ATI V7200 User Guide - Page 60

KTX Buffer Region Extension, Lighting, Mipmapping, Offscreen Memory

Page 60 highlights

54 KTX Buffer Region Extension This OpenGL® programming term refers to a feature that rapidly updates portions of the display of 3D modelling applications that change very quickly, or have been moved or occluded. It does this by optimizing the storage of buffer regions in the graphics card's memory buffer. Other applications are typically not adversely affected when this is enabled. Lighting In 3D computer graphics, refers to aspects and quality of the virtual light source being used to make an object visible. Lighting can strongly affect the "mood" of a scene. For example, a "harsh" light could be a bare lightbulb that is glaringly bright on the objects closest to it while casting strong shadows in the background. A "softer" light would be more diffuse and not cast shadows, such as you would get outdoors on a typical overcast day. Mipmapping The most memory-intensive aspect of 3D graphics are the textures that give an object its realism (like wood, marble, leather, and cloth). Because objects in real life become less detailed as they move farther away from the viewer, 3D programmers simulate this by using less detailed, lower resolution texture maps on distant objects. These texture maps are merely scaled down versions of the main texture map used when the object is up close, and they use less memory. Offscreen Memory An area of memory used to preload images so that they can be quickly drawn to the screen. Offscreen memory refers to all of the remaining video memory not taken up by the front buffer, which holds the contents of the display screen currently visible.

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54
KTX Buffer Region Extension
This OpenGL® programming term refers to a feature that rapidly updates
portions of the display of 3D modelling applications that change very
quickly, or have been moved or occluded. It does this by optimizing the
storage of buffer regions in the graphics card’s memory buffer. Other
applications are typically not adversely affected when this is enabled.
Lighting
In 3D computer graphics, refers to aspects and quality of the virtual light
source being used to make an object visible. Lighting can strongly affect
the “mood” of a scene. For example, a “harsh” light could be a bare
lightbulb that is glaringly bright on the objects closest to it while casting
strong shadows in the background. A “softer” light would be more diffuse
and not cast shadows, such as you would get outdoors on a typical overcast
day.
Mipmapping
The most memory-intensive aspect of 3D graphics are the textures that give
an object its realism (like wood, marble, leather, and cloth). Because
objects in real life become less detailed as they move farther away from the
viewer, 3D programmers simulate this by using less detailed, lower
resolution texture maps on distant objects. These texture maps are merely
scaled down versions of the main texture map used when the object is up
close, and they use less memory.
Offscreen Memory
An area of memory used to preload images so that they can be quickly
drawn to the screen. Offscreen memory refers to all of the remaining video
memory not taken up by the front buffer, which holds the contents of the
display screen currently visible.