APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GEOMETRY OPERATIONS IN A 3D-GRAPHICS PIPELINE

An apparatus and methods for rendering 3D-graphics images preferably includes a port (850) for receiving commands from a graphics application, an output (234) for sending a rendered image to a display and a geometry-operations pipeline, coupled to the port and to the output (234), the geometry-operations pipeline including a block for performing transformations (614). In one embodiment, the block for performing transformations includes a co-extensive logical and first physical stages, as well as a second physical stage including multiple logical stages. The second physical stage includes multiple logical stages that interleave their execution. An apparatus and methods for rendering 3D-graphics images preferably includes a port for receiving commands from a graphics application, an output for sending a rendered image to a display and a geometry-operations pipeline, coupled to the port and to the output, the geometry-operations pipeline including a block for performing transformations. In one embodiment, the block for performing transformations includes a co-extensive logical and first physical stages, as well as a second physical stage including multiple logical stages. The second physical stage includes multiple logical stages that interleave their execution. L'invention concerne un appareil et un procédé permettant de produire des images tridimensionnelles. Cet appareil comporte de préférence un port d'accès destiné à recevoir des ordres d'une application graphique, une sortie permettant d'envoyer une image produite à un écran et à un pipeline réalisant des opérations géométriques connectés au port d'accès et à la sortie. Le pipeline comporte un bloc permettant de réaliser des transformations. Dans un mode de réalisation, ce bloc comporte un étage logique coextensif et un premier étage physique, ainsi qu'un second étage physique comportant plusieurs étages logiques, ces derniers imbriquant leur exécution.