Patent ID: 7145565
Filing Date: 2006-12-05
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for rendering a volume within a scene, comprising: rendering a set of pixels of the scene to fill a depth buffer with depth values associated with the set of pixels; setting a depth bounds associated with the volume; defining a fragment associated with the volume, having a volume depth, and covering at least one subset of pixels of the scene, wherein each subset of pixels has a subset depth value; for each subset of pixels, discarding at least a portion of the fragment covering the subset of pixels in response to the corresponding subset depth value being outside of the depth bounds associated with the volume; for each subset of pixels, processing at least a portion of the fragment covering the subset of pixels in response to the corresponding subset depth value being inside of the depth bounds associated with the volume; and displaying an image based on said rendered pixels wherein the volume is a shadow volume associated with a light source.