Patent ID: 7978197

Claim:
A processor-implemented method including: the processor specifying, via an application programming interface (API) of a computing system, instructions of a shader program that processes at least one runtime condition or behavior associated with execution of said shader program, said instructions including at least one “If Then” or “If Then Else” command predicated upon the value of said at least one runtime condition or presence or absence of said at least one runtime condition or behavior; the processor downloading the shader program via the API to a procedural shader computational subunit of a graphics subsystem of the computing system as algorithmic elements, each algorithmic element including an instruction set that represent to the procedural shader computational subunit a set of instructions for execution, whereby said procedural shader computational subunit becomes programmed to perform according to said shader program; and the procedural shader computational subunit branching the instruction flow of the shader program dynamically based on a value of said at least one runtime condition or presence or absence of said at least one runtime condition or behavior when the specified instructions of the shader program are executed by the procedural shader computational subunit.