Quantized ray intersection testing with definitive hit detection

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed relating to intersection tests for ray tracing in graphics processors. In some embodiments, test circuitry is configured to perform intersection tests that operate on reduced-precision representations of rays that were generated by quantizing initial representations of the rays and reduced-precision representations of primitives that were generated by quantizing initial representations of the primitives. Some reduced-precision tests (e.g., for any-hit rays) may generate a definitive hit according to the initial representations. In this situation, graphics processing circuitry may record an intersection with the reduced-precision representation of the primitive for the ray based on the first result, without performing an intersection test for the first ray using the initial representation of the ray and the primitive. Disclosed techniques may advantageously reduce power consumption, improve performance, or both.