COMPUTER GRAPHICS - COMP 4471 WEEK 7 - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on essential concepts in computer graphics from the lecture notes.

Hierarchical modeling

A technique in computer graphics used to organize and manipulate objects efficiently using a structured hierarchy.

Transformation propagation

The process by which transformations applied to parent objects affect child objects in a hierarchical model.

Scene graph

A data structure commonly used to represent hierarchical models in computer graphics.

Matrix stack

A data structure that stores transformation matrices in a hierarchical manner.

Bounding volume

A simplified geometric shape used to approximate an object's spatial extent for collision detection.

Perspective projection

A technique in 3D graphics to convert a 3D scene into a 2D image where distant objects appear smaller.

Z-buffer

A buffer used in rendering to determine visibility by depth testing for each pixel.

Gimbal lock

A loss of rotational degree of freedom that can occur in three-dimensional space when two axes align.

Backface culling

A technique used to remove polygons that are facing away from the camera to improve rendering efficiency.

Frustum culling

The process of discarding objects that are outside the camera’s visible volume before rendering.