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rasterizer / rasterization

The process of converting shapes into fragments (pixel-sized pieces) for the GPU to color in.

Rasterization is the act of scan-converting primitives into fragments: determining coverage, interpolating per-vertex values, and emitting one fragment per covered pixel for shading. It is the heart of real-time graphics and, in this stack, a heavily-worked component of the mzVolk renderer. The rasterizer is the hardware/software unit that performs it.

See also

  • rasterizerThe GPU component that turns geometric shapes into the actual grid of pixels that fill them.
  • primitiveThe basic shape a GPU actually draws — a point, a line, or a triangle.
  • perspective-correct interpolationBlending values like color or texture across a triangle in a way that respects 3D depth, so surfaces don't look warped.
  • pipelineThe ordered assembly line of stages a GPU runs to turn 3D geometry into the colored pixels on screen.

Referenced by

rasterizer