Multi-format vertex data processing apparatus and method

• US 6,501,479 B1
• Filed: 06/21/1999
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ATI International SRL (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Root, Gary W., Selvaggi, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monestime, Mackly
• Application Number:
  US09/337,293
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 345/530, 345/503, 345/441, 345/619, 345/426, 345/428, 341/63, 341/67
• US Class Current: 345/530
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/32 Image data format

Abstract

An apparatus and method allows efficient processing of vertex data received in any suitable format. The method and apparatus accesses stored vertex data that may be stored in a plurality of different formats. A single copy of the received vertex data is stored in memory so that the system does not require a block of memory containing differing formats of the vertex data. The apparatus and method utilizes a universal vertex data fetching mechanism which controls retrieval of vertex data stored in the first format in memory based on multi-format description data. As such, the vertex data that may be received in one of a plurality of formats, is effectively coded so that a data fetcher may appropriately fetch vertex parameter data from suitable addresses independent of the format in which the vertex data was received.

Claims

1. A method for accessing stored vertex data that may be stored in a plurality of different formats comprising the steps of:

receiving variable vertex format information defining at least a first format of variable format vertex data;

generating multiformat description data from the variable vertex format information;

controlling retrieval of vertex data stored in the first format based on the multiformat description data; and

communicating the retrieved data in a second format suitable for a graphics processing unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiformat description data includes vertex array descriptor data representing, on a per array basis, at least array based address data and a number of vertex parameters per structure.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of generating multiformat description data includes mapping the variable vertex format information into the vertex array descriptor data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphics processing unit receives data in a different format from the first format and wherein the step of controlling retrieval of vertex data stored in the first format includes the step of controlling a vertex data address generator to obtain stored vertex parameters for the graphics processing unit consistent with the different format.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of generating the multiformat description data includes generating array data representing a number of arrays to be processed and generating data representing which parameters are present per vertex.

6. The method of claim 5 including the step of storing the array based address data, the number of vertex parameters per structure, the array data representing a number of arrays to be processed and the vertex parameter data as register data.

7. The method of claim 1 including generating vertex array descriptor data representing, on a per array basis, at least array based address data, a number of vertex parameters per structure and stride data representing a number of bits to a next structure in an array of structures.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the multiformat vertex data fetcher comprises an upcounter operatively responsive to increment count data, a downcounter operatively responsive to generate a last structure in a vertex array, and a comparator operatively responsive to compare data representing a number of total arrays in a vertex array being translated and data representing a number of vertex parameters per structure to determine a last array of the vertex array being translated.

8. An apparatus for accessing stored vertex data that may be stored in a plurality of different formats comprising:

a multiformat description provider operative to receive variable vertex format information defining at least a first format of variable format vertex data and operative to generate multiformat description data from the variable vertex format information; and

a multiformat vertex data fetcher operative to control retrieval of vertex data stored in the first format based on the multiformat description data; and

communicate the retrieved data in a second format suitable for a graphics processing unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the multiformat description data includes vertex array descriptor data representing, on a per array basis, at least array based address data and a number of vertex parameters per structure.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the multiformat description provider maps the variable vertex format information into the vertex array descriptor data.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the graphics processing unit receives data in a different format from the first format and the multiformat vertex data fetcher controls retrieval of vertex data stored in the first format and includes a vertex data address generator that obtains stored vertex parameters for the graphics processing unit consistent with the different format.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the multiformat description provider generates array data representing a number of arrays to be processed and vertex parameter data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including a set of registers containing the array based address data, the number of vertex parameters per structure, the array data representing a number of arrays to be processed and the vertex parameter data as register data.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the multiformat vertex data fetcher processes vertex array descriptor data representing, on a per array basis, at least array based address data, a number of vertex parameters per structure and stride data representing a number of bits to a next structure in an array of structures.

16. An apparatus for accessing stored vertex data that may be stored in a plurality of different formats comprising:

a multiformat description provider operative to receive variable vertex format information defining at least a first format of variable format vertex data and operative to generate multiformat description data from the variable vertex format information, wherein the multiformat description data includes vertex array descriptor data representing, on a per array basis, at least array based address data and a number of vertex parameters per structure and wherein the multiformat description provider maps the variable vertex format information into the vertex array descriptor data and

a multiformat vertex data fetcher operative to control retrieval of vertex data stored in the first format based on the multiformat description data; and

communicate the retrieved data in a second format suitable for a graphics processing unit and wherein the graphics processing unit receives data in a different format from the first format and the multiformat vertex data fetcher controls retrieval of vertex data stored in the first format and includes a vertex data address generator that obtains stored vertex parameters for the graphics processing unit consistent with the different format.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the multiformat description provider generates array data representing a number of arrays to be processed and vertex parameter data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 including a set of registers containing the array based address data, the number of vertex parameters per structure, the array data representing a number of arrays to be processed and the vertex parameter data as register data.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the multiformat vertex data fetcher processes vertex array descriptor data representing, on a per array basis, at least array based address data, a number of vertex parameters per structure and stride data representing a number of bits to a next structure in an array of structures.