3D graphics API extension for a packed float image format

A computing system for providing image data represented in a packed float format for graphics processing, comprising:

• a graphics memory configured to store the image data represented in the packed float format;
• a software driver configured to:
• receive source image data specified by an application program and a parameter that specifies the packed float format;
• convert source image data to the packed float format to produce the image data including clamping components of the processed source image data to a range of the packed float format, wherein all negative values are clamped to zero;
• transmit the image data represented in the packed float format to the graphics memory for storage;
• and
• a graphics processor configured to read the image data from the graphics memory or write the source image data during the graphics processing,
• wherein the packed float format represents three color components each having an exponent size of 5 bits and a mantissa size of either 5 bits or 6 bits.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for causing a processor to provide texture data for graphics processing by performing the steps of:

• receiving source image data specified by an application program and a parameter that specifies a packed float format;
• processing the source image data using a pixel processing pipeline provided by function calls of a 3D graphics library to produce processed source image data;
• clamping components of the processed source image data to a range of the packed float format, wherein negative values are clamped to zero;
• encoding the processed source image data into the packed float format to produce the image data represented in the packed float format;
• and
• transmitting the image data represented in the packed float format to a graphics memory for storage,
• wherein the packed float format represents three color components each having an exponent size of 5 bits and a mantissa size of either 5 bits or 6 bits.