Patent ID: 7292254

Claim:
A graphics processing apparatus, comprising: a mapping unit configured to map a graphics primitive onto a canonical representation, wherein the graphics primitive is defined by initial vertices having an initial order, and the mapping unit is configured to map the graphics primitive onto the canonical representation by reordering the initial vertices so as to have a canonical order that is invariant with respect to the initial order; a clipping engine connected to the mapping unit, the clipping engine configured to perform a set of clipping operations with respect to the canonical representation, wherein the clipping engine is configured to perform the set of clipping operations by accessing the initial vertices based on the canonical order to produce new vertices; and an assembly unit connected to the clipping engine, the assembly unit configured to define a clipped graphics primitive based on the new vertices and at least one of the initial vertices, wherein the assembly unit is configured to define the clipped graphics primitive by reordering the new vertices and the at least one of the initial vertices to restore a handedness specified by the initial order.