text:
An interface for a graphics system includes simple yet powerful constructs that are easy for an application programmer to use and learn. Features include a unique vertex representation allowing the graphics pipeline to retain vertex state information and to mix indexed and direct vertex values and attributes; a projection matrix value set command; a display list call object command; and an embedded frame buffer clear/set command.
1. A graphics system comprising a transform unit, a main processor, a main memory, and a graphics and audio processor,
wherein the graphics and audio processor is an application specific integrated circuit, wherein the application specific integrated circuit comprises: a processor interface which provides a data control between the main processor and the graphics and audio processor; a memory interface which provides a data control and interface between the graphics and audio processor and the main memory; a 3D graphics processor which performs graphics processing tasks; and a display controller which accesses information from the main memory and provides it to a video encoder;
and further comprising a graphics system command stream is operable upon execution to load a projection matrix into the transform unit, the command stream comprising:
a bit pattern "00010000", followed by
a pad, followed by
a 21-bit value including sixteen bits of address indicating a transform unit register location and an additional five bits indicating how many words will follow, followed by
at least one additional 32-bit word providing a projection matrix element value,
wherein upon execution of the command stream by said graphics and audio processor the projection matrix is loaded into the transform unit.
2. A computer readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions for loading a projection matrix into a transform unit for use in a graphics system, wherein the graphics system comprises a main processor, a main memory, and a graphics and audio processor, wherein the graphics and audio processor is an application specific integrated circuit, wherein the application specific integrated circuit comprises: a processor interface which provides a data control between the main processor and the graphics and audio processor; a memory interface which provides a data control and interface between the graphics and audio processor and the main memory; a 3D graphics processor which performs graphics processing tasks; and a display controller which accesses information from the main memory and provides it to a video encoder;
and wherein the executable instructions comprise:
a bit pattern "00010000", followed by
a pad, followed by
a 21-bit value including sixteen bits of address indicating a transform unit register location and an additional five bits indicating how many words will follow, followed by
at least one additional 32-bit word providing a projection matrix element value,
wherein execution of the encoded instructions by said graphics and audio processor loads the projection matrix into the transform unit.
3. A graphics command stream decoder for use in a graphics system, wherein the graphics system comprises a main processor, a main memory, and a graphics and audio processor, wherein the graphics and audio processor is an application specific integrated circuit, wherein the application specific integrated circuit comprises: a processor interface which provides a data control between the main processor and the graphics and audio processor; a memory interface which provides a data control and interface between the graphics and audio processor and the main memory; a 3D graphics processor which performs graphics processing tasks; and a display controller which accesses information from the main memory and provides it to a video encoder;
and wherein the decoder comprises:
a first decoding section decoding a bit pattern "00010000", followed by
a second decoding section decoding a pad, followed by
a third decoding section decoding a 21-bit value including sixteen bits of address indicating a transform unit register location and an additional five bits indicating how many words will follow, followed by
at least one additional decoding section decoding at least one additional 32-bit word providing a projection matrix element value.
4. A method of loading a projection matrix into a transform unit in a graphics system using a graphics command stream, wherein the graphics system comprises a main processor, a main memory, and a graphics and audio processor, wherein the graphics and audio processor is an application specific integrated circuit, wherein the application specific integrated circuit comprises: a processor interface which provides a data control between the main processor and the graphics and audio processor; a memory interface which provides a data control and interface between the graphics and audio processor and the main memory; a 3D graphics processor which performs graphics processing tasks; and a display controller which accesses information from the main memory and provides it to a video encoder;
and wherein the method comprises:
generating a bit pattern "00010000", then
generating a pad, then
generating a 21-bit value including sixteen bits of address indicating a transform unit register location and an additional five bits indicating how many words will follow, then
generating at least one additional 32-bit word providing a projection matrix element value,
wherein upon execution of the graphics command stream by the graphics and audio processor the projection matrix is loaded into the transform unit of the graphics system.
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/716,494, filed Nov. 20, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,071,945, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/207,120, filed Jul. 30, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,074, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/723,336, filed Nov. 28, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,452,600 the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
See the following copending patent applications incorporated herein by reference:
The present invention relates to computer graphics, and more particularly to interactive graphics systems including but not limited to home video game platforms. Still more particularly this invention relates to an advantageous software programming interface including binary command functions for controlling a graphics chip and to methods for generating, storing and decoding same.
Many of us have seen films containing remarkably realistic dinosaurs, aliens, animated toys and other fanciful creatures. Such animations are made possible by computer graphics. Using such techniques, a computer graphics artist can specify how each object should look and how it should change in appearance over time, and a computer then models the objects and displays them on a display such as your television or a computer screen. The computer takes care of performing the many tasks required to make sure that each part of the displayed image is colored and shaped just right based on the position and orientation of each object in a scene, the direction in which light seems to strike each object, the surface texture of each object, and other factors.
Because computer graphics generation is complex, computer-generated three-dimensional graphics just a few years ago were mostly limited to expensive specialized flight simulators, high-end graphics workstations and supercomputers. The public saw some of the images generated by these computer systems in movies and expensive television advertisements, but most of us couldn't actually interact with the computers doing the graphics generation. All this has changed with the availability of relatively inexpensive 3D graphics platforms such as, for example, the Nintendo 64� and various 3D graphics cards now available for personal computers. It is now possible to interact with exciting 3D animations and simulations on relatively inexpensive computer graphics systems in your home or office.
A problem graphics system designers confronted in the past was how to provide a control interface for a graphics system that enables fast, efficient and flexible use of the graphics system by applications designed to be executed thereon. Various application programming interfaces (APIs) and application binary interfaces (ABIs) have been developed in the past for the purpose of enabling graphics application programmers to control the operation of a graphics chip provided in a graphics system. Perhaps the most commonly-used 3D graphics application programming interfaces in current use are Microsoft's Direct3D interface and the OpenGL interface developed through cooperation with Silicon Graphics. See, for example, Kovach, Inside Direct3D: The Definitive Guide to Real-Time 3D Power and Performance for Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Press 2000); and Neider et al., OpenGL Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL Release 1 (Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. 1993).
As explained in the Kovach book, Microsoft's DirectX application programming interface (API) provides a set of interfaces offering efficient control of multimedia hardware on a computer running Microsoft Windows. Kovach states that DirectX lets programmers work with commands and data structures that are very close to those that the hardware can natively process, without being so low level that code has to be written differently for each device. By writing device-independent code, programmers can create software that will theoretically always perform at its best (according to Kovach)—even as users enhance their systems with new and improved 3D graphics accelerators, sound cards, input devices and other system capabilities.
Kovach explains that the device-independence of DirectX is obtained because the DirectX APIs are built on a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) that hides the device-specific dependencies of the hardware. In fact, DirectX defines some hardware acceleration support features that aren't available on much of the hardware built today in order to provide extensibility for the future.
While the DirectX approach has been widely adopted and is successful in providing compatibility across a wide range of different platform configurations, the use of a thick hardware abstraction layer and associated hardware emulation layer is not particularly suitable for current low cost dedicated video game platforms at the current time. The DirectX API was primarily designed for personal computers costing many hundreds or thousands of dollars and manufactured in a variety of different configurations and permutations. While the DirectX API has been successful in providing compatibility across a wide range of such different platform configurations, this compatibility has come at the expense of efficiency and performance. In the context of a dedicated low-cost video game platform, it is possible to do much better in terms of providing a fully capable programming interface that is very close to the hardware while providing a highly capable and flexible interface for achieving a wide variety of interesting 3-dimensional graphics effects.
One prior approach is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/990,133 filed Dec. 12, 1997 by Van Hook et al., entitled "Interface For A High Performance Low Cost Video Game System With Coprocessor Providing High Speed Efficient 3D Graphics And Digital Audio Signal Processing." However, further improvements are possible and desirable. In particular, some people criticized the interface described in this prior Van Hook et al., patent application because they thought it was difficult to write applications to. In the home video game arena, it is desirable to maximize performance while keeping the interface used to invoke and control such performance and capabilities as simple and easy to use as possible. Requiring application programmers to write to an unduly complicated interface may increase the time it takes to develop such applications. This can have devastatingly negative effects when it comes time to launch a new video game platform—since the success of the platform may often depend on achieving a certain "critical mass" in terms of the number of games or other applications available at launch time. As some developers of prior new home video game platforms found out, no one wants to buy a new video game system if there are no games to play on it. It is therefore desirable to provide a graphics programming interface that is simple and easy to use and yet is very powerful and flexible.
The present invention solves this problem by providing new and improved interface for graphics systems that is designed to be as thin as possible in order to achieve high performance, while also providing a logical and orthogonal view of the graphics hardware.
The present invention provides a graphics system programming interface with graphics commands allowing geometry to be rendered with many attributes. The interface provides two main methods for drawing geometry. An immediate mode allows the command stream source to send a stream of graphics commands directly to the graphics processor for consumption. This immediate mode interface is useful when the main processor must synthesize geometry data from a higher-level description (e.g., a height field or Bezier patch). The second method feeds a command stream to the graphics processor using a memory-resident display list format. This interface provides superior performance for static data. The immediate interface and the display list interface both support configurable vertex representations. The configurable vertex representations include, for example, direct or indexed vertex components. Vertex components (e.g., position, normal, color and texture coordinates for a number of textures) can all be indexed independently from arrays, or placed directly in the command stream. Additional flexibility is provided by allowing each vertex component to have a differently-sized representation and precision. The available direct types may include, for example, 8-bit signed and unsigned integer, 16-bit signed and unsigned integer, and 32-bit floating point. A scale is available to position the decimal point for the integer types. The indirect types (e.g., 8-bit index or 16-bit index) can be used to index into an array of any of the direct types. This flexible representation allows the game developer to organize vertex data in a way that is appropriate for the game. The ability to index each component separately eliminates a great deal of data duplication.
These and other features and advantages provided by the invention will be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, of which:
In this example, system 50 is capable of processing, interactively in real time, a digital representation or model of a three-dimensional world. System 50 can display some or all of the world from any arbitrary viewpoint. For example, system 50 can interactively change the viewpoint in response to real time inputs from handheld controllers 52 a, 52 b or other input devices. This allows the game player to see the world through the eyes of someone within or outside of the world. System 50 can be used for applications that do not require real time 3D interactive display (e.g., 2D display generation and/or non-interactive display), but the capability of displaying quality 3D images very quickly can be used to create very realistic and exciting game play or other graphical interactions.
To play a video game or other application using system 50, the user first connects a main unit 54 to his or her color television set 56 or other display device by connecting a cable 58 between the two. Main unit 54 produces both video signals and audio signals for controlling color television set 56. The video signals are what controls the images displayed on the television screen 59, and the audio signals are played back as sound through television stereo loudspeakers 61L, 61R.
The user also needs to connect main unit 54 to a power source. This power source may be a conventional AC adapter (not shown) that plugs into a standard home electrical wall socket and converts the house current into a lower DC voltage signal suitable for powering the main unit 54. Batteries could be used in other implementations.
The user may use hand controllers 52 a, 52 b to control main unit 54. Controls 60 can be used, for example, to specify the direction (up or down, left or right, closer or further away) that a character displayed on television 56 should move within a 3D world. Controls 60 also provide input for other applications (e.g., menu selection, pointer/cursor control, etc.). Controllers 52 can take a variety of forms. In this example, controllers 52 shown each include controls 60 such as joysticks, push buttons and/or directional switches. Controllers 52 may be connected to main unit 54 by cables or wirelessly via electromagnetic (e.g., radio or infrared) waves.
To play an application such as a game, the user selects an appropriate storage medium 62 storing the video game or other application he or she wants to play, and inserts that storage medium into a slot 64 in main unit 54. Storage medium 62 may, for example, be a specially encoded and/or encrypted optical and/or magnetic disk that stores commands for graphics and audio processor 114 and/or instructions controlling main processor 110 to develop such commands. The user may operate a power switch 66 to turn on main unit 54 and cause the main unit to begin running the video game or other application based on the software stored in the storage medium 62. The user may operate controllers 52 to provide inputs to main unit 54. For example, operating a control 60 may cause the game or other application to start. Moving other controls 60 can cause animated characters to move in different directions or change the user's point of view in a 3D world. Depending upon the particular software stored within the storage medium 62, the various controls 60 on the controller 52 can perform different functions at different times.
In this example, main processor 110 (e.g., an enhanced IBM Power PC 750) receives inputs from handheld controllers 108 (and/or other input devices) via graphics and audio processor 114. Main processor 110 interactively responds to user inputs, and executes a video game or other program supplied, for example, by external storage media 62 via a mass storage access device 106 such as an optical disk drive. As one example, in the context of video game play, main processor 110 can perform collision detection and animation processing in addition to a variety of interactive and control functions.
In this example, main processor 110 generates 3D graphics and audio commands and sends them to graphics and audio processor 114. The graphics and audio processor 114 processes these commands to generate interesting visual images on display 59 and interesting stereo sound on stereo loudspeakers 61R, 61L or other suitable sound-generating devices.
Example system 50 includes a video encoder 120 that receives image signals from graphics and audio processor 114 and converts the image signals into analog and/or digital video signals suitable for display on a standard display device such as a computer monitor or home color television set 56. System 100 also includes an audio codec (compressor/decompressor) 122 that compresses and decompresses digitized audio signals and may also convert between digital and analog audio signaling formats as needed. Audio codec 122 can receive audio inputs via a buffer 124 and provide them to graphics and audio processor 114 for processing (e.g., mixing with other audio signals the processor generates and/or receives via a streaming audio output of mass storage access device 106). Graphics and audio processor 114 in this example can store audio related information in an audio memory 126 that is available for audio tasks. Graphics and audio processor 114 provides the resulting audio output signals to audio codec 122 for decompression and conversion to analog signals (e.g., via buffer amplifiers 128L, 128R) so they can be reproduced by loudspeakers 61L, 61R.
Graphics and audio processor 114 has the ability to communicate with various additional devices that may be present within system 100. For example, a parallel digital bus 130 may be used to communicate with mass storage access device 106 and/or other components. A serial peripheral bus 132 may communicate with a variety of peripheral or other devices including, for example:
A further external serial bus 142 may be used to communicate with additional expansion memory 144 (e.g., a memory card) or other devices. Connectors may be used to connect various devices to busses 130, 132, 142.
3D graphics processor 154 performs graphics processing tasks. Audio digital signal processor 156 performs audio processing tasks. Display controller 164 accesses image information from main memory 112 and provides it to video encoder 120 for display on display device 102. Audio interface and mixer 160 interfaces with audio codec 122, and can also mix audio from different sources (e.g., streaming audio from mass storage access device 106, the output of audio DSP 156, and external audio input received via audio codec 122). Processor interface 150 provides a data and control interface between main processor 110 and graphics and audio processor 114.
Memory interface 152 provides a data and control interface between graphics and audio processor 114 and memory 112. In this example, main processor 110 accesses main memory 112 via processor interface 150 and memory interface 152 that are part of graphics and audio processor 114. Peripheral controller 162 provides a data and control interface between graphics and audio processor 114 and the various peripherals mentioned above. Audio memory interface 158 provides an interface with audio memory 126.
Command processor 200 receives display commands in binary format from main processor 110 and parses and decodes them—obtaining any additional data necessary to process them from shared memory 112. The command processor 200 provides a stream of vertex commands to graphics pipeline 180 for 2D and/or 3D processing and rendering. Graphics pipeline 180 generates images based on these commands. The resulting image information may be transferred to main memory 112 for access by display controller/video interface unit 164—which displays the frame buffer output of pipeline 180 on display 102.
Command processor 200 performs command processing operations 200 a that convert attribute types to floating point format, and passes the resulting complete vertex polygon data to graphics pipeline 180 for rendering/rasterization. A programmable memory arbitration circuitry 130 (see
Transform unit 300 performs a variety of 2D and 3D transform and other operations 300 a (see
Setup/rasterizer 400 includes a setup unit which receives vertex data from transform unit 300 and sends triangle setup information to one or more rasterizer units (400 b) performing edge rasterization, texture coordinate rasterization and color rasterization.
Texture unit 500 (which may include an on-chip texture memory (TMEM) 502) performs various tasks related to texturing including for example:
Texture unit 500 outputs filtered texture values to the texture environment unit 600 for texture environment processing (600 a). Texture environment unit 600 blends polygon and texture color/alpha/depth, and can also perform texture fog processing (600 b) to achieve inverse range based fog effects. Texture environment unit 600 can provide multiple stages to perform a variety of other interesting environment-related functions based for example on color/alpha modulation, embossing, detail texturing, texture swapping, clamping, and depth blending.
Pixel engine 700 performs depth (z) compare (700 a) and pixel blending (700 b). In this example, pixel engine 700 stores data into an embedded (on-chip) frame buffer memory 702. Graphics pipeline 180 may include one or more embedded DRAM memories 702 to store frame buffer and/or texture information locally. Z compares 700 a′ can also be performed at an earlier stage in the graphics pipeline 180 depending on the rendering mode currently in effect (e.g., z compares can be performed earlier if alpha blending is not required). The pixel engine 700 includes a copy operation 700 c that periodically writes on-chip frame buffer 702 to main memory 112 for access by display/video interface unit 164. This copy operation 700 c can also be used to copy embedded frame buffer 702 contents to textures in the main memory 112 for dynamic texture synthesis effects. Anti-aliasing and other filtering can be performed during the copy-out operation. The frame buffer output of graphics pipeline 180 (which is ultimately stored in main memory 112) is read each frame by display/video interface unit 164. Display controller/video interface 164 provides digital RGB pixel values for display on display 102.
As described above, main processor 110 sends graphics commands to graphics and audio processor 114. These graphics commands tell the graphics and audio processor 114 what to do. For example, the graphics commands can tell the graphics and audio processor 114 to draw a particular image onto display device 56. Commands might also tell the graphics and audio processor 114 to produce a particular sound for output by loudspeakers 61. Still other commands might tell the graphics and audio processor 114 to perform so-called "housekeeping" commands and/or to set up a particular state in preparation for a subsequent "action" command.
In the example embodiment, the commands that main processor 110 sends to graphics and audio processor 114 can come from a number of sources. One source of commands is the main processor 110 itself. Under control of program instructions provided, for example, by mass storage access device 106 and/or boot ROM 134, main processor 110 can dynamically create or generate graphics commands under program control to send to graphics and audio processor 114. Main processor 110 can create and send graphics and audio processor 114 any command that the graphics and audio processor understands. Graphics and audio processor 114 will act on the commands and perform the action requested by the command.
Another source of graphics commands for graphics and audio processor 114 is mass storage access device 106. It takes some time for main processor 110 to dynamically create graphics commands. When system 50 is animating a scene in response to real-time inputs from hand controllers 52 or the like, there may be no alternative other than for main processor 110 to dynamically create the graphics commands telling the graphics and audio processor 114 to draw a particular cartoon or other character in a particular position. That way, as the user operates hand controllers 52 of system 50 responds to other input devices, main processor 110 can dynamically adjust or animate the displayed scene in response to those real-time inputs to provide interactive animation. Such fun and exciting interactive animation is generally provided by main processor 110 dynamically creating graphics commands "on the fly."
Sometimes, however, some part of a scene to be displayed is relatively static and does not change in response to real-time inputs. For example, a complicated 3D world background such as a castle, a mountain fortress, a landscape or an undersea world may not change much or at all as animated characters move through the world. In such cases, it is possible to use an offline authoring computer to develop the complex series of graphics commands required to draw the particular scene or portion of the scene and store them in a preconstructed display list. Similarly, sound effects, music and other sounds can be pre-generated off-line by a sound authoring system. The resulting display list(s) and/or audio list(s) can be stored on an optical disk 62 or other mass storage device. When it comes time to draw the scene and/or play the sound, the associated display list(s) and/or audio list(s) can simply be read from the mass storage device 62 and stored into main memory 112. Main processor 110 may then, under program control, tell the graphics and audio processor 114 where to find the preconstructed display list(s) and/or audio list(s), and instruct the graphics and audio processor to execute the lists. In this way, main processor 110 does not have to devote its processing resources to develop complicated display lists and/or audio lists since that task is off-loaded to an off-line authoring system that pre-compiles the lists in preparation for use by the graphics and audio processor 114. Such display lists can be stored by any storage device within system 50 or accessible to it, including but not limited to memory card 144, flash memory 140, boot ROM 134, audio memory 126, etc. The commands could be embedded in hardware such as gate arrays or the like, and communicated to system 50 via any of the external interfaces such as bus 142, bus 132, handheld controller ports, parallel bus 130, infrared, etc.
Still another possibility is for commands intended for processing by the graphics and audio processor 114 to arrive via a data communications connection such as network 138. In one example, graphics commands, audio commands and/or other commands intended to be processed by graphics and audio processor 114 may arrive from a data communications network 138 via modem 136. Such commands could be transmitted, for example, from a remote system 50 of the same configuration as that shown in
Irrespective of how commands intended for graphics and audio processor 114 arrive and how they are stored before and/or after arrival, the first step in causing such commands to be processed by the graphics and audio processor 114 is to make them available to the graphics and audio processor. In the example embodiment, making the commands available to graphics and audio processor 114 can be accomplished either by having main processor 10 send the commands directly to the graphics and audio processor via a data bus in an immediate mode of command transfer, or by storing the commands in some memory accessible to the graphics and audio processor 114 (e.g., main memory 112, audio memory 126, or any other memory device to which the graphics and audio processor 114 is coupled) and informing the graphics and audio processor where to find the commands and instructing it to begin processing those commands.
In the example embodiment, graphics and audio processor 114 may receive register and other commands from main processor 110 and/or some other source (e.g., main memory 112) in the form of a graphics command stream. Generally, the data that is sent from main processor 110 to the graphics and audio processor 114 can be called the "command stream." The command stream holds drawing commands along with vertices and their attributes and mechanisms for loading registers and changing modes in the graphics pipeline 180. The stream of graphics commands are sent to the graphics and audio processor 114 for processing in a generally sequential manner. Such stream commands can be provided in a so-called "immediate mode" directly from main processor 110 to the graphics and audio processor 114 through a write gatherer arrangement (see
As shown in
The following are example command stream formats in the example embodiment:
As shown in Table I above, the graphics command stream can include register load commands. Register commands are, in general, commands that have the effect of writing particular state information to particular registers internal to the graphics and audio processor 114. The graphics and audio processor 114 has a number of internal registers addressable by main processor 110. To change the state of the graphics and audio processor 114 in particular way, main processor 110 can write a particular value to a particular register internal to the graphics and audio processor 114. Register commands have the advantage of allowing the graphics pipeline to retain drawing state information that main processor 110 can selectively change by sending further register load commands.
For example, the vertices in a draw command can all share the same vertex attribute data structure defining a number of attributes associated with a vertex. Sending all of the vertex attribute information before a draw command could be costly. It therefore may be desirable to store most of the common vertex types in registers within the graphics and audio processor 114, and to simply pass an index to the stored table. These tables may not need to be updated each time a new draw command is sent down, but may only need to be updated every once in a while. In the example embodiment, command processor 200 holds a vertex command descriptor register (VCD) and a eight-entry vertex attribute table (VAT) defining whether the attribute is present and if so whether it is indexed or direct. A "load_VCD" register command is used to update the register whenever updating is necessary.
In certain situations, main processor 110 may also read the graphics and audio processor 114 internal registers to determine the state of the graphics and audio processor. For example, the main processor 110 can start and stop the graphics and audio processor 114 and/or determine its general status by reading from and/or writing to internal registers within the graphics and audio processor. Main processor 110 can also load a number of graphics values (e.g., transformation matrices, pixel formats, vertex formats, etc.) by writing to registers within the graphics and audio processor 114. As another example, main processor 110 can write to a series of FIFO control registers within the graphics and audio processor 114 that control where the graphics and audio processor 114 obtains further commands for processing.
The following are example command registers used for defining transformation matrices, vertex control data, vertex attribute tables, vertex arrays, vertex stride, and other state parameters:
In the example embodiment, the command processor 200 converts the command stream to a vertex stream which it sends to transform unit 300 for further processing. The vertex stream sent to the transform unit 300 can change based on the current mode, but the data ordering per vertex is essentially the same and is fixed as shown in the following table:
For purposes of illustration
One example initialization may be to clear (set) the internal embedded frame buffer 702 to an all-black color value with z (distance) of the corresponding embedded depth buffer being set to infinite distance at each location. Such a "set copy clear" instruction effectively sets up a clean canvas onto which graphics and audio processor 114 can draw the next image, and is re-formed during an embedded frame buffer copy operation in the example embodiment.
In this example, the first portion of each register load command includes a "cp_cmd_su_bypass" command string (0x61) (where "0x" indicates hexadecimal). As explained in Table I above, this command string provides access to registers within graphics pipeline 180 below transform unit 300. This string is followed by a pixel engine register designation (0x4F in the case of a pixel engine copy clear alpha/red command), a 1-byte pad; and a 1-byte alpha value and a 1-byte red value (FF for black).
A similar format is used for the pe_copy_clear_green blue command except that the last two bytes indicate the green and blue values (FF for black), and a different pixel engine register designation (0x50) is used for the green/blue register values. Similarly, the pe_copy_clear_z command is issued by sending a cp_cmd_su_bypass string (0x61) followed by a register designator 0x51 (designating a pixel engine z value register) followed by a 24-bit z (depth) value. The three set copy clear commands shown n
In response to receipt of the
Referring once again to
The following is an example of a vertex attribute table (VAT) (see also above-referenced application Ser. No. 09/465,754 filed Dec. 17, 1999 entitled "Vertex Cache For 3D Computer Graphics") indexed by a draw command "vat" field, with each entry in the table specifying characteristics for all of the thirteen attributes:
As described in application Ser. No. 09/465,754, as well as above, entries in the vertex descriptor information can be either direct or indexed. Indexed vertex attributes include an index to an array instead of a value. The index may be an 8-bit or 16-bit pointer into an array of attributes. In the example embodiment, there is one base address register per attribute in the command processor 200. The index is not simply an offset into the array, but rather depends on a number of factors including, for example, the number of components in the attribute; the size of the component; padding between attributes for alignment purposes; and whether multiple attributes are interleaved in the same array. To provide maximum flexibility, there is also an array stride register for each attribute. The distance between two attributes (computed by software) is loaded into this register. Calculations are used to calculate the offset and to calculate the actual memory address based on an index value. An example address calculation is as follows:
A vertex can have direct and indirect attributes intermixed. For short values, it may be more efficient to send the actual value than a pointer to the value. Any attribute in the example embodiment can be sent directly or as in index into an array.
In general, the steps required to draw a primitive include describing which attributes are present in the vertex format (i.e., define the vertex attribute table); describing whether the attributes are indexed or referenced directly (i.e., define the vertex descriptor); for indexed data, delivering a vertex array that can be referenced by array pointers and strides; describing the number of elements in each attribute and their type; describing the primitive type; and then, finally, drawing the primitive by sending the graphics processor 114 draw command with a stream of vertices that match the vertex description in attribute format (see
In this particular example, the 2-byte value indicating which array base register is to be loaded has the format "0xAx", where the byte "x" following the "A" value encodes a particular one of the attributes set forth in Table IV above. Note that some of the Table IV attributes (i.e., the matrix indices) are not included in the encoding in the example embodiment. In the example embodiment, the 4-byte address in memory is encoded by providing six initial bits of 0 padding followed by a 26-bit address. Setting the array stride register value is similar except that the third and fourth bytes indicate an array stride register (e.g., "0xBx" and the following value comprises four bytes containing an initial 24-bit 0 padded value and an 8-bit stride value for the array.
Referring once again to
In more detail, the vertex descriptor stored in the VCD_lo VCD_hi register includes at least one bit for each of the twenty attributes shown in Table IV, that bit generally indicating whether the attribute is provided directly or via an array.
In the example embodiment, the VCD_lo register contains a 17-bit value, providing bit flags indicating direct or indexed for each of the first twelve attributes in Table IV. The particular bit encodings are shown in the last column of Table IV. Note that certain attribute encodings indicate whether or not the attribute is present (since the attribute is always direct if it is present), and certain other encodings span multiple bits and provide information as to the type of index if the attribute is indexed (e.g., the "position" value may span two bits with a value "01" for direct, "10" for 8-bit index, and "11" for 16-bit index). Similarly, the VCD_hi register contains bit fields corresponding to attributes 13-20 (i.e., texture 0 coordinate through texture 7 coordinate) as shown in Table IV above.
On a more abstract level, the GXSetVtxDesc command is used to indicate whether an attribute is present in the vertex data, and whether it is indexed or direct. There is only one active vertex descriptor, known as the current vertex descriptor. A GXSetVtxDesc command can be used to set a value of GX_NONE for all the attributes in the current vertex descriptor to indicate that no data for this attribute will be present in the vertex. Once the VCD registers are cleared, the application only needs to describe attributes that it intends to provide. As shown in Table IV, possible attributes are:
The last two attributes listed are 8-bit indices which are used for referencing a transformation matrix in the on-chip matrix memory. This supports simple skinning of a character, for example. These indices are different from the other attributes in that they may only be sent as direct data.
The graphics processor (GP) 114 assumes that the application will send any attribute data you have specified in the ascending order shown in Table IV, that is:
Order Attribute
Texture coordinates are enabled sequentially, starting at GX_VA_TEX0
Example Vertex Attribute Format Command (GXSetVtxAttrFmt)
The high-level code above defines vertex attribute format zero. GX_VTXFMT0 indicates that "position" is a 3-element coordinate (x, y, z) where each element is an 8-bit 2's complement signed number. The scale value indicates the number of fractional bits for a fixed-point number, so zero indicates that the data has no fractional bits. The second command specifies that the GX_VA_CLR0 attribute has four elements (r, g, b, a) where each element is 8 bits. The matrix index format is not specified in the table because it is always an unsigned 8-bit value. The scale value is implied for normals (scale=6 or scale=14) and not needed for colors. Also, normals are assumed to have three elements, Nx, Ny, Nz (for GX_VA_NRM), and nine elements, Nx, Ny, Nz, Bx, By, Bz, Tx, Ty, Tz (for GX_VA_NBT). Normals are generally always signed values. The normal format (GX_VA_NRM) is also used for binormals/tangents (GX_VA_NBT) when they are enabled in the current vertex descriptor. The VAT in the Graphics Processor has room for eight vertex formats. The application can describe most of its attribute quantization formats early in the application, loading this table as required. Then the application provides an index into this table, which specifies the vertex attribute data format, when it starts drawing a group of primitives. If the application requires more than eight vertex formats it must manage the VAT table by reloading new vertex formats as needed.
As shown in
The application draws primitives by calling vertex functions (GXPosition, GXColor, etc.) between GXBegin/GXEnd pairs. The application should call a vertex function for each attribute it enables using GXSetVtxDesc( ). Each vertex function has a suffix of the form GXData[n][t], which describes the number (n) and type (t) of elements passed to the vertex function.
The following case fragment demonstrates how to draw primitives using vertex functions:
GXBegin specifies the type of primitive, an index into the VAT, and the number of vertices between the GXBegin/GXEnd pair. This information, along with the latest call to GXSetVtxDesc( ), fully describes the primitive, vertex, and attribute format. GXEnd( ) is actually a null macro that can be used to make sure that GXBegin and GXEnd are paired properly.
In the example embodiment, every register in the transform unit 300 is mapped to a unique 32b address. All addresses are available to the xform register load command (command 0x30). The first block is formed by the matrix memory. Its address range is 0 to 1 k, but only 256 entries are used. This memory is organized in a 64 entry by four 32b words. Each word has a unique address and is a single precision floating point number. For block writes, the addresses auto increment. The memory is implemented in less than 4-32b rams, then it is possible that the memory writes to this block will require a minimum write size larger than 1 word:
The second block of memory is mapped to the 1 k˜1.5 k range. This memory is the normal matrix memory. It is organized as 32 rows of 3 words. Each word has a unique address and is a single precision floating point number. Also, each word written is 32b, but only the 20 most significant bits are kept. For simplicity, the minimum granularity of writes will be 3 words:
The third block of memory holds the dual texture transform matrices. The format is identical to the first block of matrix memory. There are also 64 rows of 4 words for these matrices. These matrices can only be used for the dual transform of regular textures:
The fourth block of memory is the light memory. This holds all the lighting information (light vectors, light parameters, etc.). Both global state and ambient state are stored in this memory. Each word written is 32b, but only the 20 most significant bits are kept. Each row is 3 words wide. Minimum word write size is 3 words.
As described in the above-referenced patent application Ser. No. 09/726,215, filed Nov. 28, 2000 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Buffering Graphics Data in a Graphics System," system 50 includes a capability for calling a display list.
Certain of the above-described system components 50 could be implemented as other than the home video game console configuration described above. For example, one could run graphics application or other software written for system 50 on a platform with a different configuration that emulates system 50 or is otherwise compatible with it. If the other platform can successfully emulate, simulate and/or provide some or all of the hardware and software resources of system 50, then the other platform will be able to successfully execute the software.
As one example, an emulator may provide a hardware and/or software configuration (platform) that is different from the hardware and/or software configuration (platform) of system 50. The emulator system might include software and/or hardware components that emulate or simulate some or all of hardware and/or software components of the system for which the application software was written. For example, the emulator system could comprise a general purpose digital computer such as a personal computer, which executes a software emulator program that simulates the hardware and/or firmware of system 50.
Some general purpose digital computers (e.g., IBM or MacIntosh personal computers and compatibles) are now equipped with 3D graphics cards that provide 3D graphics pipelines compliant with DirectX or other standard 3D graphics command APIs. They may also be equipped with stereophonic sound cards that provide high quality stereophonic sound based on a standard set of sound commands. Such multimedia-hardware-equipped personal computers running emulator software may have sufficient performance to approximate the graphics and sound performance of system 50. Emulator software controls the hardware resources on the personal computer platform to simulate the processing, 3D graphics, sound, peripheral and other capabilities of the home video game console platform for which the game programmer wrote the game software.
As one example, in the case where the software is written for execution on a platform using an IBM PowerPC or other specific processor and the host 1201 is a personal computer using a different (e.g., Intel) processor, emulator 1203 fetches one or a sequence of binary-image program instructions from storage medium 1305 and converts these program instructions to one or more equivalent Intel binary-image program instructions. The emulator 1203 also fetches and/or generates graphics commands and audio commands intended for processing by the graphics and audio processor 114, and converts these commands into a format or formats that can be processed by hardware and/or software graphics and audio processing resources available on host 1201. As one example, emulator 1303 may convert these commands into commands that can be processed by specific graphics and/or or sound hardware of the host 1201 (e.g., using standard DirectX, OpenGL and/or sound APIs).
An emulator 1303 used to provide some or all of the features of the video game system described above may also be provided with a graphic user interface (GUI) that simplifies or automates the selection of various options and screen modes for games run using the emulator. In one example, such an emulator 1303 may further include enhanced functionality as compared with the host platform for which the software was originally intended.
A number of program modules including emulator 1303 may be stored on the hard disk 1211, removable magnetic disk 1215, optical disk 1219 and/or the ROM 1252 and/or the RAM 1254 of system memory 1205. Such program modules may include an operating system providing graphics and sound APIs, one or more application programs, other program modules, program data and game data. A user may enter commands and information into personal computer system 1201 through input devices such as a keyboard 1227, pointing device 1229, microphones, joysticks, game controllers, satellite dishes, scanners, or the like. These and other input devices can be connected to processing unit 1203 through a serial port interface 1231 that is coupled to system bus 1207, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, game port Fire wire bus or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 1233 or other type of display device is also connected to system bus 1207 via an interface, such as a video adapter 1235.
System 1201 may also include a modem 1154 or other network interface means for establishing communications over a network 1152 such as the Internet. Modem 1154, which may be internal or external, is connected to system bus 123 via serial port interface 1231. A network interface 1156 may also be provided for allowing system 1201 to communicate with a remote computing device 1150 (e.g., another system 1201) via a local area network 1158 (or such communication may be via wide area network 1152 or other communications path such as dial-up or other communications means). System 1201 will typically include other peripheral output devices, such as printers and other standard peripheral devices.
In one example, video adapter 1235 may include a 3D graphics pipeline chip set providing fast 3D graphics rendering in response to 3D graphics commands issued based on a standard 3D graphics application programmer interface such as Microsoft's DirectX 7.0 or other version. A set of stereo loudspeakers 1237 is also connected to system bus 1207 via a sound generating interface such as a conventional "sound card" providing hardware and embedded software support for generating high quality stereophonic sound based on sound commands provided by bus 1207. These hardware capabilities allow system 1201 to provide sufficient graphics and sound speed performance to play software stored in storage medium 1305.
The following show example higher level API cells that a library interprets and/or computes to create the binary level command streams described above:
Perspective Projection:
Orthographic Projection
* * * * * * * * * *
All documents referred to herein are expressly incorporated by reference as if expressly set forth.
As used herein, the notation "0x" indicates a hexadecimal value. For example, "0x61" indicates a hexadecimal value. For example, "0x61" indicates a two-byte hexadecimal value of "61" —which people of ordinary skill in the art understand has a binary format of "01100001". See Table VI below for conversion of hexadecimal notation to binary notation:
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
Original Image


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Haiti Newspapers Online and News Sites in English
Haiti InfoAggregated news on Haiti.
Haiti ProgresBilingual weekly news site with top stories in English.
Haiti Support GroupUK based site providing news from international news agencies, the Agence Haitienne de Presse (AHP), Radio Metropole, Haiti Press Network (HPN), AlterPresse, and other sources.
Haitian TimesWeekly magazine published in New York.
Haitiwebs.comBilingual Haitian news and information portal.
MounSite of Movement for National Unity (MOUN) covering world and Haiti news.
Sakapfet.comHaiti entertainment news.
TanbouTrilingual journal of Haitian political and literary studies.
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The Modern Bride is very chic and stylish, knows what she wants and is not afraid to go out of the box to get it. With some of our all time favorite looks in the modern style we could look at photos of modern weddings for hours on end! Incorporating a modern style to every part of your wedding is easier than it looks. From venue choices like art museums and performance halls, to reception decor like ghost chairs and geographic designs. We have put together our favorites to help inspire your modern wedding!
Photo Credit: Modern Venue, Modern Invitations, Wedding Dress, White and Orange Centerpieces, Ghost Chairs, Black and White Reception, Multi Color Escort Cards, Bouquet, Name Cards and Menu, Grey Table Setting, Blue Chevron Cake, Gold Cake


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Someday, Gray Palmer might raise the food that rides from your plate to your palate.
Right now, though, the 10-year-old Pathways Elementary School student from Hurdle Mills is preparing for his fourth year in the Central Piedmont Junior Livestock Show.
At the event, held April 10 and 11 on Orange Grove Road, Palmer's going to show the pig he's currently walking.
"My pig is named Bacon," the boy says with a suspicious grin. He's attentive to the details of the animal, mixing Bacon's feed and cleaning his stall. Someday, Palmer wants to teach agriculture.
During his time with pigs, Palmer has learned a couple of things.
"The ham comes from the butt-end of the pig," he says.
Also, he suggests, "a pig is much smarter than you think."
During the upcoming livestock show, Palmer and other students from Orange and surrounding counties will display steers, hogs, lambs and goats, along with their knowledge of feeding, training, showmanship and growing livestock.
Nick Clayton, a 16-year-old student at Person County High School, is raising a feeder steer, two heifers and five pigs on his grandfather's farm for the livestock show.
"The cows can be very temperamental," Clayton says. "I would say that they are a work in progress."
He feeds his animals every day after school at about 5 p.m. During the summer, he helps on the farm.
Clayton wants to be a firefighter like his father, who works at Durham's Station No. 8. But he still ponders agriculture of the future.
"The future of farming will look nothing like it does now," he says. "There will be a time when a farmer can plant a field by computer and not ever have to ride a tractor."
The livestock show, now in its 68th year, is open to contestants ages 5-18 from Orange, Durham, Person, Chatham, Alamance, Granville, Guilford, Wake, Caswell and Randolph counties. For information, visit www.piedmontlivestockshow.org.
Have a story or feature idea for Jason Hawkins? Contact him at email@example.com.


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What are blue hands?
Blue hands occur when the skin in the hands takes on a bluish tint or color. This generally is due to either a lack of oxygen in the blood or extremely cold temperatures. When the skin becomes a bluish color, the symptom is called cyanosis.
Skin Problems Spotlight
Most commonly, blue hands are caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood. This may happen when you are at high altitude or if you are choking, or may be due to chronic underlying conditions such as lung diseases or chronic heart disease. A lack of oxygen in your blood will lead to a blue coloration of your skin that is most quickly seen in your hands, feet and lips.
Blue hands are a serious symptom that can indicate a severe medical condition and should always be promptly evaluated by a medical professional.
Blue hands are a serious symptom that may be caused by a serious or life-threatening underlying condition. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you experience blue hands with other serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, fatigue, fainting or a change in level of consciousness or lethargy.
For blue hands not associated with other serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening situation, seek prompt medical care.
What other symptoms might occur with blue hands?
Blue hands are generally due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. Often, this can be caused by an underlying condition that may cause other symptoms.
Cardiac and respiratory symptoms that may occur along with blue handsBlue hands may accompany other symptoms affecting the heart or respiratory system including:
What causes blue hands?
Blue hands are usually caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood, although they may also be caused by extreme cold. Decreased oxygen levels in the blood can be due to a variety of underlying conditions.
Cardiovascular causes of blue handsBlue hands may be caused by cardiovascular disorders including:
- Blood clot that blocks blood supply
- ... Read more about blue handscauses


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'Eagle on Pine Tree' painting, by renowned 1900s (turn of the Century) artist Qi Baishi. The piece fetched $425,500,000 Chinese yuan ($67.4 million Canadian) in a Guardian auction in fall 2011.
VANCOUVER — One of the top art auction houses in China has set up shop in Vancouver, an attempt to explore the emerging local market — and providing yet another sign of the city's increasing visibility to Chinese businesses.
Beijing-based China Guardian Auctions Co. Limited, the world's fourth largest auction house, opened its office in January in Vancouver, the first of its kind in Canada.
This is not China Guardian's first venture in to Metro Vancouver; last year, it held its first Canadian artwork consignment event in Richmond. Director and vice-president Kou Qin said the event resulted in Guardian accepting $50 million Chinese yuan ($7.9 million Canadian) in artwork for auction.
"We look at Vancouver as market filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons," Kou said, noting the regions large Chinese immigrant population may have brought Chinese art collections with them to Canada.
Read More…


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The time is now! After exceeding expectations this past basketball season, and with the launch of the new Matador Pride Campaign "Rise of the Matadors," there is a growing enthusiasm around Matador Athletics and that buzz includes CSUN Men's Basketball.
This is an opportunity to be become a Matador Basketball season-ticket holder. A season ticket will secure you a spot at the Matadome and a place in history as we reveal the updated "Blacktop" Court, a new one-of-a-kind basketball court at the Matadome this fall.
Head men's basketball coach Reggie Theus has added a strong recruiting class to a returning cast of outstanding players that includes Big West Conference leaders Stephen Maxwell and Stephan Hicks. Last year the men's basketball team challenged for the Big West Conference Tournament Championship for the first time in five years. The Matadors finished just one game short of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
The 2014-2015 home schedule includes a record-breaking 17 home games, including conference rivals Long Beach State, Cal Poly, and UC Irvine, and NCAA Tournament team Stephen F. Austin. The Matadors also face a challenging road schedule that includes games at national powers San Diego State, Arizona and Louisville.
New season ticket holders will receive a number of benefits along with the purchase of their tickets, including exclusive offers from our corporate partners.
The Season Ticket Holders Benefits include ….
- Guarantee the same seat for all home Men's Basketball games
- Access to Game Day hospitality
- Exclusive season ticket holder discounts with corporate partners
- Special offers from Matador Concessions
Season ticket prices start at $100, and there is a discounted rate available for CSUN Faculty and Staff.
To purchase season tickets, please contact the Associated Students Inc. (AS) Ticket Office at 818-677-2488 or visit the AS Ticket Office that is located in the University Student Union. The ticket office is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.


text: Hot black and interracial site NextDoorEbony brings us this great set with super hot black sex god Race Cooper and sexy hung fucker Sam Swift! In this scene it's all about domination and punishment. Race is chained to a large cross while Sam is just sitting there watching him and enjoying his power. Race can't see him but feels someone is watching. To be at an unknown person's mercy makes submissive Race totally wild. Finally, Sam thinks the moment has come to proceed to the next step. A hard crack from Sam's whip hits Race's beautiful black ass, then Race gets unbind and Sam feeds him his thick white cock. Race loves being dominated and does whatever his master tells him to. After getting face fucked for a while, Sam's attention moves to Race's sexy black butt and it's time to fuck!


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Full detailed profile on Elizabeth "Lizzie" Spaulding Played by Marcy Faith (Behrens) Rylan on Guiding Light Daytime Soap Opera.
Marcy Rylan
Birthday: 1980-11-04
When Alan gets home, he calls the board to recommend himself as the new CEO. Lizzie comes in and offers to sell him her share of stock. She wants her life to only be about her and Bill. He thinks her life will always be about being a Spaulding whether she likes it or not. She's been trying to leave the family for years and she knows that he wants her to be happy. He agrees to keep the stocks for her until she comes to her senses. She pulls out the briefcase he gave her when she was little and promises to keep it with her always.
Billy is at Towers when he bumps into Olivia. She's not in the mood to talk. Later, Vanessa arrives and then Bill. They've heard his news and tell him that he's too young to be retired. His father offers him a job at Lewis. They discuss when Bill will come back to work. He hints that he'll be gone for quite a while after the wedding... right now he just wants to pin down a best man. He asks his father to do it. "I'd love to," he says. Lizzie joins them and they joke around about who will be the most handsome man at the wedding. Bill's parents leave and the couple make out.
Rick walks in on Bill and Lizzie while they make out in the office. He needs some help from the Spauldings and doesn't know who else to turn to. After drinking a glass of water and acting melodramatic, he tells them that he needs them to look after the kids' games at the barbecue.
Lizzie and Bill are playing ball at the office when they start making out again. His secretary interrupts and then leaves his papers by the door. They go to the gym and Ashlee and Christina arrive to try games for the barbecue.
Bill and Lizzie return to Towers. Alan tells her that he will be taking a firm hand with her brother. She admits that she's angry with James but wouldn't wish Alan on him. Lizzie wants to go home. As the couple gets in the elevator, Alan leaps in with them. Lizzie tells him that going after Beth right now is really wrong.
In the park, Bill is massaging Lizzie's leg. Her mother calls. Bill answers the phone. She asks them to come down to the courthouse and show some support for James. They won't go.
At Towers, everyone is shocked when Bill is suddenly arrested. The authorities explain that Bill set up a scam. As Bill struggles with them, Phillip stops them and declares that the man they want is his son, James. Beth begs him not to do this but Phillip won't back down. James throws his hands up and confesses. They cuff James and lead him off with Bill. Beth is left hyperventilating while Vanessa asks Matt to go and take care of Maureen. Daisy admits to Ashlee that she knew about all of this. Beth confronts Phillip for breaking his word, saying that turning himself in would have been better than this. Lizzie wants some answers but she won't get them from her father. Ashlee offers to drive her to the police station. Everyone is left gabbing. Beth runs off. Phillip tries to explain things to Billy and Vanessa. After they walk away, Daisy confronts Phillip and tells him that his son will never forgive him. As Phillip steps into the elevator, Alan looks in at him. "It's not easy having a son... is it, Son?" he asks.
At the station, James apologizes to Bill. He tells him to take a vacation next time he wants to get away from his family. The cops come to talk to James. Lizzie arrives and tells him to wait for a lawyer. "Why? I did it," he says.
Back at the station, Bill tells Lizzie that James must be a chip off the old block. The cop comes in and says that James confessed to everything. Lizzie goes down to the cells to see her brother. She'd like to say something to put him in his place, but she can't think of anything. "That's because you don't know anything about me," he says. She lays into him but he doesn't see why he should care about hurting her, although that wasn't his intention. He just wanted out of the family. She understands, but she doesn't forgive him.
Lizzie tells Bill to get dressed or they'll be late for their own engagement party. He admires her outfit and tells her that he wants to marry her tonight. He even gets down on his knee to ask her. She won't elope. Ashlee walks in and takes a picture of them. She's making their wedding album. Bill realizes that Doris will be at their party and she can perform their service.
« Back to Elizabeth "Lizzie" Spaulding profile


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The Bachelor
Bachelor Pad 3's Michael Stagliano Hates On Chris Bukowski: "He Couldn't Keep It In His Pants"
Bachelor Pad champion and frolicking gazelle, Michael Stagliano has a whole lotta feelings about Chris Bukowski's love triangle, and it's time to preach. While The Stag loves Chris, he just can't get on board with the way he treats the ladies.
"Chris spends the night with Jamie, wakes up, and figures it would be a good idea to take Sarah instead," he writes in his Parade blog. "Which leads me to believe that Chris has the reasoning skills of a 3rd grader trying to do quantum physics. It's just not happening. [...] Doesn't it seem like he is just running around... lost, meandering into bed with girls, then wondering why he feels 'trapped?'"
When it comes to Jamie vs. Chris, The Stag has Jamie's back, no question. "It was really upsetting seeing how Chris treated Jamie on her way out," he writes.
Really upsetting. Sure, Chris tried to vote Blakeley out and not Jamie. But he wasn't trying to 'save her.' He would have voted her off the next week in a heartbeat. Chris just flat out wasn't honest with her, led her on, and manipulated her from start to finish... and to see him treat her like that up until the last moment. That sucked. So sorry, Jamie :( You can and will do better.
Girl power, Stag! So, how does this hunky feminist feel about Chris' treatment of Blakeley? Not good.
I just couldn't find the sense in Chris dumping Blakeley then trying to get her off... I couldn't support that. NO, Blakeley and Chris did NOT have a good working partnership... but mostly because Chris couldn't keep it in his pants. He lied to Blakeley repeatedly... and there wasn't any reason for it. Everyone in the house was aware of it, didn't like it, and it immediately made us feel like we couldn't trust Chris.
Yikes, we're sensing some major tension between Chris and Michael. It might be time for a bro-off. We'll get the fudge slide and whipped cream pit ready.
Source: Parade
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In a somewhat shocking move, made less shocking by the break-up day interviews, Rangers GM Glen Sather actually pulled the trigger and fired Coach John Tortorella. As things became tense in Rangerland over the last few days, the GM took action, sending shockwaves throughout the Ranger universe.
There are three critical things that happened this season to lead to this.
1) At the trade deadline, Tortorella convinced Sather to get him the right type of players to play in his "system." Slats, who is known to like bright, shiny things, sacrificed bright, shiny thing Marian Gaborik for some depth and players who better fit the Torts mold. Tortorella hated Gaborik and couldn't wait to run him out of town. Torts congratulated himself for "changing" Gabby during last season and this season had switched Gaboik's career-long position, demoted him to the fourth line and questioned his commitment in the press before the trade. The players brought in gave the Rangers some depth, but the Gabby-less team that was two wins from playing for the Cup last year got knocked out a round earlier than last year, going 5-7 in the playoffs and getting manhandled by the Bruins.
2) The players tuned Torts out and their career developments stalled. On February 25th, we said this:
Every single player on the roster, Henrik Lundqvist included, appears to be regressing or at best treading water. At best. Young players are losing a critical year of development, from a coach who appears to be clueless.
While that should be revised a bit, the premise is still the same. Lundqvist bounced back and had a typical Henrik season and Derek Stepan clearly progressed, stepping up his game at the end of the campaign. But aside from those two, no other players excelled under Coach Tortorella. Carl Hagelin, Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh all fall into the "flat lining" category. Brian Boyle, Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto, all regressed. Brad Richard's game died and Chris Kreider's never really was birtherd. Buried by the coach all season, CK was finally given a chance to succeed in the penultimate game of the playoffs and succeed he did. No young players were developed or given any serious chances except for JT Miller, who Torts heaped ice time on while Kreider was given scant minutes. Rick Nash never really got going and the of the players brought in at the deadline, Derick Brassard played very well, John Moore was solid and then fizzled and Derek Dorsett played with some "jam" but took some ill-advised penalties.
Torts also continued his customary hard-ass routine with the press, and Sam Rosen of all people, and on different occasions publicly called out Hagelin "stinks on PP," McDonagh "should mind his own business," and Kreider "not ready to be a pro." When Sean Avery called for Torts firing, Captain Cally offered a half-hearted press release describing how the team was behind their coach. But Avery (besties with Hank) clearly has the ear of the team's most important voice and was on point with the mood in the locker room.
3) Lundqvist gave a clear vote of non-confidence in the coach and his philosophy on break-up day. Hank's dropped some more than subtle hints that he wasn't happy with the way things have gone and that that might somehow play into his contract negotiations was the straw that (finally) broke the Coach's back. There are two things that can't be overlooked here, first Lundqvist had great friendships with both Avery and Gaborik, two players that the coach ran out of town. Second, Sather recognizes that Lundqvist has a precious few years of his prime left and goaltenders like Hank come around once in a generation, and (sorry Mike Richter and Eddie Giacomin) once in a franchise. Hank absolutely is the most important piece of the Rangers and must be satisfied with the team in front of him, which is why this move was made so swiftly and decisively. Sather will start talks to re-sign Hank right away (if he hasn't already) and put any doubt to rest. This was a huge bone to throw the King and Slats has just proven himself to his franchise cornerstone. Collateral damage from the fallout of the Torts firing will be Brad Richards. With the cap coming down six million dollars next season to 64 million and Brad Richards making 6.7 million, there is no way Slats can give Hank a big long-term deal, and sign Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, and possibly Ryane Clowe and still keep an aging, non-productive, fourth line center eating up 10% of team's salaray cap around. Adios Brad!
This is a great move for the Rangers. They have an excellent young core that needs to hear a new voice and find a new perspective. The team needs move away from their fear of making a mistake and move towards one geared towards creating chances. The defensive fundamentals are there (thanks Torts!) but they need an offense. Quite simply, the horses need to run. And if the new voices are creative on the power play, that would be a bonus.
It is time for a new voice.
It is a good day in Blueshirtland.
Let's go Rangers!


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TTP Resources
Internal Medicine Resources
- Internal Medicine Home
- Clinics
TTP Information For:
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- Choose a Service
- Find a Clinic
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- Patient Bill Pay
- Patient Handbook
- MyTeamCare
- Contact Us
The endocrine system is defined as a complex group of glands that produce hormones which help to control activities in the body. Some functions which are controlled by the endocrine system are:
Which glands are in the endocrine system?
Patients must be referred to an endocrinologist. Please call the Internal Medicine office to make an initial appointment at 743-1501.


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This Week's Tip of the Tongue Newsletter
Categories: From the Desk of Gut Check
|Sign up for Tip of the Tongue here.
Consider subscribing to Tip of the Tongue, the Riverfront Times' weekly e-mail dining newsletter.
In this week's edition, learn about the new Sunday suppers at Edwardsville's Fond and charity efforts at Stellina Pasta Café.
Subscribing is easy. Visit this page, enter your e-mail address and sign up for Tip of the Tongue as well as (if you wish) our weekly music and events newsletters.
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Quick Links
Shop All Jewelry
BR10856 In Stock
This Sterling Silver Infinity Bangle Bracelet is sure to be an everyday favorite in your collection. This infinity bracelet is engravable on the outside, with a font of your choice. Created with Sterling Silver with a Rhodium plate that will keep it tarnish free and polished. The engravable infinity bangle measures at 7 inches in length and 1/8 of an inch at the band with the infinity symbol itself measuring at 1/4" by 3/4". Engrave the sterling silver infinity bracelet with a name or a special word, as a gift or for yourself.
Eve's Addiction.com wants you to be a happy customer. We want you to be completely satisfied with the sterling silver jewelry that you receive from us, as we only sell high quality silver and cubic zirconia cz jewelry. We do understand that you may not like your purchase for some reason.
You may return or exchange your jewelry within 60 days of purchase if you are not satisfied with it. The jewelry must be returned in its original condition for a refund or exchange. Engraved, personalized, photo, monogram, name and initial, chocolate and clearance items are not returnable or exchangeable.


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Ecology – Biology 3500
COMMUNITIES and ECOSYSTEMS UNIT Dr. Adams
Chapter 19: Nutrient Cycling and Retention
Nutrient Cycles
Energy makes one pass (flows) through the ecosystem; nutrients, however, are recycled
Cycles exist for ANY atom/mineral necessary for survival by any organism, but three are
especially prominent in their importance/effects: P, N, and C.
For each -- need to know basic uses in organisms, basic components of the cycle (see Figs.
19.1 - 19.4), basic sources/pools (and sinks), basic entry/exit points into/from cycle.
Other important aspects:
P cycle: no major atmospheric pool, largest pools in rocks (available through weathering) and
dissolved phosphate ions in water (more readily available); although lots in soil, mycorrhizae
play major role in uptake into organisms. In oceans, organisms, make use of dissolved ions
until some settle in sediments. To return to usable pool, must be uplift and weathering again.
Residence time in the biosphere is likely in 1000's of years.
N cycle: although large atmospheric pool, only a few organisms (cyanobacteria, free living soil
bacteria, and certain mutualistic root-associated bacteria) can break molecular N2 bonds,
and fix nitrogen. Lightning, interestingly enough, can also break N2 bonds and fix nitrogen.
Upon death of organisms, their nitrogen is often released during decomposition (of proteins/
amino acids particularly) as ammonia (a process called ammonification). Ammonia can be
converted by other bacteria to nitrates (nitrification). Nitrogen can exit the organic pool by
bacterial denitrification, releasing N2 back to atmosphere. Residence time -- ±625 yrs.
C cycle: large atmospheric pool, continuously replenished by cellular respiration and refixed by
photosynthesis; dissolved carbonates may end up out of reach in sediment/rocks (until
weathered). Atmospheric C also influences climatic conditions.
Don't forget the H20 cycle!
Rates of Decomposition: Decomposition -- breakdown of organic matter (with CO2
Mineralization -- conversion of organic forms of nutrients into inorganic (during decomposition),
which makes these nutrients available to be absorbed by the producers.
Influenced directly by temp., moisture, and surrounding chemical environment.
Mediterranean woodlands in SW Spain: wetter-- more decomposition (Fig. 19.5).
differences between species of tree leaves:
best predictor of loss was the toughness/%N ratio (see equation page 415 & Fig. 19.6)
Temperate woodlands: compared New Hampshire to North Carolina:
best predictor was % lignin:% N ratio, with higher decomposition in general for NC,
probably because of higher temps (but also possibly higher N availability).
And, in general, where productivity was measured to be higher (with higher AET), no surprise
that decomposition higher in same areas (warm and moist) (see Fig. 19.8).
So, do tropical rain forests have higher decomposition rates than temperate??
So, does soil composition within climatic areas influence decomposition rates? Indirectly, yes.
Since richer soil typically means higher productivity, it also means higher rates of litter fall and,
in turn, higher decomposition rates. I would call this faster turnover, or simply cycling, rate.
Aquatic -- influenced by temperature and chemical surroundings
In aquatic systems, higher lignin content slows, higher nitrate content increases, and, to a point,
higher phosphorus concentration increases decomposition rates.
Nutrient cycling/retention and organisms
Aquatic -- Streams/rivers
In moving water, nutrient spiraling occurs (very little cycling in place).
Spiraling length and retentiveness of stream ecosystems -- effects of organisms:
Example: stream invertebrates in Arizona's Sycamore Creek; mayflies and chironomids.
Increasing percent available nitrogen consumed increases retentiveness.
Terrestrial -- gophers, prairie dogs, ground squirrels (burrowing mammals)
Remember increase in plant diversity? These organisms:
Alter the N cycle -- bring nitrogen poor soil to surface
Increase light penetration to the surface of the ground
At colonies, reduce overall plant biomass, but increase nitrogen content of younger leaves
(may explain why bison like feeding close to prairie dog colonies)
In general, grazing speeds the rate of nutrient cycling in these ecosystems (DUH!)
Introduced Acacia and alterations of the S. African Fynbos (high diversity, low soil fertility)
Acacia litter has 10X the nitrogen content than some of the native litter, likely because it is
leguminaceous with mutualist bacterial nitrogen-fixers
In Hawaii, Myrica trees (from islands near the Iberian peninsula) have similarly increased
nitrogen availability in invaded Hawaiian ecosystems.
Disturbance and Nutrients
Not surprisingly, clear cutting of forested plots increases nutrient loss from the ecosystem
For example, loss of nitrates may increase as much as 10X (see Fig 19.23) upon clear-cutting
Nitrogen losses are greatest from altered forests where warm temps and high precipitation
promote faster decomposition. *On the flip side, in these ecosystems, rapid regrowth of
plants may help to reestablish control of nitrogen loss following the original disturbance.
From stream ecosystems, significant nutrient loss is typically episodic, associated with periodic
flooding. For example, in years of high stream flow (in Bear Brook, NH), streams lose more
phosphorus than erodes into the stream; in years of low stream flow, more of the phosphorus
"stays put". Inputs are in the form of dissolved phosphorus, and phosphorus in fine/coarse
particulate matter (including decaying organics) that "move" into the stream in relatively equal
amounts; exports are any phosphorus that gets removed with the flow, and seems to be
dominated by fine particulates, suggesting that physical and biological processes increase P in
fine particulate form. When the details were analyzed more carefully, major losses were
associated with specific events (strong storms/spring snow melt), and major inputs were during
autumn leaf fall.
Chapter 20 -- Succession and Stability
Know definitions of: Succession, including primary/secondary succession, pioneer and
climax communities
Community Change during Succession -- Species/guild changes through succession
Examples: Glacier Bay, Alaska (subarctic zone; see Figs. 20.2 and 20.3); requires millenia
Subarctic Glacier Bay is a good natural study area due to retreating glaciers. Species diversity
rose rapidly for first couple hundred years, then begins to level off. Taller shrubs don't reach
maturity until after about 3 decades, and tree species don't appear as a significant component
for nearly 100 years. Even then, low shrub/herb diversity continues increasing through the
first millenium, with just a few tree/tall shrub species remaining, though in large numbers.
Note that the rate of change is a lot slower than in tropical ecosystems, and that number of tree
species would be MUCH higher in the tropics.
Temperate Forests -- SE U.S. (a couple of centuries)
Virtually all of the deciduous forest in the piedmont/montane areas of the SE were cleared at
some point, so ideal area for studying secondary succession. Please READ the description
of piedmont succession, third paragraph, first column, pg. 434. General trends are weedy
species initially, followed by rapid growing pine seedlings and more trees later, with woody
species nearly levelling off at a century and a half into the succession. Bird species follow a
similar trend. (see Figs. 20.4 and 20.5).
Intertidal communities -- example is 1 to 1.5 years
Remember the Sousa disturbance studies from Chap 16? Succession on rocks stripped of
attached organism cover; reaches maximum species diversity (of just 6 or 7) quickly.
Stream communities -- algal/diatom succession taking a couple of months
Sycamore Creek, NE of Phoenix. Flash floods can remove algal/diatom community and
initiate new round of succession. Both diatoms and other algal organisms reach max
diversity after about 20 days, and decreased after 50 days -- WHY??
Macroinvertebrate species diversity was dominated by one crane fly species' aquatic
larva, though most species present before the flood remained present throughout the study.
Ecosystem Change during Succession --
Increases in overall biomass, production, nutrient retention; and important soil changes
Soil changes at Glacier Bay (see Fig. 20.10). Organic content, nitrogen content, moisture all
increased, especially at the climactic "Spruce" stage, while pH and phosphorus content
decreased. Note that organic and nitrogen content apparently tied together (not surprising)
The Hawaiian Island chain represents a natural experimental example of 4 million years of
succession. Organic carbon and nitrogen in the soils changes from young to old sites (and,
as above, tied together; see Fig. 20.12). Total phosphorus remains unchanged, but
available (weatherable) phosphorus is largely depleted after about 20,000 years, and
remains a limiting factor to primary production at sites 20,000 + yrs. old.
As suggested above*, when allowed to recover after "clearing", ecosystem nutrient retention
increases quickly and dramatically (see Fig. 20.15).
Model of Ecosystem recovery (hence, succession): reorganization phase, aggradation phase,
transition phase (with peak biomass followed by slight decline) and "steady" state phase.
In the Sycamore Ck. example from above, overall algal biomass was beginning to level off
after the first month, as was primary production and invertebrate biomass. Nitrogen
retention reaches a peak at 30 days, and then drops off significantly, possibly associated
with the transition phase mentioned. By 90 days post-flood, biomass loss may be evident.
Possible Mechanisms of Succession -- note the word "possible;"
see Fig. 20.20
Facilitation -- early successional species in turn modify the ecosystem conditions and in turn
facilitate their own replacement, making the conditions better for other successional species.
These species in turn are replaced by yet other species, until a point is reached where the
current residents no longer facilitate colonization by others. This is the climax community.
Tolerance -- this model suggests that the entire suite of colonizing species is largely there at the
start, and the species that dominate later in succession are simply those that tolerate the early
conditions as well as whatever changes take place along the way.
Inhibition -- like tolerance model, early on there are a large number of species; in this case all
make establishment by other less likely (inhibit recruitment). In turn, those that last are long-
lived, light disturbance-resistant species.
All models partly to completely "reset" by major disturbance
EVIDENCE for particular mechanisms?
Aquatic: Intertidal
Sousa -- with isolation and removal experiments, evidence suggests that the inhibition mech.
is at work with successional species of algae in the intertidal. This also clarified what
ultimately causes early species to fail -- vulnerability to physical and biological factors causing
mortality. The dominant early Ulva gives way as the occasional exposure to drying wind/
intense sunlight, and herbivory allows more resistant species to succeed.
Turner -- her studies suggest facilitation for some species; the later successional surfgrass
Phyllospadix produces hooked seeds which require mid-successional algae to latch onto and
ultimately germinate. Remove the alga and the Phyllospadix doesn't grow.
Terrestrial: Old Field/Forests
Keever -- Again, both inhibition and facilitation seem to be involved, even with the same species.
Horseweed (Erigeron) inhibits growth of Aster, but Aster stimulates growth of Andropogon.
Chapin -- following deglaciation. Both inhibition and facilitation appears to take place through
much of the successional stages seen, with a lot of inhibition taking place at the climax stage
(see Fig. 20.24).
Should NOT be surprising that different mechanisms are functioning for different species.
Important question: What keep grasslands/prairies as a "climax" community?
Community and Ecosystem Stability
Definitions: Stability, resistance, resilience
Stability can occur because of lack of disturbance; however, some communities may remain
relatively stable in the face of some significant "disturbance", due to resistance or resilience.
Are some communities more resistant, and, if so, why? more resilient?
The Park Grass experiment: a meadow at Rothamsted Exper. Station, in England, that has been
constantly monitored since 1862. Changes that have been seen have been almost completely
involving changes in abundance of species already there; virtually no new colonizers have been
recorded. When plots were modified with fertilizers of different composition, proportions of
legumes/other species increased, the % increase depending on the fertilizer used. Although
biomass remained quite consistent throughout the study periods and percentages of groups
overall, individual populations of particular species changed substantially. So, are communities
stable in nature? Probably depends on how you define "stable" -- what you measure in the
community. In forest community, studies require a great amount of time and are difficult to
replicate (!).
Sycamore Creek, AZ (the return to) -- replicate studies following disturbance easier.
Algal recovery higher in upwelling zones, where nitrogen is made more available from the
underlying sediment. The algal "community" is, therefore, more resilient in upwelling areas.
The regions of upwelling/stationary/downwelling zones also remain quite stable even after
many flood events; the stability lies in the underlying geomorphology of the streambed --
upwelling occurs where bedrock is near the "surface". Why does this make sense?


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If you'd have bet someone that Rick Perry would have a good debate in Iowa on Saturday, you'd be richer now.
A Florida activist group files a complaint after a San Antonio employee was dismissed for refusing to let a transgender customer use the women's changing room.
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The governor kicked off his fourteen-day, 44-city "Faith, Jobs and Freedom" bus tour in Iowa on Wednesday, leaving (at least) one Yankee pundit unimpressed.
The pioneering Daily Beast blogger supports Paul for the Republican nomination.
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Home > Bangalore Restaurants > South Bangalore > Koramangala Restaurants > 13 Spices
9 Reviews / 9 Ratings
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December 04,2012
NIce Food and Ambience
The food here is real tasty and the continental section is a real delight however you will find better Chinese and Italian dishes some place else, the delight here is the chicken biryani which is very different from the traditional Hyderabadi Biryani available everywhere in bangalore its more like Lucknow style biryani , so if you wish to try something different than ordinary try chicken biryani here, its obviously less spicy than the hyderabadi biryani.
As for other items the starters are good however the curries served here are much less in quantity for a decent enough price and one curry is good for only one person.
August 05,2012
Nice place for food post LOR
The place is an awesome small restaurant that we generally visit post LOR or drinking session else where. Its zillion times better than shaddy "Chandini Chowk". Chicken gravy and Indian bread are best. I prefer take away from this place and pricewise its pretty ok.
WORST 1st time experience... Irresponsible behaviour.. rowdy waiters. A NEVER TO VISIT PLACE.... they have a very small kitchen wherein every other person is trying to enter. And VEGGIES .. DON'T EVEN DARE GOING THERE.. I had ordered for Crispy honey chilly potato in the starters for which the order was taken by manager himself. Then a waiter turned up to reconfirm the order. I told him the starter order as well as for main menu.. Then this waiter comes and brings crispy honey chilly CHICKEN... I doubted if it's veg. I asked him and then told him again that please assure that no non-veg comes to this table. I'm a pure veg. He replied in affirmative and disappeared. Then when i ate it, I found it to be chicken. And when i called the rude waiter, he said you asked for Chicken and when i said No, he turned his face making Hmph sound... Then i turned up to the manager for the uncalled behaviour and he just said sorry turning away as the waiter did.
I can't ever think of going to this restaurant again. I STRONGLY advise all you people to NOT go there as if u face any adverse situation, TRUST me you'll be treated very very badly.
September 11,2011
Lovely Place
A friend and I were actually en route to another restaurant when we spotted this and decided on a whim to have dinner here instead. We settled ourselves at a corner table and looked at the menus handed to us by a polite waiter. I chose a glass of buttermilk as my beverage and we chose a plate of Chicken Kebabs with Sauce as our starter and Jeera Rice and Chicken Curry as our main course. The food tasted good and we enjoyed a nice quiet meal as the restaurant was fairly empty (we were there quite early). The service is good and the ambience is nice. Definitely a place which I intend visiting again and recommending to friends.
June 04,2011
Good, simple food.
Food: I went with a friend of mine for lunch this afternoon. We ordered Maa ki Daal, Nizami Handi (veg), roti and jeera rice. The food was good! The dal was served in a cute little 'balti'. It tasted just right. The consistency and the flavors were pretty good. The Nizami Handi was well flavored and had cauliflower, peas and paneer. The jeera rice had a hint of ghee in it and went very well with the Dal. The prices for both entrees were about Rs. 130. Overall, a pretty satisfying meal. i'd recommend the vegetarian stuff here.
Service: It's just the usual. nothing great but not bad either. The server checked with me every time i was about to serve myself and offered to serve the entree on to my plate. I thought that was pretty courteous. the ambiance is alright too.
Overall: If you're in for the food, do give this place a try. It's a cozy little place with good food.
January 18,2011
unlucky 13
We went there on a sunday afternoon and we were the only people in the restaurant. On asking for hot water, we were initially served cold water and the waiter argued that it had been hot. Later, we were served lukewarm water. As we were very hungry, we went for the buffet, hoping it would be quick. They told us that they would serve us the starters and the soup in our table. Unfortunately, after a 15 minute wait, we did not get even one dish. We left the place deeply disappointed. I would definitely not recommend this place to anyone.
Awful Food and Average Service
Went there on 15.12.2010 for lunch. Around 1:45pm, we were the only people there. We ordered a-la-carte as the buffet spread didn't look fresh. With only 1 customer, they took about 25 mins to serve rotis and a main course, so I wonder how the service would be if there are more people. The rotis and naans were crispy and resembled papad. We returned these once and the second time it was no different. Gives me a feeling that the chef is totally inept, how can you trust anyone with food if the person can't even make proper rotis. The experience with both food and service were below par.
Another couple came in for the buffet and they were told that it would take them 10 mins to serve the soup that's included in the spread. They promptly walked off. Imagine someone offering such waiting periods in an empty restaurant that too for a buffet spread.
The ambiance is chic, though I hope the reason why anybody would go there - food and service quality improves by leaps and bounds.
Decision - not going back and would not recommend anyone to go here.
November 15,2010
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