Configurable vertex blending circuit and method therefore

A vertex blending circuit for performing a vertex blending operation, comprising:

• a state buffer operable to receive state information corresponding to the vertex blending operation, wherein the state information includes control information and a plurality of matrices, wherein the state buffer stores the plurality of matrices in a matrix array;
• an input vertex buffer operable to receive a plurality of blend weights and vertex data corresponding to a vertex to be blended by the vertex blending operation, wherein the vertex data includes at least one position, wherein when the vertex blending operation is a skinning operation, the at least one position includes a skinning position, wherein when the vertex blending operation is a morphing operation, the at least one position includes a first morphing position and a second morphing position, wherein the input vertex buffer stores the plurality of blend weights and the vertex data;
• an arithmetic unit operably coupled to the state buffer and the input vertex buffer;
• and
• a transform controller operably coupled to the state buffer and the arithmetic unit, wherein the transform controller receives the control information from the state buffer and configures the arithmetic unit to perform a plurality of component operations corresponding to the vertex blending operation based on the control information, wherein each component operation combines a selected matrix of the plurality of matrices, a selected position of the at least one position, and a selected blend weight of the plurality of blend weights to produce a component result corresponding to the component operation, wherein the transform controller further configures the arithmetic unit to combine the component results for the plurality of component operations to produce a blended vertex.

A method for performing a vertex blending operation in a graphics system, comprising:

• receiving a plurality of matrices corresponding to the vertex blending operation;
• storing the plurality of matrices in a matrix array;
• receiving vertex data corresponding to a vertex to be blended, wherein the vertex data includes at least one position, wherein when the vertex blending operation is a skinning operation, the at least one position includes a skinning position, wherein when the vertex blending operation is a morphing operation, the at least one position includes a first morphing position and a second morphing position;
• storing the at least one position in a position buffer, wherein for a skinning operation, the skinning position is stored in a first position buffer location, wherein for a morphing operations, the first morphing position is stored in the first position buffer location and the second morphing position is stored in a second position buffer location;
• receiving a plurality of blend weights corresponding to a plurality of component operations of the vertex blending operation;
• storing the plurality of blend weights in a blend weight buffer;
• receiving control information corresponding to the vertex blending operation;
• configuring an arithmetic unit to perform the plurality of component operations based on the control information, wherein the arithmetic unit is operably coupled to the matrix array, the blend weight buffer, and the position buffer, wherein each component operation combines a selected matrix of the plurality of matrices, a selected position of the at least one position, and a selected blend weight of the plurality of blend weights to produce a component result corresponding to the component operation;
• and
• combining the component results for the plurality of component operations to produce a blended vertex.

A vertex blending circuit, comprising:

• a state buffer that stores matrices, wherein at least a portion of the matrices correspond to view matrices for mapping vertices of video graphics primitives into an environmental setting;
• a plurality of position buffers, wherein for morphing operations, multiple positions are included in the position buffers;
• a blend weight buffer, wherein the blend weight buffer stores blend weights;
• an arithmetic block operably coupled to the state buffer, the plurality of position buffers, and the blend weight buffer;
• and
• a transform controller operably coupled to the arithmetic block, the state buffer, the plurality of position buffers, and the blend weight buffer, wherein for each component operation of a plurality of component operations, the transform controller:
• selects a selected matrix of the plurality of matrices;
• selects a selected position stored in a selected one of the plurality of position buffers;
• selects a selected blend weight from the blend weight buffer;
• and
• configures the transform controller to combine the selected matrix, the selected position, and the selected blend weight to produce a component result;
• wherein the transform controller further configures the arithmetic block such that component results for the plurality of component operations are combined to produce a blended vertex.