Num | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
LIST ALL
Welcome to the interactive glossay at Inside Computers. This glossary allows members of Inside Computers to post new definitions, allowing for collective information sharing.
If there is some acronym that most people might not know, or a special computer term which others would most likely want to know, go ahead and add it.
Because this is a "real time" interaction, Inside Computers can't monitor the boards 24 hours a day, but we will do our best to keep this information both
correct and edit it for content that could be offensive to others. If you are so inclined, every member is allowed to edit every user added post, so if
you think you can improve on a definition, if you want to correct a mistake others may have made, go ahead!
| G | Game Engine :
The software that is responsible for all 3D rendering, object physics and object movements.
Gamma :
The measurement of the difference between a target brightness and the brightness achieved. Gamma effects the amount of contrast which is displayed.
Gateway :
The server which allows clients to access the resources which are connected to it, but not to them. All ISPs are gateways to the Internet.
Geometric Distortion :
A monitor effect where straight lines are slightly curved because of the curvature of the monitor's screen.
Geometry Processing :
The set in the 3D pipeline where the x, y, and z coordinates are processed for each polygon in preparation to transformation, lighting, and then finally rasterization. This is done by the CPU, except in newer video cards, which have an onboard T&L chip.
Geometry Transformation :
The process of calculations which take the coordinate matrix of an object and sets up a 2D image. This is a very floating-point intensive process, so applications and games that require this must have a capable processor, or a video card which is capable of making the calculations independent of the CPU.
Glide :
A proprietary 3D API developed by 3Dfx for use in its Voodoo line of chipsets. Glide is arguably one of the faster API's but lacks some of the advanced features of Direct3D and OpenGL.
Gouraud Shading :
The process of shading by use of colour interpolation based on distance from the 3 vertices. This produces a smooth shading and polygons which are usually lighter in their middle, gradually blending to a darker colour at their edges.
Graphical Display Interface (GDI) :
The API and software which control the way graphics are drawn on screen in the Windows 2D environment. The GDI for windows is like the DirectX for 3D. GDI controls all low level functions, but unlike DirectX, it does not allow programs direct access to hardware.
Graphical User Interface (GUI) :
A user-friendly input interface which has a graphical approach to capture user input. This is usually achieved through buttons, scrollbars, windows, tabbed folders, etc. This is how windows operates, in contrast to the CLI DOS format.
Graphics Accelerator :
A video card which is capable of handling some of the graphical pipeline in hardware. This is a step in between a dedicated video processor and a simple frame buffer device.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) :
The name of the chip on some newer video cards which are capable of performing 3D transform and lighting calculations. This offloads them from the CPU, resulting in better performance.
Greyscale :
An image which only uses values based on black and white, with no colours involved.
:
|
|
