Scanline principle: efficient conversion of display algorithms into scanline mode

Abstract

The scanline principle is a general technique for efficiently converting any display algorithm that is based on polygon scan conversion into scanline mode, i.e., the image is produced in scanline order with required memory proportional to one scanline. Based on critical-points scan conversion, the technique reduces the Z-buffer or its variants to one scanline. Current scanline depth buffers are inefficient in both time and space. The scanline principle can also transform list-priority methods, such as BSP trees, into scanline mode. The scanline mode enables efficient supersampling and averaging, and low latency in image generation, compression and transmission.