Patent ID: 7535480

Claim:
In a graphics system used to rasterize scenes to a computer display, a storage medium having stored computer-executable instructions for performing a method for applying effects to a target during rasterization by compositing rendering layers, the method comprising: commencing to render a layer of a graphics scene to a target, wherein the layer includes one or more objects; during rendering, determining an effect that is to be applied to the target wherein the effect is applied while rendering the layer to the target; determining an area of the target to which the effect will be applied, wherein the area includes at least one of the one or more objects in the layer being rendered to the target; in response to determining the area and during the rendering of the layer to the target, copying the area of the target to a surface that is stored separately from the target; after copying the area to the surface, continuing to render the layer to the target without switching to the separated surface to render the effect to the area copied to the surface; while continuing to render the layer to the target, compositing the surface back to the target; and during compositing the surface back to the target, rendering the effect to the target at the area of the target to which the surface was composited.