Scanline rendering is an algorithm for visible surface determination, in 3D computer graphics, that works on a row-by-row basis rather than a polygon-by-polygon or pixel-by-pixel basis. All of the polygons to be rendered are first sorted by the top y coordinate at which they first appear, then each row or scan line of the image is computed using the intersection of a scanline with the polygons on the front of the sorted list, while the sorted list is updated to discard no-longer-visible polygons as the active scan line is advanced down the picture.
A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit initially designed to accelerate computer graphics and image processing. After their initial design, GPUs were found to be useful for non-graphic calculations involving embarrassingly parallel problems due to their parallel structure. Other non-graphical uses include the training of neural networks and cryptocurrency mining.
The Atomiswave is a custom arcade system board and cabinet from Sammy Corporation. It is based on Sega's Dreamcast console, Sega sharing similarities with the NAOMI, as far as it uses interchangeable game cartridges, as well as a removable module for changing the control scheme, but unlike the NAOMI, the Atomiswave does not feature expanded RAM compared to the Dreamcast.
The S3 ViRGE (Video and Rendering Graphics Engine) graphics chipset was one of the first 2D/3D accelerators designed for the mass market.
The Panasonic M2 is a video game console platform developed by 3DO and then sold to Matsushita, a company known outside Japan by the brand Panasonic. Initially announced as a peripheral chip for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, it was later unveiled as a standalone console. The console was cancelled in 1997, but the M2 technology was incorporated into other devices.
The Namco System 21 "Polygonizer" is an arcade system board unveiled by Namco in 1988 with the game Winning Run. It was the first arcade board specifically designed for 3D polygon processing. The hardware went through significant evolution throughout its lifespan until the last game, Cyber Sled, was released in 1993. It was preceded by the Namco System 2 in 1987 and succeeded by the Namco System 22 in 1993.
The Namco System 23 is an arcade system board produced and developed by Namco. Announced in 1996 and released in 1997, it was the last arcade system produced by the company that was based on their own custom design, as opposed to just derivatives of console or PC hardware. Like the System 22, the System 23 also featured a more powerful variant called the Super System 23. One of the advertised features of the System 23 was the "Gashin Strong Bass System," which was simply a bass amplifier hooked up to the sound system. It was succeeded by the Namco System 10 in 2000.
The Namco System 11 is a 32-bit arcade system board developed jointly by Namco and Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 1994, the System 11 is based on a prototype of the PlayStation, Sony's first home video game console, using a 512 KB operating system and several custom processors. The Namco System 12 is an upgraded version of the System 11 that was released in 1996, featuring faster processing power.
Software rendering is the process of generating an image from a model by means of computer software. In the context of computer graphics rendering, software rendering refers to a rendering process that is not dependent upon graphics hardware ASICs, such as a graphics card. The rendering takes place entirely in the CPU. Rendering everything with the (general-purpose) CPU has the main advantage that it is not restricted to the (limited) capabilities of graphics hardware, but the disadvantage is that more transistors are needed to obtain the same speed.
The demo effect is a name for computer-based real-time visual effects found in demos created by the demoscene.
Hollywood is the name of the graphics processing unit (GPU) used in Nintendo's Wii video game console. It was designed by ATI, and is manufactured using the same 90 nm or 65 nm CMOS process as Broadway, the Wii's central processing unit. Very few official details about Hollywood were released to the public by Nintendo, ATI, or any other company involved in the Wii's development. The Hollywood GPU is reportedly based on the GameCube's Flipper GPU and is clocked 50% higher at 243 MHz, though these clock rates have never been officially confirmed.
Talisman was a Microsoft project to build a new 3D graphics architecture based on quickly compositing 2D "sub-images" onto the screen, an adaptation of tiled rendering. In theory, this approach would dramatically reduce the amount of memory bandwidth required for 3D games and thereby lead to lower-cost graphics accelerators. The project took place during the introduction of the first high-performance 3D accelerators, and these quickly surpassed Talisman in both performance and price. No Talisman-based systems were ever released commercially, and the project was eventually cancelled in the late 1990s.
Hombre is a RISC chipset for the Amiga, designed by Commodore, which was intended as the basis of a range of Amiga personal computers and multimedia products, including a successor to the Amiga 1200, a next generation game machine called CD64 and a 3D accelerator PCI card. Hombre was canceled along with the bankruptcy of Commodore International.
The PlayStation Portable's hardware consists of the physical components of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and its accessories.
Computer graphics deals with generating images and art with the aid of computers. Today, computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, digital art, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. A great deal of specialized hardware and software has been developed, with the displays of most devices being driven by computer graphics hardware. It is a vast and recently developed area of computer science. The phrase was coined in 1960 by computer graphics researchers Verne Hudson and William Fetter of Boeing. It is often abbreviated as CG, or typically in the context of film as computer generated imagery (CGI). The non-artistic aspects of computer graphics are the subject of computer science research.
PICA200 is a graphics processing unit (GPU) designed by Digital Media Professionals Inc. (DMP), a Japanese GPU design startup company, for use in embedded devices such as vehicle systems, mobile phones, cameras, and game consoles. The PICA200 is an IP Core which can be licensed to other companies to incorporate into their SOCs. It was most notably licensed for use in the Nintendo 3DS.
The PlayStation 2 technical specifications describe the various components of the PlayStation 2 (PS2) video game console.
The PlayStation technical specifications describe the various components of the original PlayStation video game console.
This is a glossary of terms relating to computer graphics.
