Concave Hull Generation for Transparent Pixel Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
In computer graphics, rendering transparent pixels within a quad or convex hull consumes unnecessary resources, as existing methods do not effectively eliminate transparent pixels, leading to wastage of finite fill rate in rendering hardware.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to create a hull with concavities by growing columns and rows based on pixel positions, combining them to form a third hull that encapsulates only the necessary pixels, thereby reducing the number of transparent pixels rendered, and generating a polygon mesh that corresponds to this hull for efficient rendering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a convex hull is used to encapsulate sprite pixels, then the number of transparent pixels is reduced compared to a simple quad, but many transparent pixels are still included
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hull into multiple column structures, where each column represents a vertical strip of pixels. By processing and rendering columns individually rather than as a single convex hull, the method can identify and exclude transparent pixels within each column, achieving more precise control over which pixels are rendered.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by treating each column differently based on its specific pixel composition. Instead of applying a uniform convex hull approach to the entire sprite, the method analyzes each column's transparency characteristics and renders only the necessary opaque pixels in each column, optimizing rendering at a local level.
2Reliability
If all pixels within a quad are rendered, then complete coverage is achieved, but finite fill rate resources are wasted on transparent pixels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-processing the sprite data to identify opaque and transparent pixels before rendering. The column structures are prepared in advance with information about which pixels are opaque, allowing the rendering hardware to skip transparent pixels without compromising rendering completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary opaque pixels from the complete quad for rendering. By using column structures to represent the sprite, the method extracts and renders only the pixel data that contributes to the visual output, eliminating transparent pixels from the rendering pipeline while maintaining complete coverage of visible content.
3Manufacturing precision
If read-modify-write logic is applied to every pixel with alpha channel, then transparency is handled correctly, but resource consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts transparent pixels from the rendering pipeline by using column structures to identify and exclude them before they reach the read-modify-write logic. By preprocessing the sprite data to determine which pixels are transparent, the method removes unnecessary pixels from the rendering path, maintaining transparency accuracy for visible pixels while reducing overall processing consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for generating a hull that may have concavities. One example of such a method includes creating a collection of columns representing a first hull, growing the first hull by increasing a height of one or more columns, creating a collection of rows representing a second hull, growing the second hull by increasing a width of one or more rows, and creating a third hull by combing the first and second hulls.