System and method for fast, smooth rendering of lit, textured spheres

1. A system for rendering an image of an object having a curved surface, comprising:

a determiner that determines M number of attributes relating to rendering the image, M being an integer, wherein the determiner determines at least one of a diffuse lighting component, an ambient lighting component, a specular lighting component, an intensity, a pole vector, an equator vector, a latitude, a longitude, a color and a texture;

a first processor that pre-computes N number of attributes relating to rendering the image, N being an integer less than or equal to M, and the N number of attributes being pre-computable and stored in at least one lookup table, and where the first processor pre-computes for one or more pixels, characterized by an x attribute, a y attribute and a z attribute, the N number of attributes including at least one of an ambient lighting component, a diffuse lighting component, a specular lighting component, a pole vector, an equator vector and a pole crossing equator vector; and

a second processor that computes the M number of attributes, the second processor employs the pre-computed N number of attributes from the at least one lookup table to compute the M number of attributes.

2. The system of claim 1 , the N number of attributes having characteristics associated with the symmetrical nature of objects having a curved surface.

3. The system of claim 1 , the M number of attributes including one or more light sources.

4. The system of claim 1 , the M number of attributes including one or more viewing positions.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first processor pre-computes an edge buffer for one or more objects.

6. The system of claim 1 , the object is a lit sphere.

7. The system of claim 6 , the object is a textured sphere.

8. The system of claim 1 , the object is bump-mapped.

9. A method for rendering an image of an object having a curved surface, comprising:

determining an M number of attributes relating to rendering the image, M being an integer, wherein the M number of attributes comprises, computing for one or more pixels, and at least one of a diffuse lighting component, an ambient lighting component, a specular lighting component, an intensity, a pole vector, an equator vector, a latitude, a longitude, a color and a texture;

pre-computing an N number of attributes relating to rendering the image, N being an integer less than or equal to M, where the N number of attributes are stored in at least one lookup table, and where the N number of attributes comprises, computing for one or more pixels, characterized by an x attribute, a y attribute and a z attribute, the N number of attributes including at least one of an ambient lighting component, a diffuse lighting component, a specular lighting component, a pole vector, an equator vector and a pole crossing equator vector;

employing the pre-computed N number of attributes from the at least one lookup table to compute the M number of attributes; and

rendering an image based, at least in part, on the N pre-computed attributes and the M computed attributes.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein pre-computing the N number of attributes relating to rendering the image further comprises:

pre-computing an edge buffer for one or more spheres.

11. The method of claim 9 , the N number of pixel attributes having characteristics associated with the symmetrical nature of objects having a curved surface.

12. The method of claim 9 , the M number of attributes including one or more light sources.

13. The method of claim 9 , the M number of attributes including one or more viewing positions.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the object is a lit sphere.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sphere is textured.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the object is bump-mapped.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 9 .

18. A system that facilitates rendering an image of an object having a curved surface, comprising:

a determination component that determines a plurality of attributes related to rendering the image, wherein the determination component determines at least one of a diffuse lighting component, an ambient lighting component, a specular lighting component, an intensity, a pole vector, an equator vector, a latitude, a longitude, a color and a texture;

a pre-computation component that pre-computes a subset of the attributes related to rendering the image and stores the pre-computed subset of attributes in at least one lookup table, wherein the pre-computation component computes for one or more pixels, characterized by an x attribute, a y attribute and a z attribute, the pre-computed subset of attributes including at least one of: an ambient lighting component, a diffuse lighting component, a specular lighting component, a pole vector, an equator vector and a pole crossing equator vector; and

a computation component that computes the plurality of attributes, the computation component employs the pre-computed subset of attributes from the at least one lookup table to compute the plurality of attributes.

19. The system of claim 18 , the subset of attributes have characteristics associated with a symmetrical nature of objects having a curved surface.

20. The system of claim 18 , the plurality of attributes include one or more light sources.

21. The system of claim 18 , the plurality of attributes include one or more viewing positions.

22. The system of claim 1 , the pre-computation component computes an edge buffer for one or more objects.

23. A system that facilitates rendering an image of an object having a curved surface, comprising:

means for determining a plurality of attributes related to rendering the image, wherein the determination means determines at least one of a diffuse lighting component, an ambient lighting component, a specular lighting component, an intensity, a pole vector, an equator vector, a latitude, a longitude, a color and a texture;

means for pre-computing a subset of the attributes related to rendering the image and storing the pre-computed subset of attributes in at least one lookup table, where the pre-computed subset of attributes comprises, computing for one or more pixels, characterized by an x attribute, a y attribute and a z attribute, the pre-computed subset of attributes including at least one of an ambient lighting component, a diffuse lighting component, a specular lighting component, a pole vector, an equator vector and a pole crossing equator vector; and

means for employing the pre-computed subset of attributes from the at least one lookup table to compute the plurality of attributes.