Rasterisation

The representation of objects in the early stages of the computer graphics pipeline is based on the principles of vector graphics. This allows objects and scenes of objects to be transformed efficiently and without loss of detail. However, for display on common output devices, it is necessary to convert this vector-based representation into a raster graphic. This conversion process is referred to as rasterisation. This chapter compares the advantages and disadvantages of these representation types and presents algorithms for rasterisation. Furthermore, it explains the basic problems and important approaches to solving them that arise with rasterisation. When converting a vector graphic into a raster graphic, undesirable disturbances usually occur. These disturbances are called aliasing effects, which can be reduced by antialiasing methods. This chapter contains a detailed section on this topic. In particular, it shows which antialiasing methods are used in OpenGL.