Introduction

More 3D for everyone

Back for some more 3D goodness? Welcome to the third part of our Firingsquad 3D guide. Let's see, we've already covered the Basics and Colors and you guys are probably sick of Filtering and Lighting. So, what's left? How about explaining more of those features manufacturers like to talk about? You know, triangle setup engines, memory, and bump mapping… all that good stuff.

There's so much to know about 3D technology that it's almost impossible to keep up with what's happening in the industry. If you think today's (or even tomorrow's) video cards are state of the art, just check out what high end workstations and graphics servers are doing today. While they may not be optimized for high real-time texture throughput, the technology they possess (which in part puts their cost into the 4-5 digit range) is a good indication of what we're going to be seeing in the near future.

And without further ado, let's get started on more of what you want to know about 3D technology!