Fast variable validation for state management of a graphics pipeline
View Patent ↗In a state management system of an effects system implemented in a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), techniques and technologies are provided for setting a value to particular variables at application run-time without validating the variables. For example, a compiled effects file comprising a number of variables can be loaded at application load time, and a generic, variable interface pointer for a particular variable of the effects file can be retrieved. A specialized variable interface pointer can then be generated which is associated with the particular variable by specifying a desired type of access that will be performed on the particular variable. At application run-time, the specialized variable interface can be used to set a value to each of the particular variables without validating the particular variables at application run-time.
1. In a state management system, a method comprising:
generating at load time a specialized variable interface pointer associated with a variable comprised in a loaded compiled effects file by specifying a desired type of access that will be performed on the variable, where a generic variable interface pointer has been retrieved for the variable; and
using a specialized variable interface to set a value to the variable at application run-time without validating the variable at application run-time.
2. The method in the state management system of claim 1 , wherein using a specialized variable interface to set a value to the variable at application run-time without validating the variable at application run-time comprises:
setting a value to the variable having a set time format at application run-time by fast copying the variable to memory without validating the variable at application run-time.
3. The method in the state management system of claim 1 , wherein using a specialized variable interface to set a value to the variable at application run-time without validating the variable at application run-time comprises:
automatically performing an operation on other variables having a different format than a set time format to convert the other variables to the set time format; and
setting a value to the converted variables at application run-time without validating the converted variables at application run-time.
4. The method in the state management system of claim 3 , wherein the operation comprises a run-time conversion.
5. The method in the state management system of claim 4 , wherein the run-time conversion comprises at least one of:
conversion from integer value-to-floating point value,
conversion from floating point value-to-integer value,
transposing a matrix,
packing and unpacking array data, or
performing additional checks on object variables.
6. The method in the state management system of claim 1 , wherein the specialized variable interface pointer specifies a set time format an application expects for the variable.
7. The method in the state management system of claim 6 , wherein the set time format comprises a format used by the application to perform at least one of getting or setting values to the variable.
8. The method in the state management system of claim 1 , wherein the specialized variable interface pointer specifies a variable type an application expects for the variable.
9. The method in the state management system of claim 1 , wherein the variable comprises an effect variable.
10. A hardware computer storage memory, comprising an application programming interface (API) for instructing a graphics processing unit to:
generate at load time a specialized variable interface pointer associated with a variable comprised in a loaded compiled effects file by specifying a desired type of access that will be performed on the variable, where a generic variable interface pointer has been retrieved for the variable; and
use a specialized variable interface to set a value to the variable at application run-time without validating the variable at application run-time.
11. The hardware computer storage memory of claim 10 , the API instructing the graphics processing unit to:
set a value to the variable having a set time format at application run-time by fast copying the variable to memory without validating the variable at application run-time.
12. The hardware computer storage memory of claim 10 , the API instructing the graphics processing unit to:
perform an operation on other variables having a different format than a set time format to convert the other variables to the set time format; and
set a value to at least one of the converted variables at application run-time without validating the converted variables at application run-time.
13. The hardware computer storage memory of claim 12 , wherein the operation comprises a run-time conversion.
14. The hardware computer storage memory of claim 13 , wherein the run-time conversion comprises at least one of:
conversion from integer value-to-floating point value,
conversion from floating point value-to-integer value,
transposing a matrix,
packing and unpacking array data, or
performing additional checks on object variables.
15. The hardware computer storage memory of claim 10 , wherein the specialized variable interface pointer specifies a set time format an application associated with the API expects for the variable.
16. The hardware computer storage memory of claim 15 , wherein the set time format comprises a format used by the application to perform at least one of getting or setting values to the variable.
17. The hardware computer storage memory of claim 10 , wherein the specialized variable interface pointer specifies a variable type an application associated with the API expects for the variable.
18. The hardware computer storage memory of claim 10 , wherein the variable comprises an effect variable.
19. A method, implemented at least in part via a processing unit, comprising:
generating at load time a specialized variable interface pointer associated with a variable comprised in a loaded compiled effects file by specifying a desired type of access that will be performed on the variable, where a generic variable interface pointer has been retrieved for the variable; and
using a specialized variable interface to set a value to the variable at application run-time without validating the variable at application run-time.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein using a specialized variable interface to set a value to the variable at application run-time without validating the variable at application run-time comprises:
setting a value to the variable having a set time format at application run-time by fast copying the variable to memory without validating the variable at application run-time.