Abstract: For use in a system capable of creating and displaying vector computer graphics, there is disclosed an apparatus and method for acceleration of 2D vector graphics using both a general purpose computer and conventional 3D graphics hardware. In one advantageous embodiment, the apparatus and method of the present invention comprises a central processing unit (CPU) that is capable of analyzing 2D vector graphic content to create a span stream and a fill palette for each graphics layer of a visual image. The CPU sends the span streams and the fill palettes to a 3D graphics hardware device. Each span stream contains all the information necessary for the 3D graphics hardware device to correctly locate all of the shape boundaries in a graphics layer. Each fill palette contains all the information necessary for the 3D graphics hardware device to correctly fill all of the shape boundaries in each graphics layer.

Abstract: For use in a system capable of creating and displaying vector computer graphics, there is disclosed an apparatus and method for acceleration of 2D vector graphics using both a general purpose computer and conventional 3D graphics hardware. In one advantageous embodiment, the apparatus and method of the present invention comprises a central processing unit (CPU) that is capable of analyzing 2D vector graphic content to create a span stream and a fill palette for each graphics layer of a visual image. The CPU sends the span streams and the fill palettes to a 3D graphics hardware device. Each span stream contains all the information necessary for the 3D graphics hardware device to correctly locate all of the shape boundaries in a graphics layer. Each fill palette contains all the information necessary for the 3D graphics hardware device to correctly fill all of the shape boundaries in each graphics layer.