The present invention relates in general to antialiasing techniques for computer graphics
Systems, and in particular to antialiasing using hybrid SuperSampled/multiSampled pixel
data. Display devices, Such as monitor Screens, produce images using an array of Small-
size picture elements (“pixels'), each having a Solid color. The color of each pixel is
independently controllable So that an arbitrary image can be produced on the display
device. In many instances, pixel color is deter mined using a graphics processing System …

Hybrid sampling of pixels of an image involves generating shading values at multiple
shading sample locations and generating depth values at multiple depth sample locations,
with the number of depth sample locations exceeding the number of shading sample
locations. Each shading sample location is associated with one or more of the depth sample
locations. Generation and filtering of hybrid sampled pixel data can be done within a
graphics processing system, transparent to an application that provides image data.