SPARP: a single pass antialiased rasterization processor

We present a rasterization processor architecture named SPARP (single-pass antialiased rasterization processor), which exploits antialiased rendering in a single pass. Our architecture is basically based on the A-buffer (Carp enter, Computer graphics 1985;19:69-78) algorithm. We have modified the A-b uffer algorithm to enhance the efficiency of hardware implementation and qu ality of the image rendered, such as the data structure of pixel storage el ements, the merging scheme of partial-coverage pixels, and the blending of partial-coverage or non-opaque pixels. For the scan conversion and generati on of subpixel masks, we use the representation of edges that was proposed by Schilling (Computer graphics 1991;25:131-41). We represent partial-cover age pixels for a pixel location by a front-to-back sorted list as in the A- buffer and dynamically manage the list storage. We have devised a dynamic m emory management scheme that extremely simplifies the memory managing overh eads so that we can build it by hard-wired logic circuitry. In our architec ture we can render an antialiased scene with the same rendering context of Z-buffer method. Depending on the scene complexity, proposed architecture r equires rasterization time 1.4-1.7 times as much as a Z-buffer rasterizer d oes. The buffer memory requirements can vary depending on the scene complex ity; the average storage requirement is 2.75 times that of the Z-buffer for our example scenes. Our architecture can be used with most rendering algor ithms to produce high-quality antialiased images at the minimally increased rendering time and buffer memory cost, but due to the improvements in semi conductor technology we can expect that antialiased rasterization processor s will be widely adopted in the near future. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.