AREA-BASED RASTERIZATION TECHNIQUES FOR A GRAPHICS PROCESSING SYSTEM

This disclosure describes area-based rasterization techniques that can improve the performance of a graphics processor. The techniques may include selecting a rasterization mode for a graphics primitive from a set of at least two candidate rasterization modes based on a metric indicative of an area of the graphics primitive. The techniques may further include performing, with fixed function scan conversion hardware of the graphics processor, scan conversion for the graphics primitive when a first candidate rasterization mode is selected as the rasterization mode for the graphics primitive. The techniques may further include performing, with a programmable shader unit of the graphics processor, scan conversion for the graphics primitive when a second candidate rasterization mode is selected as the rasterization mode for the graphics primitive.