COMPUTER GRAPHICS SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR ADAPTIVE SUPERSAMPLING

A computer graphics system is defined using supersampling of multi-level pixel characteristic data. The system provides a detailed anti-aliased display of the texture on surfaces defined at oblique angles within the model space while providing simple real time controls to control the amount of extra processing required for the supersampling. A sampling path is defined within a projected pixel footprint on a textured surface defined in model space. These sample points are mapped to levels of detail and locations within a texture MIP map. The level of detail and supersampling locations are calculated for each pixel that the polygon influences. The sampled texture data is blended forming a single texture value for that pixel. This texture value is blended with other characteristics of the pixel to form the pixel data that is displayed on a display unit.