JP4692579B2 - Image processing system and image processing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing system and an image processing method for performing three-dimensional drawing based on a display list issued by a host device.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image processor that performs drawing processing using a material (object) stored in a transfer source memory based on a display list issued by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that is a host device. Has been. The image processors are connected to the CPU and the transfer source memory via separate buses. In this image processor, the transfer circuit reads the compressed or uncompressed material stored in the transfer source memory in accordance with a series of transfer instructions issued by the CPU, and writes it in the internal transfer destination memory. The drawing circuit reads a material from the transfer destination memory and performs a drawing process using the material, thereby generating a display image to be output. Patent Document 2 discloses an image processor including a FIFO memory that temporarily stores a series of instructions (commands) generated by a host processor (host CPU). The instructions stored in the FIFO memory are read from the oldest in time sequence in the order (input order) written in the FIFO memory, and the drawing processing corresponding to this is sequentially executed.

Japanese Patent No. 3970291 JP 2001-299898 A

  By the way, in the three-dimensional drawing, vertex information (three-dimensional coordinates, etc.) for defining a three-dimensional figure is required, but the amount of information increases as the figure becomes more complicated. When vertex information is described in the display list, that is, when vertex information is specified as a parameter of the drawing command, the data size of the display list increases dramatically, and depending on the bandwidth at the time of list transfer, drawing per unit frame is possible The amount of simple figures is limited. This limitation can be solved by separating the vertex information from the display list and storing the vertex information itself in a separate memory from the display list transfer system. However, in this case, a drawing command is newly generated from the separated vertex information, and an internal circuit for integrating the generated drawing command and the command described in the display list is required. Increase and complexity.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress an increase in the circuit scale and complexity of a display list analysis system while suppressing an increase in the size of a display list used in three-dimensional drawing.

  In order to solve such a problem, the first invention includes a host device, a first memory, first and second buses, a display list analysis unit, and an image processing unit, and performs three-dimensional drawing. An image processing system is provided. The host device defines an image processing procedure by a series of commands described in time series, and issues a display list including a jump command for acquiring external information during the time series description. The first memory stores, as external information, a 3D drawing command list in which a 3D drawing command using vertex information defining a 3D figure as a parameter is described in the same description format as the display list. The first bus is connected to the host device, and a second bus different from the first bus is connected to the first memory. The display list analysis unit sequentially analyzes the display list issued by the CPU, and sequentially outputs instructions based on the analysis result. The image processing unit performs processing including three-dimensional drawing in accordance with instructions sequentially output from the display list analysis unit. Here, the display list analysis unit obtains the 3D drawing command list read from the first memory via the second bus at the jump portion in which the jump command in the display list is described, and obtains this Analyzes the 3D drawing command list as a part of the display list.

  Here, in the first invention, a second memory connected to the first bus and storing the display list issued by the host device may be further provided. In this case, it is preferable that the display list analysis unit obtains the display list from the second memory and obtains the three-dimensional drawing command list directly from the first memory without storing it in the second memory.

  In the first invention, the jump instruction may include designation of a three-dimensional drawing command list to be acquired. In this case, it is preferable that the display list analysis unit obtains the three-dimensional drawing command list designated by the jump instruction from the first memory.

  In the first invention, the jump instruction may include the data size of the three-dimensional drawing command list to be acquired. Here, when the display list analysis unit sequentially analyzes the display list and reaches the jump portion, the display list analysis unit may stop the analysis of the display list and start acquiring the 3D drawing command list from the first memory. preferable. In addition, it is preferable that the display list analysis unit restarts the analysis after the jump portion in the display list when the amount of data acquired from the first memory reaches the data size specified by the jump instruction.

  In the first invention, the image processing unit may perform two-dimensional drawing in addition to three-dimensional drawing. In this case, it is preferable that the first memory stores two-dimensional image data used when performing two-dimensional drawing in addition to the three-dimensional drawing command list.

The second invention provides an image processing method for performing three-dimensional drawing. In this image processing method, the host apparatus defines the image processing procedure by a series of commands described in time series, and includes a display list including jump instructions for acquiring external information during the time series description a first step of issuing, display list analyzing unit, a display list, and a second step of obtaining through a first bus connected to a host device, a display list analyzing unit, a display list sequentially Analyzes and jumps in the display list where the jump command is described, and the 3D drawing command that uses the vertex information that defines the 3D figure as a parameter in the same description format as the display list from the first memory for storing the command list as the external information, the first bus is connected to the first memory A third step of the obtained through a different second bus, a three-dimensional drawing command list in which the acquired analyzed regarded as part of the display list, based on the analysis result, and sequentially outputs the command, The image processing unit includes a fourth step of performing processing including three-dimensional drawing according to the sequentially output instructions.

Here, in the second invention, the jump command may include designation of a three-dimensional drawing command list to be acquired. In this case, it is preferable that the third step includes a step of acquiring a three-dimensional drawing command list designated by the jump instruction.

In the second invention, the jump instruction may include the data size of the three-dimensional drawing command list to be acquired. Here, in the third step, when the display list is sequentially analyzed and the jump portion is reached, the analysis of the display list is interrupted and the acquisition of the three-dimensional drawing command list is started. Preferably, when the data size specified by the jump instruction is reached, the analysis after the jump portion in the display list is resumed.

  According to the first or second invention, the vertex information defining the three-dimensional figure is separated from the display list, and is supplied on a bus separate from the display list. This vertex information is not a simple list of data, but is managed as a 3D drawing command list having the same description format as the display list. The vertex information is linked to the display list by a jump instruction, and is a part of the display list description system. Incorporated as. As a result, the display list analysis system can handle the display list and the three-dimensional drawing command list without distinction, and there is no need to provide a circuit for generating a drawing command from the vertex information. As a result, even if the three-dimensional figure becomes complicated, an increase in the size of the display list itself can be effectively suppressed, and an increase in circuit scale and complexity in the display list analysis system can be effectively suppressed.

  FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of the image processing system according to the present embodiment. This image processing system is mainly composed of a CPU 1, a main memory 2, a CGROM 3, an image processor 4, and a display device 5.

  The CPU 1 that is the host device issues a display list 6 to be executed by the image processor 4. In the display list 6, the image processing procedure is defined by a series of commands described in time series. This display list 6 is different from the conventional display list 6 in that it does not completely define the processing procedure by itself, but becomes complete only when linked with other external information. In order to enable such cooperation, a jump instruction is newly added as an instruction that can be described in the display list 6. By describing the jump instruction in the display list 6, external information is referred to in the jump portion where the jump instruction is described. The display list 6 output from the CPU 1 to the CPU bus 7 is supplied to the image processor 4 indirectly or directly via the main memory 2. The display list 6 is updated as needed by the CPU 1, for example, every frame.

  Like the CPU 1, the main memory 2 is connected to the CPU bus 7 and stores and holds the display list 6 in accordance with the designation of the CPU 1. On the other hand, the CGROM 3 for storing fixed data is configured by a NAND flash memory as an example, and is connected to a CG bus 8 different from the CPU bus 7. The fixed data stored in the CGROM 3 is two-dimensional image data 9 (hereinafter referred to as “2D material 9”) used when the image processor 4 performs two-dimensional drawing, or is used when three-dimensional drawing is performed. 3D drawing command list 10 (hereinafter referred to as “3D command list 10”). Here, many 2D materials 9 exist in a compressed format or an uncompressed format, and what is read from the CGROM 3 in accordance with the designation of the display list 6 is taken into the image processor 4 via the CG bus 8.

  On the other hand, the 3D command list 10 corresponds to external information referred to by the display list 6 described above, and a 3D drawing command (hereinafter referred to as “3D drawing command”) using vertex information defining a 3D graphic as a parameter. ) Is described in the same description format as the display list 6. In general, in order to perform three-dimensional drawing, vertex information (three-dimensional coordinates, etc.) that defines a three-dimensional figure is required, but the amount of information increases dramatically as the figure becomes more complex. Thus, vertex information that tends to have an enormous amount of information is managed separately from the display list 6 to suppress an increase in the size of the display list 6. The vertex information has a property that it can be used without being changed because it is data unique to a figure. In view of such characteristics, the vertex information is treated as fixed data (data that is not updated by the CPU 1 at all times) instead of variable data (data that is updated at any time by the CPU 1). The reason why the vertex information is made into a display list is to suppress an increase in circuit scale and complexity of the display list analysis system built in the image processor 4. There may be a plurality of 3D command lists 10, and those read from the CGROM 3 according to the designation of the display list 6 are taken into the image processor 4 via the CG bus 8.

  The image processor 4 mainly includes a display list analysis unit 4a, an image processing unit 4b, a RAM 4c, and various interfaces 4d to 4f. The display list analysis unit 4a acquires the display list 6 issued by the CPU 1, and sequentially analyzes the description contents of the acquired display list 6. Based on the analysis result, instructions are sequentially output to the image processing unit 4b. At this time, the display list analysis unit 4a acquires the 3D command list 10 at the jump portion in which the jump instruction is described in the display list 6, and analyzes the acquired 3D command list 10 as a part of the display list 6. . Here, there are two paths through which the display list analysis unit 4a acquires the display list 6, and one of the acquisition paths is selected by mode designation by the CPU 1. However, path switching is prohibited during execution of the mode.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a display list acquisition path in the first mode. The display list 6 is constructed and stored in the main memory 2 by the CPU 1 according to the contents of the program. The display list analysis unit 4a acquires the display list 6 stored in the main memory 2 through the CPU bus 7 under the control of the CPU bus interface 4d shown in FIG. Is analyzed. In accordance with the analysis result, the display list analysis unit 4a acquires the 3D command list 10 stored in the CGROM 3 via the CG bus 8 under the control of the CG bus interface 4e shown in FIG. As a result, the display list 6 is acquired from the main memory 2 and the 3D command list 10 is directly acquired from the CGROM 3 without being stored in the main memory 2. It should be noted here that the acquisition paths of the display list 6 and the 3D command list 10 are provided as separate buses. By achieving such bandwidth distribution of the bus, it is possible to effectively suppress a restriction on the amount of graphics that can be drawn per unit frame due to an increase in the amount of vertex information.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a display list acquisition path in the second mode. In this case, the display list 6 issued by the CPU 1 is taken into the image processor 4 via the CPU bus 7, and stored in the internal RAM 4c via the CPU bus interface 4d and the RAM interface 4f shown in FIG. . Then, the display list analysis unit 4a acquires the display list 6 stored in the RAM 4c and analyzes the description content of the acquired display list 6. In accordance with the analysis result, the display list analysis unit 4a acquires the 3D command list 10 stored in the CGROM 3 via the CG bus 8 under the control of the CG bus interface 4e shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the display list analysis unit 4a. The display list analysis unit 4a includes an analysis circuit 4g and a bus control circuit 4h. The analysis circuit 4g processes the display list 6 acquired by one of the paths shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 in a processing order (for example, one line from the top to the bottom of the list) according to the time-series description. Analyze sequentially. When the instruction described in the processing target line is a normal instruction (non-jump instruction), this instruction is output to the image processing unit 4b. The normal command includes a 2D transfer command that defines a procedure for transferring the 2D material 9 stored in the CGROM 3 to the RAM 4c, and a 2D drawing command that defines a drawing procedure using the 2D material 9 stored in the RAM 4c. To do. On the other hand, when the instruction described in the processing target line is a jump instruction, the analysis of the display list 6 is temporarily interrupted at the jump portion where the jump instruction is described. Then, the start trigger is output to the bus control circuit 4h together with the designated address (storage address of the CGROM 3) of the 3D command list 10 designated by the jump instruction and the data size thereof. By specifying the 3D command list 10 with a jump instruction, flexibility regarding the selection of the 3D command list 10 can be ensured. Further, the data size is used to specify how far the data in the 3D command list 10 is based on the designated address.

  The bus control circuit 4h acquires the data within the range from the designated address output from the analysis circuit 4g to the data size, that is, the 3D command list 10, from the CG bus interface 4e, and transfers the data to the analysis circuit 4g. Receiving this, the analysis circuit 4g regards the 3D command list 10 from the bus control circuit 4h as a part of the display list 6 and continues analysis until the data size of the 3D command list 10 is reached. The commands are sequentially output to the image processing unit 4b. Then, when the data size is reached, the analysis after the suspended portion of the display list 6 is resumed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing unit 4b performs processing according to the commands sequentially output from the display list analysis unit 4a. Specifically, when the instruction from the display list analysis unit 4a is a 2D transfer instruction, the 2D material 9 designated by the transfer instruction is transferred to the RAM 4c. In the case of a 2D drawing command, the 2D material 9 specified by the drawing command is read out via the RAM interface 4f, and after two-dimensional drawing is performed according to the drawing command, a frame constructed in the RAM 4c. An image is written to the buffer. Further, in the case of a 3D drawing command, three-dimensional drawing according to the drawing command, for example, generation of a polygon polygon by a triangle strip, is performed, and then an image is written in the frame buffer. The display image stored in the frame buffer is output to the display device 5 via the RAM interface 4f, whereby the image is displayed on the display device 5.

  Next, an example of display list analysis will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Here, a description will be given with particular attention to a jump portion to the 3D command list 10 and a triangle drawing portion.

  First, the description contents of the display list 6 are analyzed, the drawing area setting (SETAREA) in step 1, the light source setting in step 2 (SETLIGHT), the coordinate conversion setting in step 3 (SETMATRIX), and the drawing effect setting in step 4 (SETEFFECT). Are output sequentially.

  In step 5, when the jump instruction (JUMPCGB) shown in FIG. 6 is reached, the data bus from the designated address is changed. This jump instruction (JUMPCGB) is an instruction for instructing a jump to the 3D command list 10 existing on the CG bus 8 and a return to the display list 6 according to the data size. Here, “CGBADR” is a parameter for setting the start point of the 3D command list 10 on the CG bus 8, and “CGBDTSZ” is a parameter for setting the data size of the 3D command list 10 on the CG bus 8. .

  After the 3D command list 10 is called by the jump instruction (JUMPCGB) in step 5 and the texture setting (SETTEXTURE) is output (step 6), the triangle drawing (TRIANGLE3D) shown in FIG. 7 is output (step 7). . This triangle drawing (TRIANGLE3D) is a command for drawing a triangular polygon in a three-dimensional space. Here, “CL” is presence / absence of back culling, “TX” is presence / absence of texture mapping, “FS” is polygon drawing method (triangle polygon drawing, triangle fan drawing, triangle list drawing, etc.) “TRINUM” is the number of triangles n Is a parameter for setting each. Further, (TXn, TYn, TZn) is a vertex normal vector, (NXn, NYn, NZn) is a vertex normal vector, MTRXCE0n to MTRXCE3n are matrix blending coefficients, MTRXID0n to MTRXID3N are matrix blending indexes, (TUn, TVn) ) Are texture coordinates, and (TVC_An, TVC_Rn, TVC_Gn, TVC_Bn) are parameters for setting the vertex colors. Here, the parameter with the subscript n corresponds to vertex information that defines a three-dimensional figure, and the amount of description increases as the three-dimensional figure to be drawn becomes more complex. Therefore, it is effective to manage it as a 3D command list 10 separately from the display list 6.

  Then, the data amount corresponding to the data size described above is acquired, and the display list 6 is restored when the analysis is completed. Thereby, the light source setting (SETLIGHT), the coordinate conversion setting (SETMATRIX), and the drawing effect setting (SETEFFECT) are sequentially output (steps 8 to 10).

  After the jump command (JUMPCGB) in step 11 calls the 3D command list 10 and outputs the texture setting (SETTEXTURE) (step 12), the vertex index registration (SET3DVTXIDX) shown in FIG. 8 is output (step 13). ). This vertex index registration (SET3DVTXIDX) is a command for registering vertex information when index vertices are used in 3D triangle or 3D line drawing. Here, “VTXIDXST” is a parameter for setting the registration index start position, “VTXIDXED” is a parameter for setting the registration index end position, and the other parameters are the same as those for the triangle drawing (TRIANGLE3D). Also for this command, as with the triangle drawing (TRIANGLE3D), the amount of description increases as the three-dimensional figure to be drawn becomes more complicated. Therefore, it is effective to manage the command as a 3D command list 10 separately from the display list 6.

  In step 14, the triangle drawing (TRIANGLE3D_idx) with the vertex index shown in FIG. 9 is output. This triangle drawing (TRIANGLE3D_idx) is a command for drawing a triangle using a vertex index in 3D space. Here, “VTXIDn” is a parameter for setting the vertex index number as an integer, and the other parameters are the same as those for the triangle drawing (TRIANGLE3D). With respect to this command as well, the amount of description increases as the three-dimensional figure to be drawn becomes more complex, so it is effective to manage it as a 3D command list 10 separately from the display list 6. Then, the data amount corresponding to the data size described above is acquired, and when the analysis is completed, the display list 6 is restored, and the analysis after the jumble portion is resumed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the vertex information defining the three-dimensional figure is separated from the display list 6 and managed as the 3D command list 10, and is supplied through the CG bus 8 separate from the display list 6. . This vertex information is not a simple list of data, but is managed as a 3D command list 10 having the same description format as the display list 6. The 3D command list 10 is linked to the display list 6 by a jump instruction, and is incorporated as part of the description system of the display list 6. Thereby, the display list analysis unit 2a can handle the display list 6 and the 3D command list 10 without distinction in performing the analysis process. At the same time, there is no need to provide a display list generation circuit for generating a drawing command from vertex information. As a result, even if the three-dimensional figure becomes complicated, an increase in the size of the display list 6 itself can be effectively suppressed, and restrictions on the transfer band of the CG bus 8 can be relaxed. At the same time, an increase in circuit scale and complexity in the display list analysis unit 4a can be effectively suppressed.

  Also, by separating the 3D command list 10 from the display list 6, this can be used as a simple subroutine other than for 3D drawing. Further, since display list generation can also be used for subroutine generation, there is an effect that it is not necessary to newly create a routine for generating vertex data at the stage of content creation.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, by storing and holding the 2D material 9 and the 3D command list 10 in common in the CGROM 3, it is not necessary to separately provide a device for storing the 3D command list 10. Thereby, the cost of an image processing system can be reduced effectively.

Overall block diagram of the image processing system The figure which shows the display list acquisition path | route in 1st mode. The figure which shows the display list acquisition path | route in a 2nd mode. Block diagram of display list analyzer Flow chart showing an example of display list analysis The figure which shows the description example of the jump instruction of a display list Figure showing a description example of a 3D command list Figure showing a description example of a 3D command list Figure showing a description example of a 3D command list

Explanation of symbols

1 CPU
2 Main memory 3 CGROM
4 Image processor 5 Display device 6 Display list 7 CPU bus 8 CG bus 9 Two-dimensional image data (2D material)
10 3D drawing command list (3D command list)
4a Display list analysis unit 4b Image processing unit 4c RAM
4d CPU bus interface 4e CG bus interface 4f RAM interface 4g Analysis circuit 4h Bus control circuit

Claims (8)

In an image processing system that performs 3D drawing,
An image processing procedure is defined by a series of commands described in time series, and a host device that issues a display list including a jump command for acquiring external information during the time series description;
A first memory for storing, as the external information, a three-dimensional drawing command list in which a command for three-dimensional drawing using vertex information defining a three-dimensional figure as a parameter is described in the same description format as the display list;
A first bus connected to the host device;
A second bus connected to the first memory and different from the first bus;
A display list analyzer that sequentially analyzes the display list issued by the host device and sequentially outputs instructions based on the analysis result;
An image processing unit that performs processing including three-dimensional drawing in accordance with instructions sequentially output from the display list analysis unit;
The display list analysis unit
In the jump portion in which the jump instruction is described in the display list, the 3D drawing command list read from the first memory is acquired via the second bus, and the acquired 3D drawing command is acquired. An image processing system characterized in that a list is analyzed as a part of the display list. A second memory connected to the first bus and storing the display list issued by the host device;
The display list analysis unit obtains the display list from the second memory and obtains the three-dimensional drawing command list directly from the first memory without being stored in the second memory. The image processing system according to claim 1. The jump instruction includes designation of the three-dimensional drawing command list to be acquired,
The display list analysis unit
3. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional drawing command list designated by the jump instruction is acquired from the first memory. The jump instruction includes a data size of the three-dimensional drawing command list to be acquired,
The display list analysis unit
When the display list is sequentially analyzed and the jump portion is reached, the analysis of the display list is interrupted, and the acquisition of the three-dimensional drawing command list from the first memory is started,
4. The analysis after the jump portion in the display list is resumed when the amount of data acquired from the first memory reaches the data size specified by the jump instruction. The image processing system described in any one. The image processing unit performs two-dimensional drawing in addition to three-dimensional drawing,
The said 1st memory stores the two-dimensional image data used when performing the said two-dimensional drawing other than the said three-dimensional drawing command list, The one of Claim 1 to 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Image processing system. In an image processing method for performing three-dimensional drawing,
The host device defines a procedure of image processing by a series of commands described in time series, and issues a first display list including a jump command for acquiring external information in the time series description . Steps,
Display list analyzing unit, a second step of obtaining the display list, via the first bus connected to said host device,
The display list analysis unit sequentially analyzes the display list, and at the jump portion in which the jump command is described in the display list, a command for 3D drawing using vertex information defining a 3D figure as a parameter is provided. A second bus connected to the first memory and different from the first bus, from a first memory storing a three-dimensional drawing command list described in the same description format as the display list as the external information obtained through the a third step of a three-dimensional drawing command list in which the acquired analyzed regarded as part of the display list, based on the analysis result, and sequentially outputs the command,
An image processing method comprising: a fourth step in which an image processing unit performs processing including three-dimensional drawing in accordance with the sequentially output instructions. The jump instruction includes designation of the three-dimensional drawing command list to be acquired,
The third step includes
The image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of acquiring the three-dimensional drawing command list designated by the jump instruction. The jump instruction includes a data size of the three-dimensional drawing command list to be acquired,
The third step includes
If the display list is sequentially analyzed and the jump portion is reached, the analysis of the display list is interrupted, and the acquisition of the three-dimensional drawing command list is started.
The method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of resuming analysis after the jump portion in the display list when the acquired data amount reaches the data size specified by the jump instruction. Image processing method.

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