Graphic Styles

Graphics are visual representations of what the computer is processing. Graphics are displayed on a display unit (Monitor, TV, Projector, etc...) by manipulating pixels. Once the display unit has gathered all the pixels it needs (Generally for Computers, either 480,000 or 789,504 pixels), it displays them on the screen, by piecing them together like a puzzle.

There are two methods of displaying graphics on a screen. The first is interlacing, in which every other scanline of the graphics is displayed simultaneously. This saves bandwidth in older video cord standards while keeping an acceptable video quality. However, interlacing can create distortions in the displayed image. The second method is progressive scan. In this method, all the scanlines that make up the image are displayed per frame, allowing for a higher quality image. It also removes the distortions found with interlacing. However, progressive scan requires a high-bandwidth digital connection.

Two-Dimensional Graphics (Sprites)
During the early days of video games, game graphics could only be displayed in 2D. Landscapes, characters, effects, and menus were all created as two-dimensional images known as sprites. Each sprite is a losslessly-encoded image, usually a PNG format image in modern 2D games. Sprites can be manipulated with enough processing power. Each character sprite has frames of animation that have to be individually drawn, much like a traditional cartoon. In this sense, sprite-based video games are an extension of cel-based animation. Most sprites are low-resolution, especially those from older games, but newer sprite-based games, such as Rayman Origins, use high-resolution sprites to achieve an animated-cartoon look that even cel-shading cannot achieve.

Image-Mapping (3D)
Image-Mapping, is a quick and easy way for Video-Game developers to create graphics of any kind. Image-Mapping is achieved from taking a 3D object, and wrapping an image around it. The reason it is called Image-Mapping, and not Image-Wrapping is because you can wrap more then one image around the 3D object. Anytime there is more then one image, or when the image has properties pertaining to a specific portion of the image; it is called Mapping.

Image-Mapping is a quick and easy way for Video-Game developers to create graphics of any kind. Allowing the developer to use minimal effort to create some of the most appealing games (visually) easy.

This has no positive, or negative effect in regards to Reflection-Mapping.

However the problems with Image-Mapping occur when the object changes. Whether it is the rotating, stretching, or shrinking of any portion of the object; because this will distort the image.

Cel-Shading
Cel-shading is an alternative lighting methods used to simulate an animated cartoon, or in the case of Skyward Sword, a painting. Cel-shading was first used for pre-rendered computer animations in the 1980s. Animation companies like Disney switched from traditional hand animation to 3D-based cel-shading rendering engines for cartoons in the 1990s. The first use of cel-shading in video games was Jet Set Radio for the Sega Dreamcast. Cel-shading is more intensive than realistic shading methods, as it requires more calculations to be able to render the cartoon-like graphics correctly. This is because cel-shading achieves a flat look, and the graphics engine has to calculate how a surface is lit from different angles so that it looks flat. Cel-shading is merely a different type of lighting, and uses the same type of assets as ordinary games. Textures are usually simple to achieve a cartoon-like look.

Graphic Manipulation
Graphic Manipulation are visual programming schemes set up to create a better visual presentation. Two major types are Tone-Mapping, and Reflection-Mapping. Tone-Mapping creates the exact same image on different kinds of screens. Reflection-Mapping, allows for reflections in video-games.

Bloom
Bloom is a lighting effect that simulates the high intensity of light coming directly from the Sun that was reflected off of a reflective surface. Twilight Princess uses this effect to a great degree, and is a source of dislike for the game.

Tone-Mapping
Tone Mapping is the manipulation of the final image, so that it can be displayed a certain way on every display unit. LCD Screens are brighter then plasma screens, so if you have the console set to LCD Screen mode, then the graphics processing unit will darken the visuals. Tone-Mapping is to ensure that the same visuals can be displayed on many different displays, and will still have the same output result. Tone-Mapping is also used to apply color filters, like the grayscale filter found in The Wind Waker. This game uses selective tone-mapping (only 3D objects are affected, Link and related models are exempt).

Reflection-Mapping
Reflection is the appearance of an image from one surface onto another. However computers cannot accurately configure to the laws of physics, at least in real-time. This means that if a developer wants to have reflections in a computer animation, he can do one of two things. He can Image-Map (see above for more details), or he can Reflection-Map.

Image-Mapping (Reflection)
If he chooses to Image-Map, he will be doing the same process depicted above, but will be adding a property to certain portions of an image. The property will be what angle the center of the portion of the image will be displayed at. The developer needs at least 3 portions of an image to have this property, so that the computer can figure out the rest.

This (if used) is generally used for mirrors, which will always be viewed from certain angles. In fact mirrors if they do not move, and you do not grow or shrink, would only need 2 portions of an image to have the angles associated, because there is only a change on the X-axis, or horizontal plane.

This method of Reflection-Mapping is a quick and easy way to make reflections, but has some disastrous limitations. This method creates a static image, one that cannot change. So if Link was to be displayed in the mirror, for it to be accurate the developer would have to limit the item Link is holding, so that the reflection is a true representation of Link. Additionally, if the reflective surface can be viewed from more then one angle, you could possibly get an upside down image. Or a reversal of angles, leading to the wrong reflection being displayed.

The developer can however get around these limitations, if Link were to change Tunics while viewing a reflective surface, not only would the object of Link change, but the object of the reflective surface would change. This leads to another negative-factor because for all the different versions of Link we can find in a game, there would have to be an equivalent amount of each reflective surface. This can lead to a developer running out of room on the storage unit they choose to store the game on (ex. DVDs).

Reflection-Mapping (Method)
Reflection-Mapping (the actual method, not category of graphical mapping) is a longer method, which involves a lot of math. Reflection-Mapping is the configuration of rough calculations to configure Laws of Physics, in a video-game. This method uses a lot of trigonometry. It uses Tangent to configure what the reflective surface will display. Tangent measures the height of the object (Link), the distance (Link to mirror), and the angle you are viewing at (camera angle). This method allows for an actual reflection of an object as is, without a lot of work.

This works just like how you would calculate angles of reflection in real life. However this only works on flat surfaces. In other words MIRRORS ONLY, WATER FORBIDDEN. And secondly, this causes the GPU to do a lot of math, for every single object that the system is currently rendering.

To counter-act the math, and thus the loading screens, the developer would use a combination of Image-Mapping (Reflection-Mapping version), and Reflection-Mapping. He would use Image-Mapping for the landscape, and the non-changing objects; and then use Reflection-Mapping for the changing, or moving objects. However the developer cannot just associate the Reflection-Map to any surface, he needs to create a flat surface for every single reflective object. Mirrors are no problem; they are the flat surface, however water (ex. Lake Hylia) would prove a very difficult surface to Reflection-Map on, because of the waves and moving water. To be able to use Reflection-Mapping on any surface, a developer would put a flat surface just under the surface. Then build the object around it. However something like Lake Hylia would just be a transparent object over a flat reflection. To distort the reflection like water would, the developer would have to create wave tops. The white portion of a wave, and just layer those on top of the Reflection. This would create the illusion of a wavy surface on a reflective surface.

Reflection-Mapping (category), like stated above cannot actually follow the Laws of Physics. Even though in the method Reflection-Mapping, you can get rough calculations; these do not factor in curved surfaces. A curved surface in real life is really just another flat surface that is positioned at a different angle then the portion of the surface adjacent to it. This means that the angle of incidence will change for every single change in degrees relevant to the flat surface. Meaning the computer processing this would need to do a lot more math, leading to loading screens, and/or lag. For the Laws of Physics to be calculated in real time, it would require a real-time raytracing engine and hardware thousands of times more powerful than even a mainstream supercomputer.

Bump Mapping
Bump mapping is a graphical effect used to create realistic lighting effects that simulate a complex surface on a simple one. This technique is used to save CPU power. This effect was only used in The Wind Waker for textured metallic objects such as Medli's harp and in Skyward Sword for the Goddess Cubes and their accompanying chests.

TEV Pipeline
The TEV pipeline is a feature of the Nintendo GameCube and the Wii that can apply special effects to the final rendered graphics of a game. This feature was most prominently used in Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader for spacecraft targeting computers. The TEV pipeline may also have been used for the Wolf Sense mode in Twilight Princess.

Lens Flare
Lens flare in video games is the simulation of the internal reflections of a camera lens, to increase realism. It first debuted in Ocarina of Time. Lens flare is usually colored, and also accompanies "digital camera light compensation" effects.

Digital Camera Light Compensation
Digital camera light compensation is an effect in video games that simulates the darkening of an image when a digital camera is pointed into a bright light source. It is a rather rare effect, as most developers choose not to use this effect to portray the video game's camera as the eyes of a person, rather than an artificial image sensor. The distinction between digital camera light compensation and imitation of the human eye can be seen in The Wind Waker. In the game, when the sun is directly facing the camera in the normal camera mode, the image darkens according to digital camera light compensation. In first-person view mode, where the player is looking through Link's eyes, digital camera light compensation does not appear, because the camera is imitating the human eye.

Depth-of-Field Blur
Depth-of-field blur is the imitation of an out-of-focus camera. It was first used in the Zelda series in The Wind Waker, where it also served as a smoothing filter. Depth-of-field blur usually occurs only in the distance, but in rare circumstances, objects in the foreground may be blurred.

Motion Blur
Motion blur is the simulation of blurring caused by fast-moving objects captured by a camera. This effect was used to a great extent in Majora's Mask, despite the Nintendo 64's limited capabilities.