3Dlabs Wildcat4 User Manual page 48

Terms and Definitions
Stencil Buffer
Similar to stipple masking, the stencil buffer assists with the creation of transparent effects.
Stipple masking
A technique that spatially creates transparent effects by rendering an object through various patterns.
Streaming SIMD
An instruction set developed by Intel for Pentium -processor based systems. Streaming SIMD can
improve 3D vertex transformation and lighting, among other operations.
SuperScene Antialiasing
SuperScene antialiasing (see Antialiasing) is an enhanced version of multisampling and offers true,
multisampled, scene-based antialiasing of all OpenGL primitives in a scene. SuperScene Antialiasing is a
feature found only on Wildcat graphics accelerators.
SVGA
Super Video Graphics Array. SVGA runs at 800 x 600.
Tessellation
The initial part of the 3D pipeline where the object is described by a set of triangles.
Texture Mapping
A technique that enables 2D graphic images to be "wrapped" around or "pasted" on to a 3D primitive.
Perspective correction and lighting calculations allow for added realism.
Transformation
The change in rotation, size, position, and perspective of an object in 3D space.
Transparency
A function that refers to the rendering of transparent (non-opaque) objects. Transparency is generally
accomplished on a polygon rendering system using either screen-door transparency or alpha blending.
Vectors/second
Lines drawn per second.
VGA
Video Graphics Array. VGA runs at 640 x 480.
VHR
Very High Resolution. VHR runs at 1280 x 1024.
VRAM
Video Random Access Memory is an expensive, fast type of RAM that is used as display memory on
high-end graphics boards.
VRML
Virtual Reality Modeling Language.
Z-Buffer
Also known as the Depth Buffer, the Z-Buffer is a region of memory containing the depth component of a
pixel. Used, for example, to eliminate hidden surfaces from the image.
44 3Dlabs Graphics Accelerator Card User's Guide