System, method, and computer program product for accessing multi-sample surfaces

A system comprising:

• a memory storing multi-sample pixel data;
• a processing unit configured to:
• process, by two or more threads, a first primitive covering two or more samples of a multi-sample pixel that comprises multiple samples to generate data for the two or more samples of the multi-sample pixel;
• process, by a single thread, a second primitive covering a subset of the multiple samples to generate data for a single sample of the multi-sample pixel;
• and
• a load/store unit that is coupled between the processing unit and the memory, and
• configured to:
• receive a multi-sample store instruction that specifies data for a single sample of the multi-sample pixel and a sample mask, wherein a pixel coverage mask indicates the sample coverage of the second primitive and the sample mask indicates the subset of the multiple samples that are covered by the second primitive and are associated with the data for the single sample;
• and
• store the data for the single sample to at least two samples of the multi-sample pixel that are enabled according to the sample mask in response to executing the multi-sample store instruction.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

• processing, by two or more threads, a first primitive covering two or more samples of a multi-sample pixel that comprises multiple samples to generate data for the two or more samples of the multi-sample pixel;
• processing, by a single thread, a second primitive covering a subset of the multiple samples to generate data for a single sample of the multi-sample pixel;
• receiving a multi-sample store instruction that specifies data for a single sample of the multi-sample pixel and a sample mask, wherein a pixel coverage mask indicates the sample coverage of the second primitive and the sample mask indicates the subset of the multiple samples that are covered by the second primitive and are associated with the data for the single sample;
• and
• in response to executing the multi-sample store instruction, storing the data for the single sample to at least two samples of the multi-sample pixel that are enabled according to the sample mask.

A method, comprising:

• receiving a multi-sample load instruction that specifies one sample of a multi-sample pixel that comprises multiple samples, wherein the multiple samples includes a first subset of samples associated with a first encoding state and a second subset of samples associated with a second encoding state;
• in response to executing the multi-sample load instruction, receiving data for one sample of the multi-sample pixel, wherein the one sample and at least one additional sample of the multiple samples is included in the first subset;
• and
• determining the first encoding state indicating that the data for the one sample of the multi-sample pixel represents multi-sample pixel data for the first subset, wherein the first subset is stored in a first cache line and the second subset is stored in a second cache line.

A system comprising:

• a memory storing multi-sample pixel data;
• and
• an analysis unit that is coupled to the memory and configured to:
• receive a multi-sample load instruction that specifies one sample of a multi-sample pixel that comprises multiple samples, wherein the multiple samples includes a first subset of samples associated with a first encoding state and a second subset of samples associated with a second encoding state;
• in response to executing the multi-sample load instruction, receive data for one sample of the multi-sample pixel, wherein the one sample and at least one additional sample of the multiple samples is included in the first subset;
• and
• determine the first encoding state indicating that the data for the one sample of the multi-sample pixel represents multi-sample pixel data for the first subset, wherein the first subset is stored in a first cache line and the second subset is stored in a second cache line.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

• receiving a multi-sample load instruction that specifies one sample of a multi-sample pixel that comprises multiple samples, wherein the multiple samples includes a first subset of samples associated with a first encoding state and a second subset of samples associated with a second encoding state;
• in response to executing the multi-sample load instruction, receiving data for one sample of the multi-sample pixel, wherein the one sample and at least one additional sample of the multiple samples is included in the first subset;
• and
• determining the first encoding state indicating that the data for the one sample of the multi-sample pixel represents multi-sample pixel data for the first subset, wherein the first subset is stored in a first cache line and the second subset is stored in a second cache line.