Optimal Depth Buffer for Low-Cost Graphics Hardware

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dc.contributor.authorLapidous, Eugeneen_US
dc.contributor.authorJiao, Guofangen_US
dc.contributor.editorA. Kaufmann and W. Strasser and S. Molnar and B.- O. Schneideren_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-02-06T15:04:37Z
dc.date.available2014-02-06T15:04:37Z
dc.date.issued1999en_US
dc.description.abstract3D applications using hardware depth buffers for visibility testing are confronted with multiple choices of buffer types, sizes and formats. Some of the options are not exposed through 3D API or may be used by the driver without application s knowledge. As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult to select depth buffer optimal for desired balance between performance and precision. In this paper we provide comparative evaluation of depth precision for main depth buffer types with different size and format combinations. Results indicate that integer storage is preferred for some buffer types, while others achieve maximal depth resolution with floating-point format optimized for known scene parameters. We propose to give 3D applications full control of the depth buffer optimization by supporting multiple storage formats with the same buffer size and exposing them in 3D API. In the search for a unified depth buffer solution, we describe new type of the depth buffer and compare it with other options. Complementary floating-point Z buffer is a combination of a reversed-direction Z buffer and an optimal floating-point storage format. Non-linear mapping and storage format compensate each other s effect on the depth precision; as a result, depth errors become significantly less dependent on the eye-space distance, improving depth resolution by the orders of magnitude in comparison with standard Z buffer. Results show that complementary Z buffer is also superior to inverse W buffer at any storage size. At 16 and 24 bits/pixel, average depth errors of complementary Z buffer remain 2 times larger than for true W buffer utilizing expensive high-precision per-pixel division. However, it provides absolutely best precision at 32 bits/pixel, when errors are limited by floating-point per-vertex input. Results suggest that complementary floating-point Z buffer can be considered as a candidate for replacement of both screen Z and inverse W buffers, at the same time making hardware investment in the true W buffer support less attractive.en_US
dc.description.seriesinformationSIGGRAPH/Eurographics Workshop on Graphics Hardwareen_US
dc.identifier.isbn1-58113-170-4en_US
dc.identifier.issn1727-3471en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.2312/EGGH/EGGH99/067-074en_US
dc.publisherThe Eurographics Associationen_US
dc.subject1.3.1 [Computer Graphics]en_US
dc.subjectHardware Architectureen_US
dc.subjectraster display devicesen_US
dc.subject1.3.3 [Computer Graphics] Picture/Image Generationen_US
dc.subjectdisplay algorithmsen_US
dc.subject1.3.7 [Computer Graphics]en_US
dc.subjectThree Dimensional Graphics and Realismen_US
dc.subjectvisible surface algorithms.en_US
dc.titleOptimal Depth Buffer for Low-Cost Graphics Hardwareen_US
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EGGH99: SIGGRAPH/Eurographics Workshop on Graphics Hardware 1999