Abstract: A pixel center position that is not covered by a primitive covering a portion of the pixel is displaced to lie within a fragment formed by the intersection of the primitive and the pixel. X,y coordinates of a pixel center are adjusted to displace the pixel center position to lie within the fragment, affecting actual texture map coordinates or barycentric weights. Alternatively, a centroid sub-pixel sample position is determined based on coverage data for the pixel and a multisample mode. The centroid sub-pixel sample position is used to compute pixel or sub-pixel parameters for the fragment.

Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying pixels that are inside a two-dimensional path may be used to fill the path. The path is segmented and a point in space is identified that is used to generate a triangle fan, where each triangle in the fan is formed by one of the segments of the path and the point. Locations in a winding buffer are updated for each pixel that is within a triangle of the triangle fan. The resulting winding buffer indicates the pixels that are inside the two-dimensional path. The winding buffer may be used to fill the path.

Abstract: A scalable shader architecture is disclosed. In accord with that architecture, a shader includes multiple shader pipelines, each of which can perform processing operations on rasterized pixel data. Shader pipelines can be functionally removed as required, thus preventing a defective shader pipeline from causing a chip rejection. The shader includes a shader distributor that processes rasterized pixel data and then selectively distributes the processed rasterized pixel data to the various shader pipelines, beneficially in a manner that balances workloads. A shader collector formats the outputs of the various shader pipelines into proper order to form shaded pixel data. A shader instruction processor (scheduler) programs the individual shader pipelines to perform their intended tasks.

Abstract: Systems and methods that decompress block compressed texture data may decompress the texture data while simplifying computations to reduce die area while maintaining the required accuracy. Reducing the die area permits more texture data to be decompressed in the same die area compared with a more accurate decompression, thereby increasing texture decompression throughput. Computations are simplified by combining denominators for linear interpolation with format conversion to decompress texture data components compressed using conventional block compression formats.

Abstract: Systems and methods for modifying the number of texture samples used to produce an anisotropically filtered texture mapped pixel may improve texture mapping performance. When the number of texture samples is reduced, fewer texels are read and fewer filtering computations are needed to produce a texture value for an anisotropic footprint. The number of texture samples is reduced based on the mip map level weight. The number of texture samples may also be modified using specific parameters for the coarse and/or fine mip map levels. The spacing between the texture samples along the major axis of anisotropy may be modified to improve image quality or texture cache performance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for modifying the number of texture samples used to produce an anisotropically filtered texture mapped pixel may improve texture mapping performance. When the number of texture samples is reduced, fewer texels are read and fewer filtering computations are needed to produce a texture value for an anisotropic footprint. The number of texture samples is reduced based on the mip map level weight. The number of texture samples may also be modified using specific parameters for the coarse and/or fine mip map levels. The spacing between the texture samples along the major axis of anisotropy may be modified to improve image quality or texture cache performance.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed for modifying positions of sample positions for selectably oversampling pixels to anti-alias non-geometric portions of computer-generated images, such as texture, at least in part, by translating (e.g., shifting) shading sample positions relative to a frame of reference in which there is no relative motion between the geometries and the coverage sample positions. In one embodiment, an exemplary method determines whether a coverage sample position is covered by a geometric primitive. The method includes translating a shading sample position from an original shading sample position to the coverage sample position. This generally occurs if the geometry covers the coverage sample position to form a covered coverage sample position. Further, the method samples a shading value at the covered coverage sample positions for the pixel portion to anti-alias, for example, texture to reduce level of detail (“LOD”) artifacts.

Abstract: A graphics system has a mode of operation in which real samples and virtual samples are generated for anti-aliasing pixels. Each virtual sample identifies a set of real samples associated with a common primitive that covers a virtual sample location within a pixel. The virtual samples provide additional coverage information that may be used to adjust the weights of real samples.

Abstract: Hybrid sampling of pixels of an image involves generating shading values at multiple shading sample locations and generating depth values at multiple depth sample locations, with the number of depth sample locations exceeding the number of shading sample locations. Each shading sample location is associated with one or more of the depth sample locations. Generation and filtering of hybrid sampled pixel data can be done within a graphics processing system, transparent to an application that provides image data.