Image synthesis apparatus

Abstract

An image synthesis apparatus for synthesizing an image using model data including information which defines a three-dimensional structure for an object having a plurality of faces, original image data representing values of pixels respectively belonging to the plurality of faces, and rendering data for converting a three-dimensional image synthesized using the model data and the original image data into a two-dimensional image includes memory divided into a plurality of memory blocks each having a prescribed address unit for storing the model data, the original image data, the rendering data, and synthesized image data representing the synthesized two-dimensional image; an arbiter section including an address space, continuous addresses in the address space being allocated to different memory blocks from one another so as to interleave the addresses in the plurality of memory blocks; and a processor section including a plurality of processors each for accessing the memory means through the arbiter section to synthesize an image of one of the faces of the object based on a part of the model data corresponding to the one face, a part of the original image data corresponding to the one face, and a part of the rendering data corresponding to the one face. The original image data and the synthesized image data are each divided into a plurality of rectangular areas on a two-dimensional coordinate plane, and the plurality of rectangular areas are respectively allocated to the plurality of memory blocks.