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primitive
The basic shape a GPU actually draws — a point, a line, or a triangle.
GPUs don't draw arbitrary curves; everything is built from simple primitives, most commonly triangles. Vertices are grouped into these primitives, which are then filled with pixels. Each primitive can carry an ID so the system can track it through later stages, even across a primitive-restart boundary that separates one strip of shapes from the next.
See also
- primitive assemblyThe pipeline stage that groups individual vertices into the actual shapes (triangles, lines) to be drawn.
- primitive restartA special marker value in an index list that says 'stop this strip of connected shapes and start a new one.'
- rasterizerThe GPU component that turns geometric shapes into the actual grid of pixels that fill them.
Referenced by
perspective-correct interpolation · pixel lane / fragment lane · primitive assembly · primitive restart · rasterizer · rasterizer / rasterization