Occlusion culling for complex transparent scenes in computer generated graphics

In a computer system, a method of efficiently rendering a complex transparent scene, said complex transparent scene including a plurality of transparent objects, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) designating a first set of said plurality of transparent objects as potential occluders and designating a second set of said plurality of transparent objects as potential occludees;
• b) providing a first Z-map for storing a first plurality of Z-values corresponding to a first depth-level of said first set;
• and
• c) providing a second Z-map for storing a second plurality of Z-values corresponding to a second depth-level of said first set, wherein a single pixel corresponds to one of said first plurality of Z-values and to one of said second plurality of Z-values.

A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus wherein said memory contains instructions for implementing a method of efficiently rendering a complex transparent scene, said complex transparent scene including a plurality of transparent objects, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) designating a first set of said plurality of transparent objects as potential occluders;
• b) providing a first memory section for storing a first plurality of Z-values corresponding to a first depth-level of said first set;
• and
• c) providing a second memory section for storing a second plurality of Z-values corresponding to a second depth-level of said first set,
• wherein a single pixel corresponds to one of said first plurality of Z-values and to one of said second plurality of Z-values.

A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer to perform a method of efficiently rendering a complex transparent scene, said complex transparent scene including a plurality of transparent objects, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) designating a first set of said transparent objects as potential occluders;
• b) providing a first memory section for storing a first plurality of Z-values corresponding to a first depth-level of said first set;
• and
• c) providing a second memory section for storing a second plurality of Z-values corresponding to a second depth-level of said first set,
• wherein a single pixel corresponds to one of said first plurality of Z-values and to one of said second plurality of Z-values.