Method and apparatus for selectively providing drawing commands to a graphics processor to improve processing efficiency of a video graphics system

Abstract

A video graphics system employs a method and apparatus for selectively providing drawing commands to a graphics processor to improve the processing efficiency of the system. The video graphics system includes a graphics driver, a graphics processor, and a memory. The graphics driver is operably coupled to an application that issues drawing commands to be processed by the video graphics system. Each drawing command includes an address of a location within the memory that includes vertex information for the vertices of one or more graphics primitives to be displayed on a display device operably coupled to the graphics processor. The vertex information is stored in the memory by the application prior to issuance of a drawing command referencing the location in memory of the stored vertex information. Some time after the application stores the vertex information in memory, but preferably not later than responsive to receipt of a drawing command referencing the memory location of the stored vertex information, the graphics driver determines a boundary defining a volume containing the vertices corresponding to the stored vertex information. Responsive to receiving the drawing command, the graphics driver determines whether at least a portion of the boundary intersects a viewing volume of the display device. When at least a portion of the boundary intersects the viewing volume, the graphics driver provides the drawing command to the graphics processor; otherwise, the graphics driver preferably discards the command. The graphics driver is preferably implemented in software and stored on a computer-readable storage medium.