Associative processing for three-dimensional graphics
Associative processing methods and apparatus are described for processing graphics data for three-dimensional graphic displays, e.g., in three-dimensional games. A texture, which comprises a bitmap image used to apply a design onto the surface of a 3D computer model for 3D graphics display, may be converted to APA (associative processor apparatus) instructions.
1. A method comprising:
converting a texture, which comprises a bitmap image used to apply a design onto the surface of a three-dimensional (3D) computer model for 3D graphics display, to APA (associative processor apparatus) instructions, wherein the APA computes tile coordinates, comprising X and Y coordinates which are coordinates of the processed tile that are actually seen on a display screen, the associative processing comprising inside and outside flags, wherein the inside flag indicates that the X and Y coordinates are inside the geometric shape and outside flag indicates that the X and Y coordinates are outside the geometric shape.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising converting values called alpha values, used to define blending effects of the 3D graphics display, to APA instructions.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising performing “over draw”, comprising calculating relative depths of objects of the 3D graphics display for hidden rendering, with the APA.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein converting the texture comprises dividing data associated with the texture into a geometry part comprising geometric shapes and a rendering part comprising pixels of data.
5. The method according to claim 4 , comprising processing the geometry part and the rendering part with the APA on different display frames.
6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein processing the geometry part comprises performing a geometry transformation, applying lighting to a display frame that includes the geometry part, and projecting and dividing the display frame into tiles, said tiles including coefficients that define geometric shapes within the tile, said coefficients being used for rendering by the APA.
7. The method according to claim 6 , comprising rendering data associated with the tiles, wherein the APA computes final RGB (red-green-blue) values including alpha blending internally in the APA.
8. The method according to claim 7 , comprising computing RGB values by means of minterms.
9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising outputting the RGB values to a display.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein converting the texture comprises representing the texture by an address list that contains content features of the texture, and using the APA to process the content features.
11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising minimizing the address list.
12. The method according to claim 11 , comprising minimizing the address list with a Karnaugh map.
13. A method comprising:
rendering a bitmap image used for a 3D graphics display with an APA (associative processor apparatus); and
creating tiles associated with the bitmap image, said tiles including coefficients that define geometric shapes within the tile, and computing tile coordinates, comprising X and Y coordinates which are coordinates of the processed tile that are actually seen on a display screen, wherein the APA creates inside and outside flags, wherein the inside flag indicates that the X and Y coordinates are inside the geometric shape and outside flag indicates that the X and Y coordinates are outside the geometric shape.
14. A method comprising:
rendering a bitmap image used for a 3D graphics display with an APA (associative processor apparatus); and
creating tiles associated with the bitmap image, and rendering data associated with the tiles, wherein the APA computes final RGB (red-green-blue) values internally in the APA.
15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising converting values called alpha values, used to define blending effects of the 3D graphics display, to APA instructions.
16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising performing “over draw”, comprising calculating relative depths of objects of the 3D graphics display for hidden rendering, with the APA.
17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the APA computes RGB values by means of minterms.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the minterms are run on S and T values, which are coordinates for a texture coordinate generation function.