3D Graphics Primitive Filtering via Bounding Slab Overlap
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Solution Overview
Problem
In three-dimensional (3D) graphics rendering systems, inefficient processing of primitives leads to increased workload and memory usage, as many primitives do not contribute to the final image, causing unnecessary computation and storage of non-contributory data.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that dispose primitives in a pixel area, calculate bounding slabs using vertex information, and discard primitives if they do not overlap with sampling points, while storing information of overlapping primitives for subsequent image generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If all primitives are processed during rasterization, then complete image coverage is achieved, but processing time and computational resources increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a bounding slab test before full rasterization to pre-filter primitives that cannot contribute to the final image. This preliminary check eliminates non-contributory primitives early in the pipeline, so that only potentially relevant primitives undergo expensive rasterization processing, thus resolving the contradiction between completeness and speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes non-contributory primitives from the processing pipeline using the bounding slab overlap test with sampling points. By taking out primitives that fall between sampling points (and thus cannot affect pixel centers), the system reduces the workload for subsequent rasterization stages while maintaining image rendering completeness for all contributory primitives.
2Reliability
If all primitives are stored in memory, then no rendering data is lost, but memory usage and bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts non-contributory primitives from the set of primitives requiring memory storage by applying the bounding slab test. Primitives that do not overlap with sampling points are identified and excluded from memory storage, reducing memory usage and bandwidth requirements while preserving all contributory primitives that are needed for accurate image rendering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent discards non-contributory primitives (those failing the bounding slab test) without storing them in memory, while recovering and storing only the contributory primitives that overlap with sampling points. This selective discarding and recovering approach maintains rendering data completeness for all necessary primitives while minimizing memory consumption.
3Measurement precision
If bounding slab calculation is performed for all primitives, then processing accuracy is maintained, but computational overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using the primitive's own vertex information to calculate its bounding slab and perform the overlap test with sampling points. This self-contained approach allows each primitive to determine its own contributory status without requiring complex external calculations, maintaining high detection accuracy while minimizing computational overhead through efficient use of existing vertex data.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for processing a primitive in a three-dimensional (3D) graphics rendering system is provided. The primitive processing apparatus may discard a primitive or store the primitive in a memory, depending on whether a sampling point overlapping the primitive is present among sampling points in a pixel area.