Glossary
116 terms. Each one in plain words first, then the engineer version, with where to learn it. Projects in the learner showcase that mention a term appear under it — share yours there.
- AlbedoMaterials
- A surface's base colour with no lighting.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Ambient occlusionShadows & GI
- Darkening of creases and corners.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Anti-aliasingTechniques
- Smoothing jagged edges.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Asset pipelineVFX & Tech Art
- How art gets from artists' tools into the game.
- Lesson: Real-time effects: readability vs overdraw
- BandwidthPerformance
- How much data can move to and from GPU memory.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- BarrierGPU & APIs
- A 'wait until that's done' rule between GPU jobs.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- Barycentric coordinatesMath
- Three weights saying where a point sits inside a triangle.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- BatchingPerformance
- Combining many draws into fewer.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- BlendingPipeline
- Mixing a new colour with what's already on screen.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- BloomTechniques
- The glow around very bright things.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- BottleneckPerformance
- The slowest part holding everything else back.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- BRDFMaterials
- A rule for how a surface reflects light.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- BVHShadows & GI
- A tree of boxes that makes finding ray hits fast.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Cascaded shadow mapsShadows & GI
- Several shadow maps: sharp near, cheaper far.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Command bufferGPU & APIs
- A list of GPU instructions recorded ahead of time.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- Compute shaderShaders
- GPU program for general number-crunching.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Coordinate spaceMath
- The point of view numbers are measured from.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- Cross productMath
- An arrow standing straight up from two others.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- CullingPipeline
- Skipping stuff that won't be seen.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- See also:
- DCCVFX & Tech Art
- The art programs: Maya, Blender, Houdini.
- Lesson: Real-time effects: readability vs overdraw
- Deferred renderingTechniques
- Draw surface info first, light it later.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Depth bufferPipeline
- Remembers how far each pixel is, so near things hide far ones.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- See also:
- Descriptor / BindlessGPU & APIs
- How shaders find their textures and buffers.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- Differentiable renderingNeural
- Rendering that can learn by working backwards from the image.
- Learn it: Stage 9 · Neural graphics
- DirectX 12GPU & APIs
- Microsoft's low-level graphics API.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- Dot productMath
- How much two arrows point the same way.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- Draw callPipeline
- One 'please draw this' command from the CPU to the GPU.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Draw orderVFX & Tech Art
- Which transparent thing is drawn first.
- Lesson: Real-time effects: readability vs overdraw
- ExposureColor & Light
- How bright the camera lets the image be.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Fill ratePerformance
- How many pixels per second the GPU can write.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- FlipbookVFX & Tech Art
- An animation packed into one texture grid.
- Lesson: Real-time effects: readability vs overdraw
- Forward renderingTechniques
- Each object is lit while it's drawn.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Forward+ / ClusteredTechniques
- Forward rendering that only checks nearby lights.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Fragment / pixel shaderShaders
- Decides each pixel's colour.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- FrameBasics
- One complete picture; games draw many per second.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Frame budgetPerformance
- Time allowed for one frame (16.7 ms at 60 FPS).
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- FramebufferBasics
- The final image sent to the screen.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- FresnelColor & Light
- Surfaces reflect more at grazing angles.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- FrustumPipeline
- The pyramid-shaped volume the camera can see.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- G-bufferTechniques
- Screens full of surface data (colour, normal, roughness).
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- GammaColor & Light
- The curve that bends brightness for displays.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Gaussian splattingNeural
- A scene made of millions of soft coloured blobs.
- Learn it: Stage 9 · Neural graphics
- GGXMaterials
- The most used formula for highlight shape.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Global illuminationShadows & GI
- Light bouncing off surfaces onto others.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- GPUGPU & APIs
- A chip with thousands of small cores for drawing.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- HDRColor & Light
- Brightness beyond what a screen can show.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Hi-ZPerformance
- A shrinking depth picture used to skip hidden objects fast.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- HLSL / GLSL / WGSLShaders
- The main shader languages.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Homogeneous coordinatesMath
- Adding a 4th number so moving and perspective work with matrices.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- IBLMaterials
- Lighting from a photo of the surroundings.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Indirect drawingGPU & APIs
- The GPU decides what to draw itself.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- InstancingPerformance
- Drawing many copies of a mesh in one call.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- LambertColor & Light
- Matte lighting: brightest facing the light.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- LerpMath
- Blend smoothly between two values.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- Light probeShadows & GI
- A sample of lighting at a point in space.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Linear colorColor & Light
- Colour numbers that add up like real light does.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- LODTechniques
- Simpler versions of a model used far away.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- MaterialBasics
- The recipe for how a surface looks.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- MatrixMath
- A grid of numbers that moves, rotates or scales things.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- MeshBasics
- A 3D shape built from triangles.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Mesh shaderGPU & APIs
- A newer, flexible way to create triangles on the GPU.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- MeshletPerformance
- A small chunk of a mesh that can be skipped on its own.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- MetalGPU & APIs
- Apple's graphics API.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- MetallicMaterials
- Whether a surface is metal.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- MipmapMaterials
- Smaller copies of a texture for far away.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Motion vectorsTechniques
- Where each pixel moved since last frame.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- NeRFNeural
- A neural network that remembers a 3D scene from photos.
- Learn it: Stage 9 · Neural graphics
- Neural upscalingNeural
- AI that makes a low-res frame look high-res.
- Learn it: Stage 9 · Neural graphics
- Normal mapMaterials
- A texture that fakes small bumps.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- NormalizeMath
- Make an arrow length 1 while keeping its direction.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- OccupancyGPU & APIs
- How busy the GPU can stay while waiting on memory.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- OverdrawPerformance
- Painting the same pixel more than once.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- Particle systemVFX & Tech Art
- Lots of small sprites or meshes making fire, smoke, sparks.
- Lesson: Real-time effects: readability vs overdraw
- Path tracingShadows & GI
- Ray tracing that bounces many times for realistic images.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- PBRMaterials
- Materials based on real physics so they look right in any light.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Perspective dividePipeline
- Making far things smaller.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- PixelBasics
- One tiny coloured dot of the screen.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Post-processingTechniques
- Effects applied to the finished image.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Premultiplied alphaVFX & Tech Art
- Colour already multiplied by opacity.
- Lesson: Real-time effects: readability vs overdraw
- ProfilerPerformance
- A tool that measures where time goes.
- Learn it: Stage 5 · PerformanceLesson: Measure first: CPU-bound or GPU-bound?
- QuaternionMath
- A way to store rotations without getting stuck.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- RadianceColor & Light
- How much light travels along a ray.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- RasterizationPipeline
- Working out which pixels a triangle covers.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- RayMath
- A line starting at a point going in one direction.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- Ray marchingShaders
- Stepping along a ray until it hits something.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Ray tracingShadows & GI
- Following light rays to see what they hit.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Render targetBasics
- An invisible canvas the GPU draws into.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Rendering pipelinePipeline
- The assembly line that turns 3D data into pixels.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- RoughnessMaterials
- How blurry reflections are.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · MaterialsLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- SDFShaders
- A formula giving the distance to a shape.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- ShaderShaders
- A small program the GPU runs for every vertex or pixel.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Shader variantShaders
- Different compiled versions of one shader.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- Shadow acneShadows & GI
- Speckled stripes of wrong self-shadowing.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Shadow mapShadows & GI
- A depth picture from the light, used to find shadows.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- SlangShaders
- A shader language that compiles to many APIs.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- SpecularColor & Light
- The shiny highlight.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Spherical harmonicsShadows & GI
- A compact way to store soft lighting from all directions.
- Learn it: Stage 6 · Shadows & GILesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- sRGBColor & Light
- The standard way screens and images encode colour.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- SSRTechniques
- Reflections made from what's already on screen.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Stencil bufferPipeline
- A per-pixel mask used to limit where drawing happens.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- TAATechniques
- Smoothing by blending with previous frames.
- Learn it: Stage 7 · ArchitecturesLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Technical artistVFX & Tech Art
- The bridge between artists and programmers.
- Lesson: Real-time effects: readability vs overdraw
- TextureBasics
- A picture wrapped onto a 3D surface.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- See also:
- Tile-based renderingGPU & APIs
- Mobile GPUs draw the screen in small squares.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- Tone mappingColor & Light
- Squeezing bright scenes into screen range while keeping them looking good.
- Learn it: Stage 3 · Colour & lightLesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- UniformShaders
- A value that's the same for every pixel of a draw.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- UVBasics
- Coordinates that say which part of a texture lands where on a model.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- VaryingShaders
- A value passed from vertex to pixel shader, blended across the triangle.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- VectorMath
- An arrow with direction and length.
- Learn it: Stage 1 · MathLesson: Dot products and normals you can see
- See also:
- VertexBasics
- A corner point of a triangle.
- Learn it: Stage 0 · What is graphics?Lesson: Blending and transparency sorting
- Vertex shaderShaders
- Moves each vertex into place.
- Learn it: Stage 4 · ShadersLesson: How a fragment shader spends its time
- VulkanGPU & APIs
- A low-level modern graphics API.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- Warp / WaveGPU & APIs
- A group of threads that run the same instruction together.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- WebGPUGPU & APIs
- Modern graphics in the web browser.
- Learn it: Stage 8 · GPU & APIsLesson: Warps, tiles and fill rate
- Z-fightingPipeline
- Flickering when two surfaces are at almost the same depth.
- Learn it: Stage 2 · PipelineLesson: Blending and transparency sorting