Comput. & Graphics, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 143-149, 1997 0 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved Printed in Great Britain 0097*493/97 s17.oo+o.oo PII: s0097-8493@6)00077-5 Graphics Hardware DESIGN Pi2INCIPLES OF HARDWARE-BASED PHONG SHADING AND BUMP-MAPPING K. BENNEBROEK’, I. ERNST’, H. RUSSELER2 and 0. WITTIG2+ ‘Department of Electrical Engineering, Networking Theory Group, University of Twente, Twente, The Netherlands *German National Research Center for Computer Science,Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology (GMD FIRST), Rudower Chaussee 5, 12489Berlin, Germany e-mail:
[email protected] Abstract-The VISA+ hardwarearchitecture is the first of a new generationof graphicsaccelerators designedprimarily to renderbump-, texture-, environment- and environment-bump-mappedpolygons. This paperpresents examples of the maingraphical capabilities and discusses methods and simplifications usedto createhigh quality images.One of the key conceptsin the VISA + design,the useof reflectance cubes,is predestinedfor environmentmapping. In combinationwith bump-and texture-mapping it shows the strengthof our new architecture.Furthermore it justifiessome of the decisionsmade during simulationand developmentof the complexVISA+ architecture.0 1997Elsevier Science Ltd 1. INTBODUCI’ION interpolation approach can be important if diffuse Even the fastest high quality graphics workstations intensitiesare calculatedon an incremental basis. like the recently announcedInfiniteReality@ graphics The normal-vector shading approach of the acceleratorsare still basedon common texturing in GMD-FIRST is a reflection map method. This combination with Gouraud shading. With continu- shadingtechnique, implemented in the VISA system ously improving VLSI technologiesin combination [5l operatesin a similar way to the reflection-vector with CAD tools to support full custom chip design, shadinghardware of Voorhies and Foran [6], new graphic architectures must evolve.