Three dimensional image processing

An apparatus comprising:

• a first device configured to receive object files for a rendering of two-dimensional images of three-dimensional objects, the apparatus including a second device having:
• a memory for storing object files containing triangle strips, the strips having been created sequentially in an order;
• and
• an image processor for displaying said triangle strips on a display in the order in which they have been created;
• wherein the object files are prepared on the first device for the rendering of the two-dimensional images of three-dimensional objects on the second device by processing object files containing data defining triangle primitives representing at least one three-dimensional object to determine a rendering order in which said triangle primitives may be rendered for creating a two-dimensional image in which the hidden surfaces are removed by:
• a) storing a plurality of planar triangle primitives corresponding to a plurality of surface portions of said at least one object in an object file, wherein said plurality of triangle primitives are represented by vertex data arranged according to an original order;
• b) selecting a triangle that does not potentially occlude any of the unprocessed triangles to start a triangle strip;
• c) selecting a neighboring triangle to add to the last triangle in the triangle strip;
• d) determining whether the selected neighboring triangle has the potential to occlude any of the unprocessed triangles;
• e) adding the selected neighboring triangle to the strip and going back to step c) if the selected neighboring triangle does not have the potential to occlude any of the unprocessed triangles;
• f) going back to step b) to start a new triangle strip if the selected neighboring triangle has the potential to occlude any of the unprocessed triangles;
• and
• g) repeating steps b) to f) until all the triangles in the object tile are processed.