JPH02166565A - Storing process system for graphic element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the processing time when the graphic elements are stored by opening the idle area of an element control table at the end of a segment. CONSTITUTION:When a command received from a host computer is identified as an element output command, a new element control table 2 is acquired as long as the old table 2 includes no idle area. Then the element data 1 is stored in a memory and a pointer, etc., to the store address of the memory are set at the table 2. In case the command received from the host computer shows a segment end command, the idle area of the table 2 is opened. Thus the idle area of the table 2 is not opened for a period covering the start through the end of a segment, and a pointer is set to an element instead. Thus the processing time is shortened when a graphic element is stored compared with the conventional method where the idle area is opened for each element output command.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding the drawing process in a graphic display control device, there is a process of creating a segment, which is a set of elements and a group of figures, from element data, which is the smallest and middle level of a graphic display. For the purpose of efficiency, based on instructions from the host computer, for each segment, which is a group of shapes, the graphic element data that makes up the segment is stored, and an element management table is created to manage the graphic element data. However, in a graphics display control device that uses the element management table and draws based on the element data, segment creation processing is started by a segment start command from the host computer, and when there is an element output command, If there is no free space in the element management table, acquire a new element management table, store the element data in memory, set a pointer to the storage location in the element management table, and save all the data output by the element output command. After storing the element data and setting the pointer to the element management table, repeat the processing for the next element output command, and when the segment end command is received, free space in the element management table is released for the first time, and the segment The creation process is completed, and the free space in the element management table is not released from the start of the segment to the end of the segment.

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to drawing processing in a graphic display, and particularly to a storage method of graphic elements in a graphic display control device.

[Conventional technology]

In a graphic display, the minimum unit of graphical data such as a line segment, circle, or arc that is to be stored and displayed is called an element. A meaningful figure made up of these elements is called a segment.

In a graphic display control device, element data (consisting of data such as element type, position coordinates, radius, etc.) output from the host computer is stored in memory according to instructions from the host computer, and these element data are managed. Create an element management table for This is called segment creation.

The graphic display control device accesses the element data using the created element management table, draws based on this, and provides display data to the display device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing segment creation processing according to the prior art.

The process of creating segments in a conventional graphic display control device will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

■Specify the segment to be created using the segment start command.

■Perform the processing from step ■ until the segment end command is issued. If it is a segment end command, jump to step ■.

■Identify whether it is an element output command, and if it is not an element output command, proceed to step ■; if it is an element output command, proceed to step ■.

■Process other commands and return to step ■.

■Obtain the element management table.

(2) Store the output element data in memory, and set the pointer to the start address of the storage location in the acquired element management table.

■If the setting area for pointers to element data in the element management table is empty, proceed to step ■; otherwise, jump to step ■.

■Furthermore, acquire a new element management table.

(2) If the storage of all the element data output by the element output command and the setting of pointers to the element data are not completed, the process returns to step (2), and if completed, the process proceeds to step [phase].

[Phase] Release the empty area of the element management table (delete the empty area from the element management table and return that part to the memory) and return to step (3).

■Terminate the segment creation process using the segment end command.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an element management table.

In the figure, element data 1 consists of data such as the element type, position coordinates, radius, etc. of an "element" which is the smallest unit of graphic data, and is stored in an area called a segment storage area.

Reference numeral 2 denotes an element management table, which is used for managing element data within each segment.

2a is a pointer to the next element management table, which is the address (start) in memory of the next acquired element management table.
is set.

Reference numeral 2b is an element flag, in which management information regarding stored element data (for example, whether it is a continuous processing element, validity of the element, whether it is a line element, etc.) is set.

2c is a pointer to the element data, and the address (start) of the stored element data on the memory is set.

2d is the number of element sets, and the number actually set as a set of the element flag 2b and the pointer 2c to element data is set.

2e is the number of elements, the number of pointers to actually set element data is set, and is usually equal to the number of element sets.

The element management table in this example is acquired as an area for 126 element pairs, and can be acquired up to a maximum of 252 element pairs, and a larger number of element pairs can be set. When doing so, the next new element management table is acquired and linked using a pointer.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

As explained above, when creating a segment using the conventional technology, an element management table is acquired every time an element output command is issued, and after storing pointers to element data, etc., free space in the element management table is freed. It was open.

However, when actually creating a segment, many element output commands are issued, so the process of acquiring and releasing memory takes time, causing a problem in that the processing time when storing elements becomes slow.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to solve these conventional problems and provide an efficient element storage method.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration and principle of the present invention.

FIG. 1(a) is a flowchart showing the segment creation process, and 10.20.30.40.50.60.70 shows each processing step.

111i1U(b) shows an outline of the element management table, where 1 is element data and 2 is the element management table.

Segment creation processing is started by a segment start command from the host computer (10), and when there is an element output command (30), a new element management table (2) is obtained if there is no free space in the element management table (2). 40), stores the element data (1) in memory, and sets a pointer to the storage location in the element management table (2) 50), stores the element data output by the element output command and in the element management table When the pointer setting work to (2) is completed, repeat the process for the next element output command, and when the segment end command is received (20)
Then, free space in the element management table (2) is released for the first time (6o), and the segment creation process is ended (70).
Process as follows.

[For production]

As shown in FIG. 1(b), in processing step 10, segment creation processing is started by a segment start command from the host computer, and as determined in processing step 20, if the command from the host computer is not a segment end command, , repeat the processing of processing steps 30.40.50.60.

If the command from the host computer is identified as an element output command in processing step 30, processing step 40
If there is no free space in the element management table 2, a new element management table 2 is acquired.

In processing step 50, the element data 1 is stored on the memory, and a pointer to the storage address and the like are set in the element management table 2. Processing steps 40 and 50 are repeated until all element data 1 output by the element output command have been stored and pointers have been set.

As determined in processing step 20, if the command from the host computer is a segment end command, in processing step 60, the free space of the element management table 2 is released, and in processing step 70, the segment creation work is ended.

As described above, in the processing according to the present invention, the free space in the element management table 2 is not released from the start to the end of the segment, but instead a pointer to the element is set. Compared to the conventional technology in which free space is released for each command, the processing time when storing elements is reduced.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to 4.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing segment creation processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The operation will be explained below according to the steps of the flowchart.

10: Specify the segment to be created using the segment start command.

20: Processing from step 30 onward is performed until a segment end command is issued. If it is a segment end command, the process jumps to step 60.

30: Identify whether it is an element output command, and if it is not an element output command, proceed to step 80; if it is an element output command, proceed to step 41.

41: Identify whether there is space in the element management table.

If there is space, the process jumps to step 51; if there is no space, the process moves to step 42.

42: Obtain a new element management table.

51: Store the output element data on the memory, and set a pointer to the start address of the storage location, etc. in the acquired element management table.

52: Identify whether all element data output by the element output command has been stored and pointers to the element data have been set in the element management table. If the process has not ended, the process returns to step 41; if the process has ended, the process returns to step 20.

60: Release the empty area of the element management table and proceed to step 70.

70: End the segment creation process.

80: Process other commands and return to step 20.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, numeral 2 is an element management table of the same format as shown in FIG.

f is a register in which the number of free areas is set, and the number of element sets in free areas to which no element sets are set among the acquired areas is set. g is a register in which a free area pointer is set, and the start address of the free area in memory is set.

FIG. 3 shows an example of processing when creating a new segment. The operation will be explained below. ■～■ in Figure 3 are
Corresponds to ■～■ in the following sentences.

■When the segment start command is issued, element data has not yet been stored, so the element management table has not been acquired. Therefore, the number of free areas is 0 and the free area pointer is NULL (indicating invalid data).

■When the first element output command is issued, if the command has element data for n (<126) pieces, the number of free areas is 0, so the element management table is for 126 element sets. Acquired as territory. When the setting of the pointer to the element data and the element flag is completed, the pointer to the next element management table is NULL as shown in the figure.
, the number of element sets, the number of elements is n, and the number of free areas is (126-n
), the free area pointer is set to the memory address pointed to by the arrow.

■Furthermore, if an element output command with k (> (126-n)) pieces of element data is issued, the pointer to the element data and the element flag are sent to (126-n).
Since the number of free areas becomes O when the elements are stored, an area for an additional 126 element sets is acquired. When the element setting is completed, the number of element sets and elements are set (n+k), the free area is (252-(n+k)), and the free area pointer is set to the address on the memory pointed by the arrow.

■When the segment end command is issued, the element management table is freed up to the number of free areas after the free area pointer, the free area step is set to O5, the free area pointer is set to NULL, and the segment creation process ends. .

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of processing according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows processing when adding an element to an existing segment.

In the figure, 2, f, and g indicate the same objects as in Figure 3,
■~■ in the figure correspond to ■~■ in the following text.

■When the segment start command is issued, element data has already been stored in the segment, so the element management table has an area for m element sets, and the pointer to the next element management table is NULL and the element data is already stored in the segment. The number of groups and elements are m, the number of free areas is 0, and the free area pointer is Nt.
It is set to JLL. Note that n<126. k＞(1
26-n), m> (252-(n+k)).

■When issuing the first element output command, the command is
(<126) element data, the number of free areas is O, and an area for 126 element sets is further acquired. When the element setting is completed, the number of element sets and elements are (m ten n), and the free area is (126-n).
The free area pointer is set to the memory address pointed to by the arrow.

■Furthermore, if an element output command with k (> (126-n)) element data is issued, the number of free areas will become 0 when (126-n) element data is set. , and further attempts to acquire an area for 126 element sets. However, if an area for 126 element sets is acquired in the existing element management table, the area for 252 element sets, which is the maximum area of the element management table, will be exceeded, so a new area for 126 element sets will be created. The element management table is obtained and linked to the existing element management table using a pointer. When the element configuration is completed, the pointer to the next element management table of the existing element management table is
The memory address, number of element sets, and number of elements of the newly acquired element management table are (m+126), and the pointer to the next element management table of the newly acquired element management table is NULL, the number of element sets, and the number of elements. The number is (k+n-12
6) The number of free areas is (252-(k+n)),
The free area pointer is set to the address in memory pointed to by the arrow.

■When the segment end command is issued, the element management table is freed up to the number of free areas after the free area pointer, the number of free areas is set to 0, the free area pointer is set to NULL, and the segment creation process ends. do.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, the present invention has a significant industrial effect in that the processing time when storing elements can be shortened by freeing up the empty area of the element management table at the end of a segment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration and principle of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing processing according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of processing according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 4 5 is a flowchart showing processing according to a conventional example, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an element management table. In the figure, 1 is element data, 2 is an element management table, 2a is a pointer to the next element management table, 2b is an element flag, 2c is a pointer to element data, 2d is the number of element sets, 2e is the number of elements, f is a free area number register, g is a free area pointer register, and 20 to 70 are processing steps. Flowchart showing processing according to an embodiment of the present invention: ■ Segment start command ■ Keystone output command with n element data (n < 1
26) Free IIjF lost element management table Free Xa number element management table Fig. Fig. Flowchart showing processing according to conventional example Fig.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Element management for storing graphic element data (1) constituting the segment for each segment, which is a group of graphics, according to a command from a host computer, and managing the graphic element data. In a graphic display control device that creates a table (2), uses the element management table (2), and draws based on the element data (1), a segment creation process is started by a segment start command from the host computer. (10), and when there is an element output command (30), if there is no free space in the element management table (2), a new element management table (2) is acquired (
40), store the element data (1) in memory and set a pointer to the storage location in the element management table (2) (
50) When the storage of all the element data output by the element output command and the pointer setting to the element management table (2) are completed, repeat the process for the next element output command, and when the segment end command is received. (
20), free space in the element management table (2) is released for the first time (60), and the segment creation process is ended (
70) A storage processing method for graphic elements, characterized in that free space in the element management table (2) is not released from the start of a segment to the end of a segment.