Importance

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Abstract

The data base for an aircraft flight simulator provides position data for each vertex of each object face in the gaming area plus color, intensity, etc. for each face. The vertex data is combined with aircraft position data and processed to generate two dimensional display vectors (Vd=Xd+Yd) for each vertex. A display generator converts the Xd portion for each vertex into a series of scanline-edge intersections Xdc which define the leading and trailing intersections between each horizontal scanline and the edges of each face. The MSB portion of the intersection coordinate Xdc of each scanline-edge intersection is compared to the incrementing pixel number as the scan proceeds to determine which pixel contains the intersection. The actual change within each pixel of intensity or color associated with scanning across the edge is determined by the LSB portion of Xdc. Each pixel is subdivided into a set of fractional pixels having progressively delayed START DISPLAY times. The LSB portion identifies the particular start time for each edge-scanline intersection. This increased resolution in the horizontal position of each change in intensity or color correspondingly reduces the horizontal dimension of the 'staircase' effect inherent in digital displays. The spacing between adjacent START DISPLAY times may be adjusted to accommodate the 'worst case' requirement of clearance between start pulses. The resulting series of nonuniformly spaced start times may then include more start times within a single pixel, further reducing the staircase effect.

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First Claim