Patent ID: 7643032

Claim:
A method performed by a computing system for reducing a number of bits used to store symbols in a texture used for rendering three-dimensional graphics, including text symbols, for display in a two-dimensional space, the method comprising: receiving an uncompressed texture bitmap including text symbols that include anti-aliasing features, wherein the uncompressed texture bitmap uses pixels having an 8 bit-per-pixel format; packing the uncompressed texture bitmap into a compressed texture bitmap, wherein the compressed texture bitmap stores pixel information using a 2-bit format, wherein the packing of the uncompressed texture bitmap includes generating groupings of pixel information, wherein each grouping of pixel information includes a grouping up to four values having the 2-bit format into a single 8-bit pixel space, wherein each of the up to four values having the 2-bit format provides information associated with a transparency value, and wherein symbols rendered using the compressed texture bitmap retain anti-aliasing features; and storing the compressed texture bitmap on a computer-readable storage medium.