Service Manual
Frame Buffering: A technique
to
maximise graphic display performance
by letting the graphics processor chip
"set aside" images
it
has
already calculated, allowing it
to
work on enerating the next fraction
of a seconds visual images, all while the screen is still busy painting
the last fraction
of
a second's display.
Playfields: The background(s), anything that is on screen that it not a .
sprite. When two playfields (layers of bacground) are contolled
properly, parrallax scrolling can result.The
Sega Saturn has a whole
chip dedicated
to
controllingbackgrounds (the VDP2 or Video
Display Processor
2") that can generate 5 distict layers of
background at the same time.
Polygons/Second:
(1000's of) The number
of
polygons
of
a given size that
can be drawn on the screen in one second. This figure does not
include the size of the polygons, nor their texturing, shading,
or
lighting.
Realtime: An important adjective that usually indicates the game display
is being re-calculated every second, taking into account the
full
effects
of
the player's actions. When reffering
to
a game's response
or speed, it means the game responds instantly to the player's
commands.
Render: Drawing 3D graphical objects on a computer or game machine.
"BUG" and "Clockwork Knight" are filled with beautifully rendered
characters.
Texture Mapping: Copying a bit-map onto the faces of selected polygons
to give the illusion of surface texture.
"Daytona USA" is a great
example
of
a texture mapped game.
Wireframe: A connect the dots approach to showing graphical objects by
drawing lines between sets of points that make up a geometric
outline.
Dynamic
Perspective: Constantly changing the point
of
view ("camera
angle")
so that the players feel that they are weaving in and around
the on-screen action. Typically requires strong scaling and rotational
capabilities. This can be seen on
Sega Sports games on Saturn.