Resolution-independent surface rendering using programmable graphics hardware
US7466314B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 27, 2005 |
| Grant date | Dec 16, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 24, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T17/10
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Surfaces defined by a Bézier tetrahedron, and in particular quadric surfaces, are rendered on programmable graphics hardware. Pixels are rendered through triangular sides of the tetrahedra and locations on the shapes, as well as surface normals for lighting evaluations, are computed using pixel shader computations. Additionally, vertex shaders are used to aid interpolation over a small number of values as input to the pixel shaders. Through this, rendering of the surfaces is performed independently of viewing resolution, allowing for advanced level-of-detail management. By individually rendering tetrahedrally-defined surfaces which together form complex shapes, the complex shapes can be rendered in their entirety.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.