Abstract: A method of eliminating stale information from a computer graphics buffer. The method facilitates switching from a fast clear mode to a non fast clear mode during the lifetime of a region of interest such as a window: A clear count value associated with a pixel is read and compared with a current clear count. If the counts are not equal, a replacement value is written into the pixel. The process may be repeated for each pixel in the region. Block transfer hardware and fast clear hardware may be used together to perform the procedure in a high-performance manner: A source region and a destination region for the block transfer operation are both set to the region of interest. As the block transfer proceeds, each pixel is written either with its own value or with a replacement value depending on whether the clear count for the pixel is current.

Abstract: The pseudo-linear frame buffer mapping system and method facilitates the clearing of the frame buffer memory of a graphics display system by subdividing the region of the frame buffer which is to be cleared into a plurality of sub-regions and by initiating the clear command concurrently to each of the plurality of sub-regions.

Abstract: A method of eliminating stale information from a computer graphics buffer. The method facilitates switching from a fast clear mode to a non fast clear mode during the lifetime of a region of interest such as a window: A clear count value associated with a pixel is read and compared with a current clear count. If the counts are not equal, a replacement value is written into the pixel. The process may be repeated for each pixel in the region. Block transfer hardware and fast clear hardware may be used together to perform the procedure in a high-performance manner: A source region and a destination region for the block transfer operation are both set to the region of interest. As the block transfer proceeds, each pixel is written either with its own value or with a replacement value depending on whether the clear count for the pixel is current.

Abstract: A computer graphics system for rendering graphics primitives based upon primitive data received from a host computer through a graphics interface. The primitive data may include vertex state and property state values. The computer graphics system includes a plurality of geometry accelerators configured to process the primitive data to render graphics primitives. The graphics primitives are rendered from one or more vertex states in accordance with the property states currently maintained in the rendering geometry accelerator. A distributor divides the primitive data into chunks of primitive data and distributes each of the primitive data chunks to a current geometry accelerator recipient. In one aspect of the invention, the distributor includes a state controller interposed between the host computer and said plurality of geometry accelerators.