Computer Graphics Core Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts of computer graphics, framebuffers, APIs, vertex attributes, and the four-stage graphics pipeline.

Computer Graphics

The field describing the use of computers to create and manipulate digital images.

Modeling

The area of computer graphics dealing with the mathematical specification of shape and appearance properties in a format storable on a computer.

Rendering

The process of creating shaded images from $3\text{D}$ computer models.

Animation

A technique used to create an illusion of motion through a rapid sequence of displayed images.

Raster

A two-dimensional grid array of pixels (picture elements) displayed on a screen.

Pixel

A picture element on a screen whose color is specified by RGB floating-point triples ranging from $0$ (no intensity) to $1$ (full intensity).

Resolution

The total number of pixels contained in a raster.

Precision

The number of bits used to represent each pixel in a raster.

Data Buffer

A region of computer memory that serves as temporary storage for data while it is transferred from one location to another.

Framebuffer

A dedicated memory region storing pixel data for rendering, containing at least a color buffer and optionally depth and stencil buffers.

Color Buffer

A component of the framebuffer that stores the RGB color values for each pixel.

Depth Buffer

A buffer in the framebuffer storing distances from scene points to the virtual camera to determine object visibility and occlusion.

Stencil Buffer

A buffer in the framebuffer used to store values for generating advanced visual effects like shadows, reflections, or portal rendering.

Frame

A single static image within a sequence that forms an animation.

Frame Rate

The speed at which animation frames appear, measured in frames per second ($\text{FPS}$).

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

A hardware processor with a highly parallel architecture designed for high-efficiency graphics rendering.

Shader

A program executed on the GPU that carries out specific calculations required during the rendering process.

Application Programming Interface (API)

A set of commands, functions, and protocols defining how software interacts with an external system such as a GPU.

Graphics Pipeline

An abstract conceptual model describing the sequential stages required to render a $3\text{D}$ scene.

Vertex Buffer Object (VBO)

A GPU memory buffer that stores vertex attribute data defining the visual appearance of geometric shapes.

Vertex Array Object (VAO)

A GPU state object that stores and manages associations between VBO attribute data and shader attribute variables.

Mesh

A collection of points grouped into lines or triangles that defines the shape of a $3\text{D}$ object.

Wireframe Mesh

A representation of a geometric object created as an interconnected structure of lines or triangles.

Vertex

A data structure representing a single point in $3\text{D}$ space along with attributes like color, texture coordinates, and normal vectors.

Sphere Renderings with Attributes

Rendered visual variations of a sphere demonstrating wireframe lines, vertex colors, texture mapping, and lighting calculations.

Texture Coordinates (UV Coordinates)

Values assigned to a vertex that map a specific location on a $2\text{D}$ texture image onto a $3\text{D}$ surface.

Normal Vector

A vector pointing perpendicular to a surface at a vertex, used primarily for calculating surface lighting.

Vertex Shader

A GPU program in geometry processing that calculates the final position of each vertex through spatial transformations.

Model Transformation

The step in geometry processing that translates, rotates, and scales an object's mesh into world space coordinates.

World Space

The global $3\text{D}$ coordinate frame of reference with its origin at the center of the rendered scene.

View Transformation

The transformation converting world-space coordinates into view space based on camera location and orientation.

Projection Transformation

The transformation that defines clip space and discards or clips any geometric points lying outside the viewing region.

Primitive Assembly

The stage 3 process of grouping vertices into geometric primitives such as points, lines, line strips, or triangles.

Fragment

A set of data, including pixel coordinates, evaluated to compute the final color for a single pixel in an image.

Fragment Shader

A program run during pixel processing that computes the final color of each fragment using lighting, textures, and vertex colors.

Texture Mapping

The process of sampling colors from a $2\text{D}$ image file and applying them to the surface of a rendered $3\text{D}$ object.