Abstract: The invention provides a method for the fast downloading of textures to graphics hardware for use in computer graphics. By loading the textures directly into hardware, and by making that the only copy of the texture which is downloaded, it is possible to save the time and memory space which have heretofore been required to make at least two additional copies of the texture. Instead, bookkeeping entries are made which tell the graphics API and the applications software that the texture is already available in the graphics hardware.

Abstract: A hardware resource manager for real-time control of a hardware resource in a multiprocessing environment is disclosed. The hardware resource manager performs control and management functions for a limited hardware resource that can be accessed by multiple asynchronous application programs in order to achieve real-time response by the limited hardware resource. The hardware resource manager of the present invention comprises a shared memory buffer and a resource daemon. The shared memory buffer provides for semaphore locking capability so that only one application program may control the hardware resource manager at a time, and virtual memory capability for storing data and command information from the application programs. The resource daemon provides interpretation and processing capability for controlling the limited hardware resource via the data and command information received from the shared memory buffer.

Abstract: A method for decomposing a polygon into trapezoids and further decomposing the trapezoids. During the decomposition process, the method classifies vertices having a horizontal edge by traversing the active trapezoid list, and using the trapezoids found in the list to aid in classifying the vertex. When a polygon fully contains another polygon, the method slits a diagonal between the outside polygon and the inside polygon to create a single polygon. During the slitting produces, vertices are duplicated and diagonals connecting to the original vertex are left connected to the original vertex or are connected to the duplicated vertex. The method corrects improper ordering of the inside polygon, and the method provides consistency checks during the decomposition process to detect polygons with intersecting edges.