An apparatus for generating an image to be displayed on a display screen from data defining a model including a plurality of opaque and translucent features. The image is intended to represent a view of the model from a predetermined eyepoint and is made up from an array of screen space pixels to be displayed by a raster scanning process. Each pixel is of uniform colour and intensity, and the pixels together define an image area. The image area is divided into an array of sub-areas each of which covers at least one pixel. For each feature in the model that is potentially visible from the eyepoint, a test is conducted to determine which of the sub-areas is at least partially covered by that feature. A list of feature identifiers is produced in respect of each sub-area, the list for any one sub-area identifying features which at least partially cover that sub-area. The position in screen space of at least one sampling point within each sub-area is determined. For each sub-area in turn, and for each sampling point a test is conducted to determine which of the features in that sub-area's list cover that sampling point. For each feature which covers a sampling point, a function of the distance from the eyepoint to that feature at the sampling point is determined. Feature describing data is stored for each sampling point within a sub-area, the stored data being indicative of at least the distance of the opaque feature which covers the sampling point and is nearest to the eyepoint and the distance and translucency of at least one nearer translucent feature which covers the sampling point. An output is produced for each sampling point within a sub-area, the sampling point output corresponding to the combined effects of the features identified by the stored data. An output for each pixel within a sub-area is produced, the pixel output corresponding to the combined effects of the sampling point outputs for all sampling points which contribute to that pixel, and the pixel outputs are displayed.
IMAGE GENERATOR FOR GENERATING PERSPECTIVE VIEWS FROM DATA DEFINING A MODEL HAVING OPAQUE AND TRANSLUCENT FEATURES.