Abstract: Embodiments are described for a method for using anti-aliasing hardware to generate a higher resolution image at the processing of a lower resolution image with anti-aliasing. A graphics image comprising allocating a buffer used in a multisample anti-aliasing process, wherein the allocated buffer has a dimension comprising a reduction in at least one of the width or height of an original dimension of an original buffer provided by the anti-aliasing hardware; rendering sampled image data to the allocated buffer at a sampling rate proportional to the reduction; and expanding the allocated buffer back to the dimension of the original buffer.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for a method for using anti-aliasing hardware to generate a higher resolution image at the processing of a lower resolution image with anti-aliasing. A graphics image comprising allocating a buffer used in a multisample anti-aliasing process, wherein the allocated buffer has a dimension comprising a reduction in at least one of the width or height of an original dimension of an original buffer provided by the anti-aliasing hardware; rendering sampled image data to the allocated buffer at a sampling rate proportional to the reduction; and expanding the allocated buffer back to the dimension of the original buffer.

Abstract: Scissoring for any number of scissoring regions is performed in a sequential order by drawing one scissoring region at a time on a drawing surface and updating scissor values for pixels within each scissoring region. A scissor value for a pixel may indicate the number of scissoring regions covering the pixel and may be incremented for each scissoring region covering the pixel. A scissor value for a pixel may also be a bitmap, and a bit for a scissoring region may be set to one if the pixel is within the scissoring region. Pixels within a region of interest are passed and rendered, and pixels outside of the region are discarded. This region may be defined by a reference value, which may be set to (a) one for the union of all scissoring regions, for a scissoring UNION operation, or (b) larger than one for the intersection of multiple (e.g., all) scissoring regions, for a scissoring AND operation.

Abstract: Techniques for supporting both 2-D and 3-D graphics are described. A graphics processing unit (GPU) may perform 3-D graphics processing in accordance with a 3-D graphics pipeline to render 3-D images and may also perform 2-D graphics processing in accordance with a 2-D graphics pipeline to render 2-D images. Each stage of the 2-D graphics pipeline may be mapped to at least one stage of the 3-D graphics pipeline. For example, a clipping, masking and scissoring stage in 2-D graphics may be mapped to a depth test stage in 3-D graphics. Coverage values for pixels within paths in 2-D graphics may be determined using rasterization and depth test stages in 3-D graphics. A paint generation stage and an image interpolation stage in 2-D graphics may be mapped to a fragment shader stage in 3-D graphics. A blending stage in 2-D graphics may be mapped to a blending stage in 3-D graphics.

Abstract: The system includes a shape buffer manager configured to store coverage data in the shape buffer. The coverage data indicates whether each mask pixel is a covered pixel or an uncovered pixel. A mask pixel is a covered pixel when a shape to be rendered on a screen covers the mask pixel such that one or more coverage criteria is satisfied and is an uncovered pixel when the shape does not cover the mask pixel such that the one or more coverage criteria are satisfied. A bounds primitive rasterizer is configured to rasterize a bounds primitive that bounds the shape. The bounds primitive is rasterized into primitive pixels that each corresponds to one of the mask pixels. A pixel screener is configured to employ the coverage data from the shape buffer to screen the primitive pixels into retained pixels and discarded pixels.

Abstract: The system includes a bounds primitive rasterizer that rasterizes a bounds primitive into a selection of primitive pixels. The selection of primitive pixels bounds a shape to be rendered to a screen. The system also includes a pixel mask generator that generates a pixel mask for the shape. The pixel mask includes mask pixels that each corresponds to one of the primitive pixels. A mask pixel is a covered pixel when the shape covers at least a threshold portion of the mask pixel and is an uncovered pixel when the shape does not cover the mask pixel. The system also includes a pixel screener configured to retain primitive pixels that correspond to covered mask pixels and to discard primitive pixels that correspond to uncovered mask pixels.

Abstract: Techniques for supporting both 2-D and 3-D graphics are described. A graphics processing unit (GPU) may perform 3-D graphics processing in accordance with a 3-D graphics pipeline to render 3-D images and may also perform 2-D graphics processing in accordance with a 2-D graphics pipeline to render 2-D images. Each stage of the 2-D graphics pipeline may be mapped to at least one stage of the 3-D graphics pipeline. For example, a clipping, masking and scissoring stage in 2-D graphics may be mapped to a depth test stage in 3-D graphics. Coverage values for pixels within paths in 2-D graphics may be determined using rasterization and depth test stages in 3-D graphics. A paint generation stage and an image interpolation stage in 2-D graphics may be mapped to a fragment shader stage in 3-D graphics. A blending stage in 2-D graphics may be mapped to a blending stage in 3-D graphics.

Abstract: The system includes a shape buffer manager configured to store coverage data in the shape buffer. The coverage data indicates whether each mask pixel is a covered pixel or an uncovered pixel. A mask pixel is a covered pixel when a shape to be rendered on a screen covers the mask pixel such that one or more coverage criteria is satisfied and is an uncovered pixel when the shape does not cover the mask pixel such that the one or more coverage criteria are satisfied. A bounds primitive rasterizer is configured to rasterize a bounds primitive that bounds the shape. The bounds primitive is rasterized into primitive pixels that each corresponds to one of the mask pixels. A pixel screener is configured to employ the coverage data from the shape buffer to screen the primitive pixels into retained pixels and discarded pixels.

Abstract: Scissoring for any number of scissoring regions is performed in a sequential order by drawing one scissoring region at a time on a drawing surface and updating scissor values for pixels within each scissoring region. A scissor value for a pixel may indicate the number of scissoring regions covering the pixel and may be incremented for each scissoring region covering the pixel. A scissor value for a pixel may also be a bitmap, and a bit for a scissoring region may be set to one if the pixel is within the scissoring region. Pixels within a region of interest are passed and rendered, and pixels outside of the region are discarded. This region may be defined by a reference value, which may be set to (a) one for the union of all scissoring regions, for a scissoring UNION operation, or (b) larger than one for the intersection of multiple (e.g., all) scissoring regions, for a scissoring AND operation.

Abstract: The system includes a bounds primitive rasterizer that rasterizes a bounds primitive into a selection of primitive pixels. The selection of primitive pixels bounds a shape to be rendered to a screen. The system also includes a pixel mask generator that generates a pixel mask for the shape. The pixel mask includes mask pixels that each corresponds to one of the primitive pixels. A mask pixel is a covered pixel when the shape covers at least a threshold portion of the mask pixel and is an uncovered pixel when the shape does not cover the mask pixel. The system also includes a pixel screener configured to retain primitive pixels that correspond to covered mask pixels and to discard primitive pixels that correspond to uncovered mask pixels.

Abstract: A variable number of textures are blended together using a single texture as a mask. At least four textures are received. Masks are extracted from one of the received textures and used to blend together the remaining textures. In an embodiment, N masks are extracted from a single texture and used to blend N+1 additional textures. In this embodiment, two of the N+1 textures are initially blended together in accordance with one of the N masks to form an image. Another texture of the N+1 textures is then blended with the image in accordance with another one of the N masks. This iterative blending process continues until all of the N+1 textures have been blended together. In another embodiment, N textures are blended together by multiplying each of the N textures by one of the N masks and adding together the results of the N multiplications.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for filtering textures applied to a surface of a computer generated object permits an application program running on a computer system to significantly increase the graphics capabilities and performance of the computer. Rendering data for a pixel of the object is received from the application program, and a first and second set of texture coordinates is generated. Next, the first and second sets of texture coordinates are used to obtain a first and second texture sample from a texture image. The first and second texture samples are then blended together to produce a texture sample having a greater degree of filtering. This produced texture sample having a higher degree of filtering is stored in a frame buffer for subsequent display.

Abstract: A first copy of an object is rendered using a texture sample selected from a texture image. This texture sample is selected from the texture image according to a first set of texture coordinates. The rendered object is stored in a frame buffer. Next, a second copy of the object is rendered using a second texture sample selected from the texture image. The second texture sample is selected from the texture image according to a second set of texture coordinates calculated in accordance with the first set of texture coordinates and one or more Jitter factors. The second set of calculated texture coordinates is displaced from the first set of texture coordinates along an axis of anisotropy. This second rendered copy of the object is then blended with the first rendered copy of the object to produce an object with anisotropic filtering. In embodiments of the invention, more than two copies of the object are rendered and blended together to form an object with anisotropic filtering.

Abstract: A variable number of textures are blended together using a single texture as a mask. At least four textures are received. Masks are extracted from one of the received textures and used to blend together the remaining textures. In an embodiment, N masks are extracted from a single texture and used to blend N+1 additional textures. In this embodiment, two of the N+1 textures are initially blended together in accordance with one of the N masks to form an image. Another texture of the N+1 textures is then blended with the image in accordance with another one of the N masks. This iterative blending process continues until all of the N+1 textures have been blended together. In another embodiment, N textures are blended together by multiplying each of the N textures by one of the N masks and adding together the results of the N multiplications.

Abstract: A transformation pipeline for computing distortion correction geometry for any design eye point, display surface geometry, and projector position. The present invention provides a method and system for automatically performing distortion correction to rendered images within an image generator in order to undo distortion induced by complex display systems (e.g., non-linear display surface geometry). For example, one embodiment of the present invention within an image generator automatically computes image distortion correction on-the-fly for any given geometry of a display surface, any given position of a design eye point, and any given position of a projector. Furthermore, the same embodiment also automatically computes image distortion correction on-the-fly whenever any of the above listed elements change.