Revision as of 17:04, 26 June 2013

Billboard

Billboard is a term commonly used in games to describe a polygon with a texture using transparency, that rotates on various axes to always face the viewer.

Billboards are commonly used for particles, far away, grass, clouds,, etc. This is a common device to get more detail in objects without using a lot of polygons. However, they are flat and may look strange when you move around them.

Billboards can be set up to rotate on only one axis or on combinations of axes. For example, a tree might be set to rotate only on its vertical axis, so it always appears grounded. However a puff of smoke usually looks better if it always stays upright and flat to the view.

One cool trick is to use a curved billboard, which helps give more depth to a single-axis billboard, because like a tree billboard, you can look down on it, so the extra depth helps get rid of that flat look.

Also called Sprite, Imposter, Flag, Kite, Stamp.

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 = Billboard =
-A texture that always maintains its alignment to the [[Viewer<sup>1</sup>|viewer]], and often is scaled up and down to place it in the 3d scene. This is a common device to get more detail in objects without using a lot of polygons. However, they are flat and look strange when you move around them. They can be set up to rotate on only one axis or on combinations of the [[RotationalAxis|three rotational axes]], for different alignment effects. For example, if you want to do a tree, rotate only on the verticle axis. If you want to have an object always stay plastered upright on the screen, have it use all three axes. Billboards are [[Transforms|transformed]] in world space and aligned to the viewer, whereas [[Sprites|sprites]] usually stay flat to the viewer, like interface graphics. A cool trick is to use a curved billboard, which helps give more depth to a single-axis billboard, because like a tree billboard, you can look down on it, so the extra depth helps get rid of that flat look. Also called Sprite, Imposter, Flag, Kite, Stamp.
+Billboard is a term commonly used in games to describe a polygon with a texture using [[TransparencyMap|transparency]], that rotates on various axes to always face the viewer.
+Billboards are commonly used for particles, far away [[Category:EnvironmentFoliage|trees]], [[GrassTechnique|grass]], clouds, [[Category:UserInterface|UI elements]], etc. This is a common device to get more detail in objects without using a lot of polygons. However, they are flat and may look strange when you move around them.
+Billboards can be set up to rotate on only one [[RotationalAxis|axis]] or on combinations of axes. For example, a tree might be set to rotate only on its vertical axis, so it always appears grounded. However a puff of smoke usually looks better if it always stays upright and flat to the view.
+One cool trick is to use a curved billboard, which helps give more depth to a single-axis billboard, because like a tree billboard, you can look down on it, so the extra depth helps get rid of that flat look.
+Also called [[Sprite]], Imposter, Flag, Kite, Stamp.
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 [[Category:Glossary]]

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Revision as of 17:04, 26 June 2013

Billboard

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