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Comparison game screenshots and movies: 3IVX Codec
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Game Title: Resolution - Average Frames Per Second (FPS)
:Transparency in relation to 3D graphics is the effect which allows graphics or 3D objects to be overlaid while still allowing what is behind them to remain visible. This effect is most often used for special effects such as smoke or explosions that still allow the scene behind them to be seen. According to various sources, the ability to overlay transparent effects and objects is a crucial effect for 3D game design.
3D Transparency is effectively the same thing as Transparency in general. The distinction comes from whether or not the object being made translucent is a polygonal 3D object or whether it is a 2D object. 3D Transparency is much more rare than any other form of transparent overlay.
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Dithered transparency is used for the same purpose as transparency in general. The effect was popular in early 3D arcade hardware such as the Model 1 and Model 2 arcade boards by Sega, and in a large number of Sega Saturn software. The effect works by taking advantage of the standard blurring effect of standard Composite AV cables. Essentially, an overlaid graphic or object would be interspersed by opaque and completely transparent pixels and the video output would blur them together to create a similar effect as "true" transparency. This approach is considered inferior to true transparency because it takes no hardware prowess to perform and because it creates a moire effect on the overlaid image.
:Full screen dithering is a common workaround, in both 2D and 3D games, on the PS1 that is used to compensate for its relatively limited Video RAM. The sheer number of games which employ full screen dithering on the PS1 testify to its usefulness for developers of PS1 games. The effect saves RAM by leaving every fourth or fifth pixel a neutral color. Full screen dithering is obscured on screen in exactly the same way that dithered transparency is hidden by standard Composite AV cables.
:Full scene lighting is the effect whereby all objects in a given 3D scene are affected by a light source in some way. This effect may be employed by a simple contrasting color that moves dynamically around a scene or a stationary "light" which can be turned on and off. Regardless of what the effect is attempting to achieve, it is considered very hardware intensive. Few games employ full scene lighting as a result.
:Object lighting is a much more commonly used effect than full scene lighting. This effect is typically applied only to objects of consequence, such as the player's vehicle or character. What differentiates this effect from full scene lighting is that while some objects on screen may appear to be affected by a light source, the rest of the scene is not.
:256 color textures are used in relatively few 32-bit (and even many PS2) games due to the sheer amount of video memory they take up. As such, application of higher color textures should be considered relatively hardware intensive.
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16 color textures are much more common in early 3D titles. These lower color textures are easily identified by their pixilated "blockiness" as the texture approaches the player's view. Some 8-bit textures may also appear excessively blocky up close, if the texture is a particularly low resolution. The difference between a low resolution 8-bit texture and a typical 4-bit texture is in how many different colors, and color gradients are visible. A 16 color texture will typically only have two to three distinct colors in them, while a 256 color texture should have more than four with too many gradients to make it possible to count.
