Mip map/rip map texture linear addressing memory organization and

Abstract

A linear address organization for physically storing mip maps and rip maps in memory is disclosed. The subsampled data arrays of the mip maps and rip maps are sequentially stored in continuous subsequences of a continuous sequence of memory addresses. The subsequences of addresses are assigned in order of level of subsampling of the data arrays which make up the mip map or rip map. In the case of a mip map, the subsequences are assigned to the data arrays in order of increasing level of subsampling. In the case of rip maps, the data arrays are segregated into groups according to a first one of the two subsampling directions, such that each array in a particular group has the same level of subsampling in the first direction. Subsequences are assigned to each group of data arrays. The addresses of the subsequences are assigned within each group on a span by span basis where a span includes the texture data in a particular direction of each data array in order of increasing level in the second one of the two subsampling directions. Address generators are also disclosed for assisting in generating linear addresses to texture data with specific coordinates (u,v) in arrays having particular levels of subsampling.