Application program interface for a graphics system

• US 6,456,290 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• 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:
  US09/886,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043223A1 (withdrawn)
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 345/501, 345/503, 345/419, 345/581, 345/520, 345/522, 345/559
• 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, the command stream being operable upon execution to set a vertex descriptor, the command stream comprising:

a stream command 0x0850 followed by a 32-bit value including seventeen bits defining attribute indexing information for up to twelve attributes, and

a further stream command 0x0860 followed by a 32-bit value including sixteen bits encoding attribute indexing information for up to an additional eight attributes,

wherein upon execution of the command stream the vertex descriptor is set.

2. A computer readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions for setting a vertex descriptor comprising:

a stream command 0x0850 followed by a 32-bit value including seventeen bits defining attribute indexing information for up to twelve attributes, and

a further stream command 0x0860 followed by a 32-bit value including sixteen bits encoding attribute indexing information for up to an additional eight attributes,

wherein execution of the encoded instructions sets the vertex descriptor.

3. A graphics command stream decoder comprising:

a first decoding section decoding a stream command 0x0850 followed by a 32-bit value including seventeen bits defining attribute indexing information for up to twelve attributes, and

a second decoding section decoding a further stream command 0x0860 followed by a 32-bit value including sixteen bits encoding attribute indexing information for up to an additional eight attributes.

4. A method of setting a vertex descriptor using a graphics command stream, the method comprising:

generating a stream command 0x0850 followed by a 32-bit value including seventeen bits defining attribute indexing information for up to twelve attributes, and

generating a further stream command 0x0860 followed by a 32-bit value including sixteen bits encoding attribute indexing information for up to an additional eight attributes,

wherein upon execution of the graphics command stream the vertex descriptor is set.