Parallel Rendering and Animation of Subdivision Surfaces on the Cell BE Processor

Abstract

In this work we propose a parallel graphics pipeline for real-time interactive editing, processing and rendering of smooth surface primitives on the Cell BE. Our approach integrates a special patch-based geometry shader for subdivision surface targeting high-performance single-chip multi-core platforms. We describe a combination of algorithmic, architectural and back-end optimizations that enable us to render smooth subdivision surfaces in real-time and to dynamically deform 3D models represented by subdivision surfaces.