图形流水线架构中间管线分类图像数据。 图像数据包括几何图元的顶点。 中间流水线排序确定几何图元是否与2-D窗口的区域相交。 2-D窗口已分为多个这样的区域。 在确定几何图元相交的2-D窗口的哪个区域时,中间流水线分类单元以将每个几何图元的顶点与相交的区域相关联的方式将定义几何基元的顶点存储到存储器中 。 在图像数据被分类到存储器中之后,中间流水线分拣单元将逐行分类的排序图像数据发送到后续阶段。本发明的另一个实施例提供了对中间流水线排序的保证的保守的存储器估计 是否有足够的空闲内存用于中间管道分拣单元对图像数据进行分类和存储。本发明的另一实施例将图像数据从空间交错序列中的图形流水线中的存储器发送到下一级。