“The A -buffer, an antialiased hidden surface method” by Carpenter
Conference:
Type(s):
Title:
- The A -buffer, an antialiased hidden surface method
Presenter(s)/Author(s):
Abstract:
The A-buffer (anti-aliased, area-averaged, accumulation buffer) is a general hidden surface mechanism suited to medium scale virtual memory computers. It resolves visibility among an arbitrary collection of opaque, transparent, and intersecting objects. Using an easy to compute Fourier window (box filter), it increases the effective image resolution many times over the Z-buffer, with a moderate increase in cost. The A-buffer is incorporated into the REYES 3-D rendering system at Lucasfilm and was used successfully in the “Genesis Demo” sequence in Star Trek II.
References:
1. CARPENTER, L., “A New Hidden Surface Algorithm,” Proceedings of NW76, ACM, Seattle, WA, 1976.
2. CATMULL, E., A Subdivision Algorithm for Computer Display of Curved Surfaces, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, December 1974.
3. CATMULL, E., “A Hidden-Surface Algorithm with Anti-Aliasing,” Computer Graphics, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 6-11, ACM, 1978.
4. FIUME, E., A. FOURNIER, AND L. RUDOLPH, “A Parallel Scan Conversion Algorithm with Anti-Aliasing for a General-Purpose Ultracomputer,” Computer Graphics, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 141-150, ACM, July 1983.
5. LANE, J. M., L. C. CARPENTER, T. WHITTED, AND J. BLINN, “Scan-line methods for displaying parametrically defined surfaces,” Communications of the ACM, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 23-34, ACM, Jan. 1980.
6. PORTER, T. AND T. DUFF, “Compositing Digital Images,” Computer Graphics, vol. 18, no. 3, ACM, 1984.
7. SUTHERLAND, I. E., R. F. SPROULL, AND R. A. SCHUMACKER, “A characterization of ten hidden-surface algorithms,” Computing Surveys, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 1-55, ACM, March 1974.
8. WEILER, K. AND P. ATHERTON, “Hidden Surface Removal Using Polygon Area Sorting,” Computer Graphics, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 214-222, ACM, 1977.