Method and system for rendering graphical objects to image chunks
First Claim
1. A method of generating images for display in a frame or other view space of a physical output device, the method comprising:
- identifying a potentially visible object in a scene and a corresponding two-dimensional region of the view space to render the potentially visible object into;
dividing the two-dimensional region among plural image portions or chunks;
sorting the object geometry of the potentially visible object among the plural image portions or chunks;
repeating the identifying, dividing, and sorting steps for at least one more object in the scene;
rendering the scene including serially rendering object geometry for at least two of the image portions or chunks of the scene to produce a rendered image;
storing the rendered chunks for objects in the scene in a randomly accessible chunk format;
retrieving the rendered chunks for the objects in the chunk format;
compositing pixels from the rendered chunks of the objects to compute a display image representing the objects in the scene; and
repeating the above steps to process and display subsequent display images.
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Abstract
A method for rendering graphical objects in a scene to generate a display images includes dividing the geometric primitives of models in a scene among portions or "chunks" of the view space to which the primitives will be rendered, and then rendering geometry referenced to the chunks in series in a common depth buffer. Geometry for a chunk can be rendered, including sophisticated anti-aliasing and translucency computations, using a minimum of memory. Serially rendering object geometry in chunks provides an effective form of compression because pixel fragments can be generated for one chunk at a time and then resolved. Pixel fragments can be resolved in a post-processing step for one chunk while primitives for another chunk are rasterized.
404 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of generating images for display in a frame or other view space of a physical output device, the method comprising:
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identifying a potentially visible object in a scene and a corresponding two-dimensional region of the view space to render the potentially visible object into; dividing the two-dimensional region among plural image portions or chunks; sorting the object geometry of the potentially visible object among the plural image portions or chunks; repeating the identifying, dividing, and sorting steps for at least one more object in the scene; rendering the scene including serially rendering object geometry for at least two of the image portions or chunks of the scene to produce a rendered image; storing the rendered chunks for objects in the scene in a randomly accessible chunk format; retrieving the rendered chunks for the objects in the chunk format; compositing pixels from the rendered chunks of the objects to compute a display image representing the objects in the scene; and repeating the above steps to process and display subsequent display images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of processing an image for display of the processed image in a frame or other view space of a physical output device, the method comprising:
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sorting object geometry of objects in a view volume among plural chunks representing 2D arrays of image sample values, at least two of the chunks being at variable and adjustable locations relative to output device coordinates; independently rendering the sorted geometry to chunks such that each of the objects has a corresponding image layer comprised of rendered chunks; storing the rendered chunks for the objects in a randomly accessible chunk format; retrieving rendered chunks in the chunk format; geometrically transforming selected rendered pixel data of the rendered chunks into physical output device coordinates; compositing rendered pixel data including the transformed pixel data into output pixels for display; transferring a portion of a rendered image comprised of the output pixels corresponding to the view space to the physical output device for display. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification