Z-texturing
US6664958B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 16, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 25, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T15/40
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. The same texture mapping hardware used for color texturing provides resampled z texturing for sprites with depth or other applications. A z blender performs a z blending operation in screen space to blend surface z values with z texel values to provide per-pixel mapping of resampled z textures onto sampled 3D surface locations. Z texels can represent absolute depths or depth displacements relative to primitive surface depth. The z texel values may add to or replace primitive surface z values, and a constant bias may be added if desired. The resulting depth values are used for occlusion testing. Z textures can be generated by copying out portions of an embedded z buffer and providing the copied depth values to the texture mapping hardware. Multiple z texel formats are supported.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.