Method and apparatus for implementing a glow characteristic on graphics objects within multiple graphics library environments
A method and apparatus are disclosed for implementing a glow characteristic on part or all of a graphics object within a plurality of different graphics library environments. The glow characteristic is implemented by a client application utilizing a graphics library and drawing to no more than one frame buffer at a time. The same glow characteristic can be rendered on client devices utilizing different graphics libraries.
1. A method of generating a glow effect on an object, the method performed by a computing device and comprising:
generating an object in application memory, the object comprising one or more opaque sub-objects and one or more transparent sub-objects, wherein one or more of the opaque sub-objects and transparent sub-objects are identified as sub-objects to be glowed;
generating depth data and stencil data for the one or more opaque sub-objects;
drawing the one or more opaque sub-objects based upon the stencil data into a first frame buffer;
drawing the one or more transparent sub-objects and the contents of the first frame buffer in a second frame buffer;
drawing the one or more opaque sub-objects to be glowed into a third frame buffer;
drawing the one or more transparent sub-objects to be glowed into the third frame buffer;
blurring the sub-objects to be glowed in the third frame buffer to generate blurred objects;
storing the blurred objects in a fourth frame buffer;
adding the contents of the fourth frame buffer and the contents of the second frame buffer to generate a final object; and
rendering the final object on a display.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a client device.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the client device is a notebook computer.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the client device is a smartphone.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a server.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device utilizes a graphics library.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the graphics library is OpenGL ES 3.0.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the graphics library is OpenGL ES 2.0.
9. A computing device for generating a glow effect on an object, the computing device comprising:
a memory comprising application memory; and
a processing unit for executing software instructions for performing the following steps:
generating an object in application memory, the object comprising one or more opaque sub-objects and one or more transparent sub-objects, wherein one or more of the opaque sub-objects and transparent sub-objects are identified as sub-objects to be glowed;
generating depth data and stencil data for the one or more opaque sub-objects;
drawing the one or more opaque sub-objects based upon the stencil data into a first frame buffer;
drawing the one or more transparent sub-objects and the contents of the first frame buffer in a second frame buffer;
drawing the one or more opaque sub-objects to be glowed into a third frame buffer;
drawing the one or more transparent sub-objects to be glowed into the third frame buffer;
blurring the sub-objects to be glowed in the third frame buffer to generate blurred objects;
storing the blurred objects in a fourth frame buffer;
adding the contents of the fourth frame buffer and the contents of the second frame buffer to generate a final object; and
rendering the final object on a display.
10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the computing device is a client device.
11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the client device is a notebook computer.
12. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the client device is a smartphone.
13. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the computing device is a server.
14. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the software instructions utilize a graphics library.
15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the graphics library is OpenGL ES 3.0.
16. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the graphics library is OpenGL ES 2.0.