Abstract: Aspects can be for ray tracing of 3-D scenes, and include dynamically controlling a population of rays being stored in a memory, to keep the population within a target, a memory footprint or other resource usage specification. An example includes controlling the population by examining indicia associated with rays returning from intersection testing, to be shaded, the indicia correlated with behavior of shaders to be run for those rays, such that population control selects, or reorders rays for shading, to prioritize shading of rays whose shaders are expected to produce fewer rays.

Abstract: A profiler for a ray tracing renderer interfaces with the renderer to collect rendering information, such as ray definition information, a pixel origin, objects hit, shader invocation, and related rays. In an interface, an artist views a simplified 3-D scene model and a rendered 2-D image. A pixel in the 2-D image is selectable; the profiler responds by populating the simplified 3-D scene with rays that contributed to that pixel. Rays can be displayed in the simplified 3-D scene to visually convey information about characteristics of each ray, such as whether the ray intersected an object, portions of the scene where it is occluded, and a direction. Statistics can be produced by the profiler that convey information such as relative computational complexity to render particular pixels. The profiler can step through multiple passes (e.g., multiple frames and passes of a multipass rendering), and the UI can allow pausing and stepping.

Abstract: A synthetic acceleration shape bound primitives composing a 3-D scene, and is defined using a group of fundamental shapes arranged to bound the primitives, and for which intersection results for group members yield an ultimate intersection testing result for the synthetic shape, using a logical operator. For example, two or more spheres are used to bound an object so that each of the spheres is larger than a minimum necessary to bound the object, and a volume defined by an intersection between the shapes defines a smaller volume in which the object is bounded. A ray is found to potentially intersect the object only if it intersects both spheres. In another example, an element may be defined by a volumetric union of component elements. Indicators can determine how groups of shapes should be interpreted. Synthetic shapes can be treated as a single element in a graph or hierarchical arrangement of acceleration elements.

Abstract: Aspects include API interfaces for interfacing shaders with other components and/or code modules that provide ray tracing functionality. For example, API calls may allow direct contribution of light energy to a buffer for an identified pixel, and allow emission of new rays for intersection testing alone or in bundles. The API also can provide a mechanism for associating arbitrary data with ray definition data defining a ray to be tested through a shader using the emit ray call. The arbitrary data is provided to a shader associated with an object that is identified subsequently as having been intersected by the ray. The data can include code, or a pointer to code, that can be used by or run after the shader. The data also can be propagated through a series of shaders, and associated with rays instantiated in each shader. Recursive shaders can be recompiled as non-recursive shaders interfacing with API semantics according to the description.

Abstract: A synthetic acceleration shape bound primitives composing a 3-D scene, and is defined using a group of fundamental shapes arranged to bound the primitives, and for which intersection results for group members yield an ultimate intersection testing result for the synthetic shape, using a logical operator. For example, two or more spheres are used to bound an object so that each of the spheres is larger than a minimum necessary to bound the object, and a volume defined by an intersection between the shapes defines a smaller volume in which the object is bounded. A ray is found to potentially intersect the object only if it intersects both spheres. In another example, an element may be defined by a volumetric union of component elements. Indicators can determine how groups of shapes should be interpreted. Synthetic shapes can be treated as a single element in a graph or hierarchical arrangement of acceleration elements.

Abstract: A synthetic acceleration shape bound primitives composing a 3-D scene, and is defined using a group of fundamental shapes arranged to bound the primitives, and for which intersection results for group members yield an ultimate intersection testing result for the synthetic shape, using a logical operator. For example, two or more spheres are used to bound an object so that each of the spheres is larger than a minimum necessary to bound the object, and a volume defined by an intersection between the shapes defines a smaller volume in which the object is bounded. A ray is found to potentially intersect the object only if it intersects both spheres. In another example, an element may be defined by a volumetric union of component elements. Indicators can determine how groups of shapes should be interpreted. Synthetic shapes can be treated as a single element in a graph or hierarchical arrangement of acceleration elements.

Abstract: A profiler for a ray tracing renderer interfaces with the renderer to collect rendering information, such as ray definition information, a pixel origin, objects hit, shader invocation, and related rays. In an interface, an artist views a simplified 3-D scene model and a rendered 2-D image. A pixel in the 2-D image is selectable; the profiler responds by populating the simplified 3-D scene with rays that contributed to that pixel. Rays can be displayed in the simplified 3-D scene to visually convey information about characteristics of each ray, such as whether the ray intersected an object, portions of the scene where it is occluded, and a direction. Statistics can be produced by the profiler that convey information such as relative computational complexity to render particular pixels. The profiler can step through multiple passes (e.g., multiple frames and passes of a multipass rendering), and the UI can allow pausing and stepping.

Abstract: A profiler for a ray tracing renderer interfaces with the renderer to collect rendering information, such as ray definition information, a pixel origin, objects hit, shader invocation, and related rays. In an interface, an artist views a simplified 3-D scene model and a rendered 2-D image. A pixel in the 2-D image is selectable; the profiler responds by populating the simplified 3-D scene with rays that contributed to that pixel. Rays can be displayed in the simplified 3-D scene to visually convey information about characteristics of each ray, such as whether the ray intersected an object, portions of the scene where it is occluded, and a direction. Statistics can be produced by the profiler that convey information such as relative computational complexity to render particular pixels. The profiler can step through multiple passes (e.g., multiple frames and passes of a multipass rendering), and the UI can allow pausing and stepping.

Abstract: Aspects can be for ray tracing of 3-D scenes, and include dynamically controlling a population of rays being stored in a memory, to keep the population within a target, a memory footprint or other resource usage specification. An example includes controlling the population by examining indicia associated with rays returning from intersection testing, to be shaded, the indicia correlated with behavior of shaders to be run for those rays, such that population control selects, or reorders rays for shading, to prioritize shading of rays whose shaders are expected to produce fewer rays.

Abstract: Aspects can be for ray tracing of 3-D scenes, and include dynamically controlling a population of rays being stored in a memory, to keep the population within a target, a memory footprint or other resource usage specification. An example includes controlling the population by examining indicia associated with rays returning from intersection testing, to be shaded, the indicia correlated with behavior of shaders to be run for those rays, such that population control selects, or reorders rays for shading, to prioritize shading of rays whose shaders are expected to produce fewer rays.

Abstract: A synthetic acceleration shape bound primitives composing a 3-D scene, and is defined using a group of fundamental shapes arranged to bound the primitives, and for which intersection results for group members yield an ultimate intersection testing result for the synthetic shape, using a logical operator. For example, two or more spheres are used to bound an object so that each of the spheres is larger than a minimum necessary to bound the object, and a volume defined by an intersection between the shapes defines a smaller volume in which the object is bounded. A ray is found to potentially intersect the object only if it intersects both spheres. In another example, an element may be defined by a volumetric union of component elements. Indicators can determine how groups of shapes should be interpreted. Synthetic shapes can be treated as a single element in a graph or hierarchical arrangement of acceleration elements.

Abstract: A synthetic acceleration shape bound primitives composing a 3-D scene, and is defined using a group of fundamental shapes arranged to bound the primitives, and for which intersection results for group members yield an ultimate intersection testing result for the synthetic shape, using a logical operator. For example, two or more spheres are used to bound an object so that each of the spheres is larger than a minimum necessary to bound the object, and a volume defined by an intersection between the shapes defines a smaller volume in which the object is bounded. A ray is found to potentially intersect the object only if it intersects both spheres. In another example, an element may be defined by a volumetric union of component elements. Indicators can determine how groups of shapes should be interpreted. Synthetic shapes can be treated as a single element in a graph or hierarchical arrangement of acceleration elements.

Abstract: Aspects include API interfaces for interfacing shaders with other components and/or code modules that provide ray tracing functionality. For example, API calls may allow direct contribution of light energy to a buffer for an identified pixel, and allow emission of new rays for intersection testing alone or in bundles. The API also can provide a mechanism for associating arbitrary data with ray definition data defining a ray to be tested through a shader using the emit ray call. The arbitrary data is provided to a shader associated with an object that is identified subsequently as having been intersected by the ray. The data can include code, or a pointer to code, that can be used by or run after the shader. The data also can be propagated through a series of shaders, and associated with rays instantiated in each shader. Recursive shaders can be recompiled as non-recursive shaders interfacing with API semantics according to the description.

Abstract: Aspects can be for ray tracing of 3-D scenes, and include dynamically controlling a population of rays being stored in a memory, to keep the population within a target, a memory footprint or other resource usage specification. An example includes controlling the population by examining indicia associated with rays returning from intersection testing, to be shaded, the indicia correlated with behavior of shaders to be run for those rays, such that population control selects, or reorders rays for shading, to prioritize shading of rays whose shaders are expected to produce fewer rays. The indicia can include a respective weight for each ray. In an example, analyzer modules examine hints associated with shaders bound to intersected primitives. Population control aspects can influence ray diversity in memory, including encouraging a varying diversity pattern as rendering of a given scene or frame progresses, based on system resource indicia, rendering metrics and so on.

Abstract: Aspects include API interfaces for interfacing shaders with other components and/or code modules that provide ray tracing functionality. For example, API calls may allow direct contribution of light energy to a buffer for an identified pixel, and allow emission of new rays for intersection testing alone or in bundles. The API also can provide a mechanism for associating arbitrary data with ray definition data defining a ray to be tested through a shader using the emit ray call. The arbitrary data is provided to a shader associated with an object that is identified subsequently as having been intersected by the ray. The data can include code, or a pointer to code, that can be used by or run after the shader. The data also can be propagated through a series of shaders, and associated with rays instantiated in each shader. Recursive shaders can be recompiled as non-recursive shaders interfacing with API semantics according to the description.

Abstract: Aspects include API interfaces for interfacing shaders with other components and/or code modules that provide ray tracing functionality. For example, API calls may allow direct contribution of light energy to a buffer for an identified pixel, and allow emission of new rays for intersection testing alone or in bundles. The API also can provide a mechanism for associating arbitrary data with ray definition data defining a ray to be tested through a shader using the emit ray call. The arbitrary data is provided to a shader associated with an object that is identified subsequently as having been intersected by the ray. The data can include code, or a pointer to code, that can be used by or run after the shader. The data also can be propagated through a series of shaders, and associated with rays instantiated in each shader.

Abstract: Systems and methods include high throughput and/or parallelized ray/geometric shape intersection testing using intersection testing resources accepting and operating with block floating point data. Block floating point data sacrifices precision of scene location in ways that maintain precision where more beneficial, and allow reduced precision where beneficial. In particular, rays, acceleration structures, and primitives can be represented in a variety of block floating point formats, such that storage requirements for storing such data can be reduced. Hardware accelerated intersection testing can be provided with reduced sized math units, with reduced routing requirements. A driver for hardware accelerators can maintain full-precision versions of rays and primitives to allow reduced communication requirements for high throughput intersection testing in loosely coupled systems. Embodiments also can include using BFP formatted data in programmable test cells or more general purpose processing elements.

Abstract: Aspects can be for ray tracing of 3-D scenes, and include dynamically controlling a population of rays being stored in a memory, to keep the population within a target, a memory footprint or other resource usage specification. An example includes controlling the population by examining indicia associated with rays returning from intersection testing, to be shaded, the indicia correlated with behavior of shaders to be run for those rays, such that population control selects, or reorders rays for shading, to prioritize shading of rays whose shaders are expected to produce fewer rays. The indicia can include a respective weight for each ray. In an example, analyzer modules examine hints associated with shaders bound to intersected primitives. Population control aspects can influence ray diversity in memory, including encouraging a varying diversity pattern as rendering of a given scene or frame progresses, based on system resource indicia, rendering metrics and so on.

Abstract: A synthetic acceleration shape bound primitives composing a 3-D scene, and is defined using a group of fundamental shapes arranged to bound the primitives, and for which intersection results for group members yield an ultimate intersection testing result for the synthetic shape, using a logical operator. For example, two or more spheres are used to bound an object so that each of the spheres is larger than a minimum necessary to bound the object, and a volume defined by an intersection between the shapes defines a smaller volume in which the object is bounded. A ray is found to potentially intersect the object only if it intersects both spheres. In another example, an element may be defined by a volumetric union of component elements. Indicators can determine how groups of shapes should be interpreted. Synthetic shapes can be treated as a single element in a graph or hierarchical arrangement of acceleration elements.

Abstract: Aspects include API interfaces for interfacing shaders with other components and/or code modules that provide ray tracing functionality. For example, API calls may allow direct contribution of light energy to a buffer for an identified pixel, and allow emission of new rays for intersection testing alone or in bundles. The API also can provide a mechanism for associating arbitrary data with ray definition data defining a ray to be tested through a shader using the emit ray call. The arbitrary data is provided to a shader associated with an object that is identified subsequently as having been intersected by the ray. The data can include code, or a pointer to code, that can be used by or run after the shader. The data also can be propagated through a series of shaders, and associated with rays instantiated in each shader. Recursive shaders can be recompiled as non-recursive shaders interfacing with API semantics according to the description.