HIDDEN SURFACE PROCESSOR

A high speed hidden surface processor capable of operating in real time and suitable for interaction with a computer-generated imagery or computer graphics system, whereby a realistic three-dimensional scene can be projected on a two-dimensional video display. The scene is formed by one or more polygons that are visible from an arbitrary viewpoint. The present hidden surface processor employs a hidden surface algorithm, such that certain polygons or portions of polygons, which polygons are obscured by other polygons lying closer to the viewpoint, are removed or truncated. Ordered linked lists of scan line data corresponding to the surfaces of the visible polygons are assembled and stored, so that the complete scene may be subsequently displayed with increased speed and minimized hardware implementation costs.