Abstract: An improved graphics display system includes a picture processor for processing display lists defining graphic designs, the display lists comprising pixel data and/or instructions for generating pixel data. The system further includes a display controller which stores pixel data in a frame buffer memory and controls a display of graphic designs in accordance therewith. When a display list defining a graphic design is changed but the design is not to be displayed, the display list is processed by the picture processor, but the output pixel data generated by the picture processor is routed not to the display controller but to a control processor which stores the generated pixel data in a second memory. When the design is thereafter to be displayed, the control processor generates a secondary display list including the pixel data stored in the second memory to the picture processor.

Abstract: A graphics display terminal is disclosed having a capability of responding to at least two unique input commands. A first assigns a segment to a group of classes and also removes the segment from membership in another group of classes. A second is a matching condition which requests that all the segments lying within a certain group of classes and/or not lying within another group of classes be identified, the CRT terminal highlighting these identified segments in response to a command from the operator. The second command is called a matching condition. Once all of the segments in a memory are located, which satisfy the matching condition, the operator can direct the terminal to blink or otherwise highlight the identified segments retrieved from memory.