ELSA Victory Erazor LT, Erazor II user manual 3D Interfaces, What APIs Are Available?, Direct 3D

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16All about graphics

3D Interfaces

Software interfaces, including 3D interfaces, are known as APIs (Application Program Interface). The question is what are these interfaces used for, and how do they work.

In simple terms: They make developers' work easier. The methods by which the various

interfaces function, are comparable: In the past it was necessary to address the various hardware components directly in programming if you wanted to exploit their capabilities to the full. The APIs are a kind of translator operating between the hardware and the software.

The specification of standard definitions was the precondition for the proper function of these translation routines. These definitions are implemented by the hardware manufac- turers during development and optimized for the hardware concerned. Developers can implement complex procedures relatively easily by using these definitions. They can use a uniform command set when programming and do not need to know the characteristics specific to the hardware.

What APIs Are Available?

There are a good dozen more or less commonly found 3D APIs. However, in recent years, two formats have established themselves as the favorites: Direct 3D and OpenGL. ELSA graphics boards support these commonly found 3D interfaces. The functional differences between the interfaces are slight, as is shown by the table below. The decisive ques- tions for the user concern extensibility, flexibility and possible portability to existing applications.

Function

Direct 3D

OpenGL

Alpha blending

K

K

Texture mapping

K

K

MIP mapping

K

K

Video motion mapping

K

k

Fogging

K

K

Anti-aliasing filter

K

K

Flat shading

K

K

Gouraud shading

K

K

Phong shading

k

k

Stencil buffer

k

K

Direct 3D

As a development of Mode X and DirectDraw under Windows 3.1x, Direct 3D is a branch of the DirectX multimedia family which was developed directly for Windows 95 to accel-

ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT

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Contents Elsa Erazortm Aachen Elsa IncSonnenweg GermanyChanges to this Manual PrefaceAbout this Manual Thank you for placing your trust in this Elsa productBefore you continue Contents Glossary Index Introduction Look at the Erazor II and Victory Erazor LTWhat Hardware Do I Need? Highlights of the Erazor Graphics BoardsWhats In the Box? Declaration of Conformity CE Conformity and FCC Radiation StandardCE and FCC Introduction Elsa Erazor II and Elsa Victory Erazor LT Its Time to Get Moving After Installing the DriversWhat is Possible? Colors HighColor TrueColorMore pixels means more fun ResolutionWhat Makes Sense? Monitor Typical Minimum Maximum ErgonomicClick on Start, then select Settings E Control Panel Changing the resolutionWindows 95 and Windows Here you should click on the Settings tab Choosing the monitorElsa Erazor II and Elsa Victory Erazor LT Start E Settings E Control Panel Use the command sequenceWindows NT Useful Stuff and More Multimedia PlayerFine-Tuning for Performance Freaks Turn Settings E Advanced... E 3D Settings3D Pipeline All about graphics3D Graphics Representation Start The object dataGeometrical transformation RenderingFrame buffer Flipping Display on the monitorWhat APIs Are Available? 3D InterfacesDirect 3D Immediate Mode and Retained Mode OpenGLHighColor and RealColor Color Palettes, TrueColor and Gray ScalesDirectColor BppTrueColor Vesa DDC Display Data ChannelThere are various standards DDC1, DDC2B, and DDC2AB DDC2AB Address Assignment of the Erazor II Technical DataCharacteristics of the Graphics Boards O addressesVGA D-Shell Socket Connection SignalPorts on the Graphics Board Pin AssignmentName and version of the application program with the error Advice and HelpAppendix Who to Contact? Elsa LocalWeb Driver Updates Repair?Elsa Japan Inc DoC-Declaration of Conformity Appendix Elsa Erazor II and Elsa Victory Erazor LT Warranty Period Warranty ConditionsWarranty Coverage Warranty ProcedureOperating Mistakes Additional RegulationsAppendix Elsa Erazor II and Elsa Victory Erazor LT 3D Three-dimensional GlossaryFlipping The image generated in the back buffer is displayed Phong shading Shading Pixel Picture element. Dot in the imageAre calculated by interpolating the normal vec- tor Index 15, 3218, 19
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