An application sends primitives to a graphics processing system so that an image of a 3D scene can be rendered. The primitives are placed into primitive blocks for storage and retrieval from a parameter memory. Rather than simply placing the first primitives into a primitive block until the primitive block is full and then placing further primitives into the next primitive block, multiple primitive blocks can be “open” such that a primitive block allocation module can allocate primitives to one of the open primitive blocks to thereby sort the primitives into primitive blocks according to their spatial positions. By grouping primitives together into primitive blocks in accordance with their spatial positions, the performance of a rasterization module can be improved. For example, in a tile-based rendering system this may mean that fewer primitive blocks need to be fetched by a hidden surface removal module in order to process a tile.

An application sends primitives to a graphics processing system so that an image of a 3D scene can be rendered. The primitives are placed into primitive blocks for storage and retrieval from a parameter memory. Rather than simply placing the first primitives into a primitive block until the primitive block is full and then placing further primitives into the next primitive block, multiple primitive blocks can be “open” such that a primitive block allocation module can allocate primitives to one of the open primitive blocks to thereby sort the primitives into primitive blocks according to their spatial positions. By grouping primitives together into primitive blocks in accordance with their spatial positions, the performance of a rasterization module can be improved. For example, in a tile-based rendering system this may mean that fewer primitive blocks need to be fetched by a hidden surface removal module in order to process a tile.

Rendering system combines point sampling and volume sampling operations to produce rendering outputs. For example, to determine color information for a surface location in a 3-D scene, one or more point sampling operations are conducted in a volume around the surface location, and one or more sampling operations of volumetric light transport data are performed farther from the surface location. A transition zone between point sampling and volume sampling can be provided, in which both point and volume sampling operations are conducted. Data obtained from point and volume sampling operations can be blended in determining color information for the surface location. For example, point samples are obtained by tracing a ray for each point sample, to identify an intersection between another surface and the ray, to be shaded, and volume samples are obtained from a nested 3-D grids of volume elements expressing light transport data at different levels of granularity.

Rendering system combines point sampling and volume sampling operations to produce rendering outputs. For example, to determine color information for a surface location in a 3-D scene, one or more point sampling operations are conducted in a volume around the surface location, and one or more sampling operations of volumetric light transport data are performed farther from the surface location. A transition zone between point sampling and volume sampling can be provided, in which both point and volume sampling operations are conducted. Data obtained from point and volume sampling operations can be blended in determining color information for the surface location. For example, point samples are obtained by tracing a ray for each point sample, to identify an intersection between another surface and the ray, to be shaded, and volume samples are obtained from a nested 3-D grids of volume elements expressing light transport data at different levels of granularity.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for preemptively reserving buffer space for primitives and positions in a graphics pipeline are disclosed. A system includes a graphics pipeline frontend with any number of geometry engines coupled to corresponding shader engines. Each geometry engine launches shader wavefronts to execute on a corresponding shader engine. The geometry engine preemptively reserves buffer space for each wavefront prior to the wavefront being launched on the shader engine. When the shader engine executes a wavefront, the shader engine exports primitive and position data to the reserved buffer space. Multiple scan converters will consume the primitive and position data, with each scan converter consuming primitive and position data based on the screen coverage of the scan converter. After consuming the primitive and position data, the scan converters mark the buffer space as freed so that the geometry engine can then allocate the freed buffer space to subsequent shader wavefronts.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for preemptively reserving buffer space for primitives and positions in a graphics pipeline are disclosed. A system includes a graphics pipeline frontend with any number of geometry engines coupled to corresponding shader engines. Each geometry engine launches shader wavefronts to execute on a corresponding shader engine. The geometry engine preemptively reserves buffer space for each wavefront prior to the wavefront being launched on the shader engine. When the shader engine executes a wavefront, the shader engine exports primitive and position data to the reserved buffer space. Multiple scan converters will consume the primitive and position data, with each scan converter consuming primitive and position data based on the screen coverage of the scan converter. After consuming the primitive and position data, the scan converters mark the buffer space as freed so that the geometry engine can then allocate the freed buffer space to subsequent shader wavefronts.

Aspects presented herein relate to methods and devices for graphics processing including an apparatus, e.g., a GPU. The apparatus may divide at least one scene into a plurality of meshlets, each of the meshlets including a plurality of primitives, and each of the primitives including plurality of vertices. The apparatus may also calculate a pair of texture coordinates for each of the plurality of vertices. Further, the apparatus may select a size of each of the plurality of meshlets in the at least one scene based on the pair of the texture coordinates and based on a perspective projection of each of the plurality of meshlets. The apparatus may also calculate layout information in a meshlet atlas for each of the meshlets in the at least one scene. Moreover, the apparatus may shade each of a plurality of pixels in the meshlet atlas based on the calculated layout information.

Aspects presented herein relate to methods and devices for graphics processing including an apparatus, e.g., a GPU. The apparatus may divide at least one scene into a plurality of meshlets, each of the meshlets including a plurality of primitives, and each of the primitives including plurality of vertices. The apparatus may also calculate a pair of texture coordinates for each of the plurality of vertices. Further, the apparatus may select a size of each of the plurality of meshlets in the at least one scene based on the pair of the texture coordinates and based on a perspective projection of each of the plurality of meshlets. The apparatus may also calculate layout information in a meshlet atlas for each of the meshlets in the at least one scene. Moreover, the apparatus may shade each of a plurality of pixels in the meshlet atlas based on the calculated layout information.

Methods and systems are disclosed for executing a collaborative task in a shader system. Techniques disclosed include receiving, by the system, input data and computing instructions associated with the collaborative task, as well as a configuration setting, causing the system to operate in a takeover mode. The system then launches, exclusively in one workgroup processor, a workgroup including wavefronts configured to execute the collaborative task.

Methods and systems are disclosed for executing a collaborative task in a shader system. Techniques disclosed include receiving, by the system, input data and computing instructions associated with the collaborative task, as well as a configuration setting, causing the system to operate in a takeover mode. The system then launches, exclusively in one workgroup processor, a workgroup including wavefronts configured to execute the collaborative task.