Untitled Essay, Research Paper

Introduction

Peoples are populating in a 3-dimensional infinite. They know what is up, down, left, right,

near and far. They know when something is acquiring closer or traveling off. However, the

traditional personal computing machines can merely do usage of two dimensional infinite due to

comparatively low engineering degree of the picture card in the yesteryear. As the new engineering has

been introduced to the picture card industry in recent old ages, the picture card can now render

3D artworks. Most of the Personal computer computing machine games presents are in three dimensions. In add-on,

some web sites besides apply the usage of three dimensional infinite. This means that they are no

longer a level home page, but alternatively a practical universe. With that added dimension, they all

look more realistic and attractive. Nevertheless, 3D do non be in most of the concern

plans today, but it can be forecasted that it is non far off.

Many new sorts of picture cards have been introduced to the market late. In the yesteryear,

the picture card could merely present two dimensional artworks which were merely in low

declaration. However, there has now emerged as a consequence of high declaration three

dimensional artworks engineering. This paper will discourse why the picture card presents can

procedure high declaration three dimensional artworks, but why the picture card in the yesteryear

could merely treat low declaration two dimensional artworks. The account will be based

on some late developed picture cards such like Matrox Millenium. This paper will besides

discourse how the 3D in writing shows on a 2D proctor. Last, the picture card, Matrox

Millennium, will besides be discussed.

Basic rules In order to understand the recent development of the picture card,

allow & # 8217 ; s take a expression on how a picture card works.

The picture card is a circuit, which is responsible for treating the

particular picture informations from the cardinal processing unit ( CPU ) into a format that the ocular

show unit ( VDU ) or proctor can understand, to organize a image on the screen. The Video

Chipset, the Video Memory ( Video RAM ) and the Digital Analog Converter ( RAM DAC ) are

the major parts of a picture card.

After the particular picture informations leaves the CPU, it has to go through through

four major stairss inside the picture card before it reaches the VDU eventually. First, the

particular picture informations will reassign from the CPU to the Video Chipset, which is the portion

responsible for treating the particular picture informations, through the coach. Second, the informations

will reassign from the Video Chipset to the Video Memory which shops the image displayed

on a electronic image show. Then, the informations will reassign to the RAM DAC which is responsible for

reading the image and change overing the image from digital informations to analog informations. It should be

noted that every information transportation inside the computing machine system is digital. Last, the parallel

informations will reassign from the RAM DAC to the VDU through a overseas telegram connected between them

outside the computing machine system.

The public presentation of a picture card is chiefly dependent upon its velocity, the sum and quality

of the Video Memory, the Video Chipset and the RAM DAC.

The faster the velocity, the higher the image quality and declaration the picture card can

deliver. This is due to the fact that the image on the VDU has to alter continuously,

and this alteration must be made as fast as possible in order to expose a high quality and

realistic image. In the procedure of reassigning informations from the CPU to the Video Chipset,

the velocity is chiefly dependent upon the type and velocity of the coach, the mainboard and its

chipset.

The sum of the Video Memory is besides responsible for the colour and screen declaration.

The higher the sum of the Video Memory, the higher the colour depth the picture card can

render. On the other manus, the type of the Video RAM is an another factor that affects the

velocity of the picture card.

The Video Chipset is the encephalon of a picture card. It similar to the CPU in the motherboard.

However, unlike the CPU which can be fitted with different motherboards, certain Video

Chipsets can merely be fitted with certain picture cards. The Video Chipset is responsible for

treating the particular picture informations received from the CPU. Therefore, it determines all the

public presentation facets of the picture card.

The RAM DAC is the portion responsible for the refresh rates of the proctor. The quality of

the RAM DAC and its maximal pixel frequence, which is measured in MHz, are the factors

impacting the refresh rates. In fact, a 220 MHz RAM DAC is non needfully but most likely

better than a 135 MHz one.Recent developments

Traditionally, the personal computing machine can merely present two dimensional images. However,

as people want to increase their life criterions, they want the image on their personal

computing machine be more realistic and attractive. Therefore, the show of three dimensional images

in the personal computing machine is being developed. The rendition of the 3D image requires the

computing machine to update the screen of the VDU at least 15 times per second as the one navigate

through it, and each of the objects have to travel through the transmutation in depth infinite

which is known as the z-axis, and is on the co-ordinate of the x-y plane. However, the

picture card in the yesteryear was non “ powerful ” plenty to render the three dimensional

artworks. The debut of some new sort of picture cards in recent old ages has solved this

job, and are able to render 3D artworks now.

In the yesteryear, the picture card could merely present two dimensional artworks because the

engineering at that clip limited what they can make. One of the jobs is that the velocity of

the transportation of informations from the CPU to the Video Chipset was comparatively low, but it is

really non the job associated with the picture card. It is associated with the type of

the CPU, the coach and the motherboard in the computing machine system. On the other manus, the

biggest job is really the quality of Video RAM. The Video RAM is the portion in a picture

card which is situated between two really busy devices, the Video Chipset and the RAM DAC ;

and the Video RAM has to function both of them all the clip. Whenever the screen has to

alteration, the Video Chipset has to alter the content in the Video Memory. On the other

manus, the RAM DAC has to read the informations from the Video Memory continuously. This means that

when the Video Memory is reading the information from the Video Chipset, the RAM DAC has to wait

aside. Whenever the picture card has to render three dimensional artworks, the screen has to

alteration at least 15 times per second which means that more informations has to be transferred from

the Video Chipset to the Video Memory, and the information has to be read faster by the RAM DAC.

However, the picture card, or referred to as the Video Memory, at that clip did non hold

such engineering to accomplish this sort of procedure. Therefore, the picture card in the yesteryear was non

able to present three dimensional artworks.

In recent old ages, the picture card maker has developed some high

engineering to work out the job of the hapless Video Memory. They have found three different

ways to cover with this job which involves utilizing a higher quality of Video Memory,

increasing the picture memory coach size, and increasing the clock velocity of the picture card.1 ) Dual ported Video RAM

The major measure is to do the Video RAM double ported. This means that

when informations is transferred from the Video Chipset to the Video Memory via one port, the RAM

DAC can read the informations from the Video Memory through an independent 2nd port. Therefore,

these two procedures can happen at the same clip. Both the Video Chipset and the RAM DAC

need non wait for each other any longer. This sort of RAM is called VRAM. Of class, the

engineering applied is non merely duplicate the port in the RAM ; it is really really

complicated. Therefore, VRAM is more expensive than the normal one.

The innovation of the VRAM can offer a higher refresh rate and higher colour deepness of the

graphic on the proctor. The high refresh rate means that the RAM DAC will direct a complete

image to the proctor more often. Therefore, the RAM DAC has to read the informations from

the Video Memory more frequently. However, when the picture card in the yesteryear, which without the

VRAM, wants to accomplish this high refresh rate, it has to take down the picture public presentation as

the Video Memory can non afford this sort of heavy work burden. As to keep the high

refr

esh rate and high picture public presentation at the same clip, the VRAM has to be used since

this sort of RAM can function the Video Chipset and the RAM DAC at the same clip. Therefore, the

picture card need non cut down the picture public presentation when a higher refresh rate occurs. On the

other manus, to file away the high colour deepness, the Video Memory has to read more informations from

the Video Chipset per clip, and therefore more informations will be sent to the RAM DAC. This procedure

will certainly take a longer clip. At an 8 spot colour declaration ( 256 colour ) , a 1024? 768

screen needs 786432 bytes of informations to be read by RAM DAC from the Video Memory. For the

same screen, a 24 spot colour declaration ( 16777216 colour ) needs 2359296 bytes of informations to be

read by the RAM DAC. For similar grounds, if the picture card in the past wants to file away

this sort of high colour deepness, it has to take down the refresh rate. This job can besides be

solved by the usage of the VRAM. In short, the new picture card with VRAM can supply a high

refresh rate and high colour deepness at the same clip. Therefore, the render of three dimensional

artworks is possible now.

The WRAM is used in the Martox card alternatively of the VRAM. The WRAM is

developed by the Martox company. It is such like the VRAM which is double ported. However,

the WRAM is designed smarter than the VRAM, so it is faster. Ironically, the WRAM is even

cheaper than the VRAM.

Last, there are many different types of the Video RAM such as DRAM

( Dynamic RAM ) , EDO DRAM ( Extended Data Out DRAM ) , SDRAM ( Synchronous DRAM ) , SGRAM

( Synchronous Graphics RAM ) , MDRAM ( Multibank DRAM ) , and RDRAM ( RAMBUS DRAM ) . Unlike the

VRAM and WRAM, they are all individual ported and so are slower. The DRAM is the slowest 1

amongst all of them.

2 ) Increase picture memory coach size

Three old ages ago, the release of the 32 spot video card amazed people all over the universe.

However, the 64 spot video card is being introduced presents, which has a 64 spot picture

memory coach inside it. In add-on, the 128 spot video card is besides available. The picture

memory coach is a way which links the Video Chipset, the Video RAM and the RAM DAC

together. With the 64 spot video memory coach, 8 bytes of informations can be transferred in one

clock rhythm while 4 bytes informations with 32 spot video memory coach. Therefore, the sum of informations

transportation is doubled with the usage of the 64 spot video card. It is of import to detect that

a 1 MB Video RAM normally has merely a 32 spot informations coach. Therefore, a 64 spot video card should

ever work with at least 2MB Video RAM ; otherwise, this 64 spot video card will non be

able to utilize its 64 spot informations way. All in all, with the usage of a 64 spot video card, more

informations can be transferred at one clip. Therefore, it really can shorten the clip to reassign

informations from the Video Chipset to the Video RAM or from the Video RAM to the RAM DAC. This

agencies that a higher colour declaration graphic can be rendered.

3 ) Increase the clock velocity

The 3rd one is the most obvious one which merely increases the clock

velocity of the Video Chipset and the Video RAM. Of class, the engineering to increase the

clock velocity is really complicated. The fastest Video Chipset so far is the ET 6000 chipset

which can run at 100 MHz, while the fastest video memory is SDRAM which can run at clock

velocity up to 125 MHz. The SDRAM is a particular in writing version of SDRAM ( synchronal DRAM ) .

It is non merely the occupation of the picture card to file away high declaration

three dimensional artworks. The picture card has to work with a good computing machine system. To

remember the velocity of the transportation of the information from the CPU to the Video Chipset is chiefly

dependent upon the coach type, the mainboard and its chipset. Therefore, a good computing machine system

to execute good artworks should hold a PCI coach which runs at 33MHz with Pentium processor,

a Pentium processor with MMX engineering, and a good mainboard such as Intel 430 HX chipset

which will impact the PCI performance.3D artworks on 2D proctor

Although the video card can render 3D artworks now, the proctor that

the in writing shows on is still level two dimensions. Therefore, the three dimensional graphic

has to be mapped to the 2D screen. This is done utilizing perspective algorithms. This means

that if an object is further off, it will look smaller ; if it is closer, it will look

larger.

To expose 3D lifes, an object is foremost presented as a set of

vertices in a three dimensional co-ordinates which is x, Y, omega axes. The vertices of the

object is so stored in the Video RAM. Afterwards, the object has to be rendered.

Rendering is a procedure, which referred to cipher the different colour and place

information, which will do the user believe that there is a 3D graphic on a level 2D

screen. To do the computation more expeditiously, the vertices of the object are segmented

into trigons. Rendering besides fills in all of the points on the surface of the object

which were merely saved as a set of vertices antecedently. In this manner, an object with 3D

consequence is able to expose on a level 2D monitor.A new picture card & # 8211 ; Matrox Millennium

Last, allow & # 8217 ; s discourse some new characteristics of a new picture card & # 8211 ; Matrox Millennium.

Matrox Millennium is a 64-bit picture card. It can be work with 2MB or 4MB or even 8MB picture

RAM. The picture RAM are the Matrox company authorized WRAM. It besides has a powerful 220 Megahertz

RAMDAC. Actually, it is the fastest picture card available in the market now. However,

harmonizing to its utmost high velocity, the artworks quality is comparatively lower when

compared to other picture cards.The followers is a sum-up of the new 3D characteristics of the Matrox Millennium: Texture function:

This applies bitmapped texture images which are stored in memory to objects in the screen

so as to add pragmatism.

Bilinear and trilinear filtering:

They smooth textures in a scene to decrease the blockish consequence. With MIP ( multim in parvum )

function, an application provides different declarations of an object as they move closer or

farther in the screen.

Perspective rectification:

This rotates the texture bitmaps to give a better sense of convergence. Therefore, when the

picture card renders a uninterrupted traveling object such as a hayfield, it is able to keep a

realistic expression as it recedes from the spectator.

Anti & # 8211 ; aliasing:

This diminishes the “ stair measure ” consequence since the computing machine generated image has a

finite distinct declaration.

Alpha blending:

This allows one object to demo through another to make a transparent

expression.

Atmospheric effects:

This normally make usage of the alpha blending. The effects are like fog and illuming cues.

Flat shading:

This is a technique where an whole trigon is a individual colour. Therefore, this can make a

blockish consequence.

Gouraud shading:

This is a more progress method than the level shading. It improves the overall visual aspect of

the artworks and allows curves to be more unit of ammunition.

Z-buffering:

This techniques is one of the most of import characteristics to render 3D artworks. This controls

how objects overlay one another in the 3rd dimension. It is peculiarly of import when

filled polygons are included in the drawing. With Z buffering off, objects are drawn in

the order in which they are transmitted to the show. With Z buffering on, objects are

drawn from the dorsum to the forepart. Matrox Millennium can besides playback a film with the usage of Traveling

Picture Experts Group ( MPEG ) . With this engineering, the picture card can compact the film

informations into a particular format. With the Chroma-key characteristic, the picture card besides supports for

“ blue-screen ” picture effects, so that two unrelated shows can easy be pasted

together. Furthermore, if the picture card has the Image grading characteristic, it can map a picture

onto any window or screen size desired.

ReferencesMagazine

? PC Magazine & # 8211 ; December 3, 1996, Vol. 15, NO. 21Internet

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