ATI Technologies X1650 manual Super Anti-aliasing Mode

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106 CrossFireOverview

Super Anti-aliasing Mode

Anti-aliasing (AA) is a rendering technique designed to remove jagged edges, shimmering, and pixelation problems that are common in rendered 3D images. Rather than simply determining the color of each pixel on the screen by sampling a single location at the pixel’s center, anti-aliasing works by sampling multiple locations within each pixel and blending the results together to determine the final color.

The latest generation of ATI’s Radeon® GPUs with SmoothVisionHD technology uses a method known as Multi-sample Anti-aliasing (MSAA). This method takes samples from 2, 4, or 6 programmable locations within each pixel, and uses gamma correct sample blending for high-quality smoothing of polygon edges. The new CrossFire Super Anti-aliasing mode

takes advantage of the programmable sample capability of SmoothVisionHD to provide higher quality anti-aliasing on CrossFiresystems.

It works by having each GPU render the same frame with anti-aliasing enabled, but uses different sample locations for each. When both versions of the frame are completed, they are blended in the CrossFire Compositing engine. The resulting image has effectively twice the number of samples, so 4x and 6x Anti-aliasing becomes 8x and 12x Super Anti-aliasing, respectively.

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Contents Radeon X1650 PRO Page Iii Disclaimer Important Safety Instructions Page Table of Contents Glossary Index Introduction Radeon X1650 PRO FeaturesFeatures Ring Bus Memory ControllerAdvanced Image Quality Features Avivo Video and Display PlatformCrossFire Uninstall Previous Graphics Card Drivers System RequirementsTo uninstall previous drivers System Requirements Using Multiple Displays Connecting Your MonitorsTo connect your monitors Display Configurations Display Connectors Comments Configuration UsedDisplay Configurations Using TV Display and Capture Features Using TV OutViewing Your PC Display on a TV Connecting to a TV or VCR To connect S-Video OutUsing a Monitor vs. Using TV Display Connecting Your S-Video Out to a TV or VCRUsing Games and Applications Connecting to HdtvUsing a TV as the Only Display Viewing Text on a TVInstalling your ATI Hdtv video cable ATI Hdtv CableUsing Your ATI Hdtv Video Cable Software Installation Prerequisites Installing Software and DriversInstalling Drivers and Software in Windows To install ATI drivers and softwareMonitor Configuration To set up a multi-monitor display Reinstalling DriversTo configure your primary display To manually reinstall drivers Express or Custom Install Installing the Catalyst Software Suite Catalyst Control Center Launching Catalyst Control CenterLaunching Catalyst Control Center Using the System Tray Launching Catalyst Control Center Using the Start MenuOther Quick Launch Access Points Launching Catalyst Control Center Using Hot KeysCrossFire FAQ What graphics cards work with CrossFire?Page Is a driver profile required to make CrossFire work? On what basis are different rendering modes chosen? Welcome to CrossFire CrossFire OverviewAllowable CrossFire System Components CrossFire Rendering Modes SuperTiling Scissor Mode Alternate Frame Rendering AFR Mode Super Anti-aliasing Mode CrossFire Overview CrossFire Overview Troubleshooting ReferenceScreen Defects CrossFire -Specific Troubleshooting CrossFire-Specific Troubleshooting Problem Possible Solution Additional Accessories Compliance InformationFCC Compliance Information CE Compliance Information Electrical SafetyIndustry Canada Compliance Statement Informations de conformité de la CEThis product was manufactured by ATI Technologies Inc Glossary 3DcAlpha Blending Adaptive Anti-aliasingAGP Alternate Frame RenderingAspect Anisotropic FilteringAnti-aliasing Aspect RatioBit Depth Back BufferBilinear Filtering BitmapColor Component BufferCatalyst Control Center Color CorrectionCompositing Engine Component VideoComposite Video Control PointCRT Flat Shading DVIEdtv FogGouraud Shading Frames Per SecondGamma HdcpHydraVision HdtvHue HyperZ HDLighting Keyframe InterpolationKTX Buffer Region Extension MipmappingNtsc PALPCI Pixel PCI Express PCIePipeline PulldownRendering ResolutionRefresh Rate SaturationSecam Scissor ModeSdtv Shadow MaskSpecular Highlight SmartShader HDSmoothVision HD Super Anti-aliasingTexel SuperTilingVideo Texture MappingVector Adaptive Deinterlacing Transition Minimized Differential Signaling TmdsTrilinear Filtering VersaVisionVideo Immersion VGA ConnectorVertex shader units VideoShader HDVPU Recover YPbPr