TransGaming SwiftShader Whitepaper 20130129
TRANSGAMING INC.
WHITE PAPER:
SWIFTSHADER TECHNOLOGY
JANUARY 29, 2013
SwiftShader:
Why the Future of 3D Graphics is in Software
For some time now, it has been clear that there is strong momentum for convergence between CPU and GPU technologies. Initially, each technology supported radically different kinds of processing, but over time GPUs have evolved to support more general purpose use while CPUs have evolved to include advanced vector processing and multiple execution cores. In 2013, even more key GPU features will make their way into mainstream CPUs.
At TransGaming, we believe that this convergence will continue to the point where typical systems have only one type of processing unit, with large numbers of cores and very wide vector execution units available for high performance parallel execution. In this kind of environment, all graphics processing will ultimately take place in software.
Through our SwiftShader software GPU toolkit, TransGaming has long been a world leader in software based rendering, with widespread adoption of our technology by some of the
Copyright © 2013 TransGaming Inc. All rights reserved.
world’s top technology companies, and a US patent on key techniques issued in late 2012.
This whitepaper explores the past, present, and future of software rendering, and why TransGaming expects that the technology behind SwiftShader will be a critical component of future graphics systems.
SwiftShader Today
In 2005, TransGaming launched SwiftShader, for the first time providing a software-only implementation of a commonly used graphics API (Microsoft® Direct3D®), including shader support, at performance levels fast enough for realtime interactive use. Since then, SwiftShader has found an important niche in the graphics market as a fallback solution – ensuring that even in cases where available hardware or graphics drivers are inadequate, out of date, or unstable, our customers’ software will still run.
1
SwiftShader: Why the Future of 3D
WHITE PAPER:
SWIFTSHADER TECHNOLOGY
JANUARY 29, 2013
SwiftShader:
Why the Future of 3D Graphics is in Software
For some time now, it has been clear that there is strong momentum for convergence between CPU and GPU technologies. Initially, each technology supported radically different kinds of processing, but over time GPUs have evolved to support more general purpose use while CPUs have evolved to include advanced vector processing and multiple execution cores. In 2013, even more key GPU features will make their way into mainstream CPUs.
At TransGaming, we believe that this convergence will continue to the point where typical systems have only one type of processing unit, with large numbers of cores and very wide vector execution units available for high performance parallel execution. In this kind of environment, all graphics processing will ultimately take place in software.
Through our SwiftShader software GPU toolkit, TransGaming has long been a world leader in software based rendering, with widespread adoption of our technology by some of the
Copyright © 2013 TransGaming Inc. All rights reserved.
world’s top technology companies, and a US patent on key techniques issued in late 2012.
This whitepaper explores the past, present, and future of software rendering, and why TransGaming expects that the technology behind SwiftShader will be a critical component of future graphics systems.
SwiftShader Today
In 2005, TransGaming launched SwiftShader, for the first time providing a software-only implementation of a commonly used graphics API (Microsoft® Direct3D®), including shader support, at performance levels fast enough for realtime interactive use. Since then, SwiftShader has found an important niche in the graphics market as a fallback solution – ensuring that even in cases where available hardware or graphics drivers are inadequate, out of date, or unstable, our customers’ software will still run.
1
SwiftShader: Why the Future of 3D