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A vertex (plural vertices) in
A vertex (plural vertices) in computer graphics
Computer graphics deals with generating images and art with the aid of computers. Computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, digital art, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. ...
is a data structure that describes certain attributes, like the position of a point in 2D or 3D space
Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...
, or multiple points on a surface.
Application to 3D models
3D models are most often represented as triangulated polyhedra forming a triangle mesh. Non-triangular surfaces can be converted to an array of triangles through tessellation. Attributes from the vertices are typically interpolated across mesh surfaces.Vertex attributes
The vertices of triangles are associated not only with spatial position but also with other values used to render the object correctly. Most attributes of a vertex represent vectors in the space to be rendered. These vectors are typically 1 (''x''), 2 (''x, y''), or 3 (''x, y, z'') dimensional and can include a fourth homogeneous coordinate (''w''). These values are given meaning by amaterial
A material is a matter, substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an Physical object, object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical property, physical ...
description. In real-time rendering these properties are used by a vertex shader or vertex pipeline.
Such attributes can include:
See also
For how vertices are processed on 3D graphics cards, see shader.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vertex computer graphics Computer graphics