GRAPHICS SYSTEM EMPLOYING SHAPE BUFFER

The system includes a shape buffer manager configured to store coverage data in the shape buffer. The coverage data indicates whether each mask pixel is a covered pixel or an uncovered pixel. A mask pixel is a covered pixel when a shape to be rendered on a screen covers the mask pixel such that one or more coverage criteria is satisfied and is an uncovered pixel when the shape does not cover the mask pixel such that the one or more coverage criteria are satisfied. A bounds primitive rasterizer is configured to rasterize a bounds primitive that bounds the shape. The bounds primitive is rasterized into primitive pixels that each corresponds to one of the mask pixels. A pixel screener is configured to employ the coverage data from the shape buffer to screen the primitive pixels into retained pixels and discarded pixels. The retained pixels each corresponds to a mask pixel that the coverage data indicates is a covered pixel and the discarded pixels each correspond to a mask pixels that the coverage data indicates is an uncovered pixel. The system also includes an attribute generator configured to generate pixel attributes for the retained primitive pixels and also configured not to generate pixel attributes for the discarded primitive pixels.