Application program interface for a graphics system

• US 6,424,348 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Cheng, Howard, Moore, Robert, Parikh, Vimal
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan, Ulka J.
• Application Number:
  US09/886,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043221A1 (withdrawn)
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 345/501, 345/503, 345/419, 345/551, 345/520, 345/522, 345/559, 345/567, 709/328, 712/208
• US Class Current: 345/522
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/203 Image generating hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0875 with dedicated cache, e.g. instruction or stack
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/04 Texture mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/32 Image data format

Abstract

An interface for a graphics system includes simple yet powerful constructs that are easy for an application programmer to use and learn. Features include a unique vertex representation allowing the graphics pipeline to retain vertex state information and to mix indexed and direct vertex values and attributes; a projection matrix value set command; a display list call object command; and an embedded frame buffer clear/set command.

Claims

1. A graphics system command stream for use in a graphics system to set an array, the command stream comprising:

an array base load register command comprising 0x08Ax, where the second-mentioned “

x”

after “

A”

encodes an attribute indicator,

a 32-bit including a 26-bit address,

a stream command 0x08Bx, where the second-mentioned “

x”

after “

B”

encodes an attribute indicator, and

a succeeding 32-bit value including eight bits indicating a stride for an array,

wherein upon executing of the command stream an array base and an array stride register are set for a vertex array.

2. A computer readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions for setting an array, comprising:

an array base load register comprising 0x08Ax, where the second-mentioned “

x”

after “

A”

encodes an attribute indicator, and

a 32-bit value including a 26-bit address,

a stream command 0x08Bx, where the second-mentioned “

x”

after “

B”

encodes an attribute indicator, and

a succeeding 32 -bit value including eight bits indicating a stride for an array,

wherein upon execution of the command stream an array base register and an array stride register are set for a vertex array.

3. A graphics command stream decoder comprising:

a first decoding section decoding an array base load register command comprising 0x08Ax, where the second-mentioned x encodes an attribute indicator, and

a second decoding section decoding a 32-bit value including a 26-bit address,

a third decoding section decoding a stream command 0x08Bx, where the second-mentioned x encodes an attribute indicator, and

a fourth decoding section decoding a succeeding 32-bit value including eight bits indicating a stride for an array.

4. A method of setting an array in a graphics system using a graphics command stream comprising:

generating an array base load register comprising 0x08Ax, where the second-mentioned x encodes an attribute indicator, and

generating a 32-bit value including a 26-bit address,

generating a stream command 0x08Bx, where the second-mentioned x encodes an attribute indicator, and

generating a succeeding 32-bit value including eight bits indicating a stride for an array,

wherein upon execution of the command stream an array base register and an array stride register are set for a vertex array.