Display of Solid Models with a Multi-Processor System

Abstract

There is a growing need for fast high-quality display of solid objects. Recently-developed custom-VLSI hardware offers high-speed display but lacks the flexibility and processing power at the pixel level to sustain the calculations and filter operations needed for realistic reflection models, texture mapping and anti-aliasing. Multi-processor systems built with general-purpose components of relatively high capacity and moderate cost provide an alternative; they also offer higher performance than single processor systems but retain their flexibility. A CSG hidden-surface algorithm based on depth-buffering and image subdivision is presented which is suitable for use with such a multi-processor system.