
<<KATANA Glossary>> 3/27/98

== CG ==

* flat shading
A display method that uses a constant brightness within a polygon.

* mipmap
A technique in which texture graphics are changed according to the size of the image on the screen.
When a texture is enlarged or reduced, the quality of the image may suffer due to the appearance of moire or block patterns.  In order to minimize this problem, different texture graphics for different reduced or enlarged sizes are prepared ahead of time.  In KATANA (when using the Ninja library), mipmapping is used with square textures for the following combinations: 
Vertical - 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024 pixels
Horizontal - 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024 pixels

* environment mapping
A technique for mapping a model's surrounding environment onto rendered surfaces.  This technique produces a realistic effect.

* alpha channel
Monochrome 8-bit color information.  Translucent polygons and graphics composites become possible by adding the alpha channel to each 8 bits of normal RGB color information.

* fog
A type of CG effect that produces a fog-like effect.  A color can be assigned to the fog itself.

* alpha blending
The process of producing a translucent effect by blending polygons.
When using "tga"-format textures, alpha values can be stored as part of the standard data.
When using "bmp"-format textures, a translucent effect can be created by using two "bmp" textures.

* texture mapping
The process of applying graphics to a polygon.  In KATANA, texture mapping is used by the CG tools.

* bump mapping
A technique for showing a rough surface on a polygon.
Examples of uses: Golf balls, oranges

* inverse cinematics
The process of placing two or more models in a hierarchical structure.  This technique automatically moves all of the intermediate portions of the hierarchical structure when just the leading element is moved.

* particles
A grouping of small polygons.  Rain, smoke, fountains, flames, etc., are represented through the use of particles.

* tri-linear filtering  
A technique for applying bi-linear filtering to mipmap textures.  This technique reduces the appearance of seams between mipmap textures.

* YUV
One method for representing colors.   This method expresses colors through luminance information (Y), color displacement from red (U, or Cr), and color displacement from blue (V, or Cb).

* VQ texture compression
One method for compressing textures.  This is an irreversible compression method that uses vector quantization.  VQ stands for "Vector Quantization."

* bi-linear filtering
A method that extracts the four adjacent textures that are closest to the target point and uses them to interpolate the pixel value that is to be output.  This method reduces the moire, block noise and dot patterns that appear when an image is expanded or reduced.

* Gouraud shading
A technique for producing smooth gradations in coloring by referencing the vertex information.  While shading uses linear interpolation of the normal line information for vertices, Gouraud shading uses linear interpolation of the color information for vertices.  This technique is also called "color interpolation shading."


* CMYK
One method for representing colors.  CMYK stands for "Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black."  This method is frequently used in printers and other printing systems.

* texel
The basic element of a texture.  Normally, a texel refers to a point the size of 1 x 1 pixel.

* spline
A free curve.  A spline smoothly connects points (called "control points") that can be designated freely.  A curved line that always passes through the control points is called a "natural spline."  Other types of splines that pass in the vicinity of the control points are "B splines" and "Bezier curves."

* modifier volume
A volume that defines an area in which substitutions are made for the texture mapping and shading.  Modifier volumes are used to control polygon data (including textures, colors, etc.) that the user has projected.

* specular
Diffuse reflected light; highlights. 
One type of CG effect.  By representing reflected light, it is possible to create a more realistic feel and to produce a glossy appearance.  This is an extended function of Gouraud shading.

* UV
Used to represent vertical and horizontal directions in a texture surface.  U corresponds to the vertical direction, V corresponds to the horizontal direction.  U and V are terms that are used in a technique that simplifies the burdensome computations that are entailed when applying a texture to a polygon by using a three-dimensional coordinate system; the simplification is achieved by hypothesizing the surface coordinate system of a polygon or patch, and then mapping the two-dimensional coordinate system of the original texture image onto the surface coordinate system.  Basically, U and V can be can be thought of as being similar to the X and Y axes in the coordinate system of a polygon or a patch.

* opaque polygon
A polygon that is opaque.

* translucent polygon
A polygon that is translucent.

* moire
A phenomenon in which gradation stripes appear at the boundaries of colors due to insufficient color information.

* Depth cueing
A technique for changing vertex colors according to the position of the vertex coordinates on the Z axis (corresponding to depth).  Generally, this technique is used in order to change the colors of an object according to its position, in order to represent fog, etc.

== File Formats =

* mrs
A model hierarchy information (motion resource0 file that is created by the Ninja converter and NinjaExport.  This is an ASCII file that stores data on the model hierarchy structure, movement, rotation, enlargement, etc.  These "mrs" files are referenced when converting the scene files output by various CG tools into "nam" files.

* pix
A graphics format that can be output by the Alias PowerAnimator.

* tga (targa)
A graphics format proposed by TrueVision.  This format supports 32-bit TrueColor.  In Katana, this format is used for textures by Lightwave3D and by 3D Studio MAX.  This format was propagated when it was used in TrueVision's Targa2000 board.

* bmp
A graphics format that is used when using 3D Studio MAX R2.
Because this format does not support [alpha] values, two "bmp" files are required for translucent polygons in KATANA.

* wire
A file format that is output by the Alia PowerAnimator.  This type of file stores model data, texture data, and motion data.

* mot
A motion format that is output by Lightwave3D.

* max
A file format that is output by 3D Studio MAX R2.  This type of file stores model data, texture data, and motion data.


* hrc
A file that is used to manage shape information for three-dimensional models that is output by Softimage3D (for NT, for SGI).  This type of file includes information  the names of files that are used to manage materials that are set for elements other than model vertices and polygons, the names of files containing the original texture images, and UV information.  Normally, this type of file resides in the MODELS directory of the data base.

* pic
A graphics format that is output by Softimage3D.  Although internally there are three modes (Raw, RunLength, and Mix), currently Mix is the only mode that is usually used.  This format contains each RGBA channel.

* lws
A file format that is output by Lightwave3D.  This format stores "lwo", "tga", and "mot".

* nam
A motion (animation) file that is used by Ninja. This ASCII file stores motion structures.

* lwo
A model (object) format that is output by Lightwave3D.

* pvr
A texture data format that is used in the Ninja library.

* nja
A model file that is used by Ninja.
This ASCII file stores model structures.

* twiddled 
A texture format in which the sequence of the texture pixels has been rearranged so that the information can be quickly loaded from memory.  This format is compatible with mipmapping.

* non-twiddled
A texture format in which the sequence of the pixels is identical to that of the image.  Drawing is slower compared to twiddled format.  This format is not compatible with mipmapping.

* nas
A shape file that is used by Ninja.
This ASCII file stores shape structures.

*nsc
A scene file that is used by Ninja.
This ASCII file consists of path information and "nja", "nam", and "nas" files.

== Hardware ==

* frame buffer
Display memory for graphics

PowerVR
A new 3D graphics architecture proposed by Video Logic.  Its features include:
(1) No Z buffer memory
(2) Small memory bandwidth
(3) Automatic generation of shadows and spotlights

* SH-4
A 64-bit RISC CPU manufactured by Hitachi that is used in KATANA.  The FPU operates with 128 bits.  The SH-4 boasts performance of 360MIPS in Dhrystone Version 1.1, and operates off of a 200MHz clock.  This CPU has a superscalar structure that permits two instructions to be issued simultaneously.

* AICA
Stands for "Advanced Integrated Custom Audio."  This sound chip is provided by Yamaha for KATANA, and utilizes the ARM7 for its CPU.

* interlace
A screen display method that first displays all of the odd-numbered lines, and then all of the even-numbered lines.  Display alternates between the odd-numbered lines and the even-numbered lines once every 1/60th of a second.  (Under the NTSC standard, 1/29.97th of a second.)  In the case of the PAL standard, the rate is 1/25th of a second.

* non-interlace
A screen display method that displays all of the odd-numbered lines and even-numbered lines at the same time.

* flicker
Flickering of the screen during display.
This readily occurs in interlace mode, in which one frame consists of two fields.

* flicker-free
A filter that reduces flicker.  This filter reduces flicker and shaking in the vertical direction on he display (TV) during interlace operation.

* ISP
Stands for "Image Synthesis Processor."  This processor requires no external Z buffer; instead, it performs on-chip depth sorting of triangles.
In addition, this processor handles 32 x 32 tiles, executes processing for one triangle in the number of clocks needed for the lines where the triangle resides, and processes all 1024 pixels within a tile in parallel.

* TSP
Stands for "Texture and Shading Processor."  Within PowerVR2 processing, this processor handles the processing concerning graphics.  The TSP performs texture and shading processing, and draws the graphics in the accumulation buffer.  Once an entire tile has been drawn, the contents of the accumulation buffer are written to external (frame buffer) memory.
The TSP performs perspective interpolation for every element of textures and shading, including U, V, alpha, R, G, B, and fog.

* NTSC
Stands for "National Television System Committee."  This is a video transmission standard that is used primarily in Japan, North America, South Korea, and Taiwan.  In this system, 525 scan lines and 30 video pages (more precisely, 29.97 pages) are sent each second.  Compared to PAL, this method offers inferior color reproduction after transmission.

* PAL
Stands for "Phase Alternating by Line."   This is a TV video transmission standard that is used primarily in the UK and Germany.  In this system, 625 scan lines and 25 video pages are sent each second.

== OS ==

* Drgon OS
The OS for KATANA; provided by Microsoft Corporation.  This operating system is based on Windows CE2.  The kernel consists of components.  The user can customize the components.  If all components are incorporated into the kernel, the OS occupies approximately 1.2MB of memory.

== Peripheral ==

* VMS (tentative name)
Stands for "Visual Memory System."  This is a memory card on which the LCD is installed.  The storage capacity of this memory is 128K.

* Standard controller
This is the controller that is included as standard with the main unit.  This controller includes the following controls:
(1)	Digital four-direction key x 1
(2)	Analog direction key (x-y) x 1
(3)	Digital buttons (A, B, X, Y, START) - total: 5
(4)	Analog triggers (L, R) - total: 2

* Expansion device (tentative name)
Expansion devices that can be connected to the controller.  VMS (tentative name) is one type of expansion device.

== Tools ==

* gigen
"pvr" file globalIndex numbering tool.

* NinjaExport
Plug-in tool for SoftImage (for SGI) and 3D Studio MAX (for 95/NT).  Outputs Ninja files directly from the SoftImage3D and 3D Studio MAX export function.

* pvrconv
Texture converter.  This converter operates under Windows 95/NT, converting files into "pvr" format files.  (The "pvr" format is the texture format used in KATANA.  The following file formats can be input:tga, bmp, pic, pix

* Sound Project Manager
A sound tool that is provided by Sega.  This tool links MIDI sequence data with tone data, effect data, etc.  In addition to creating sound files for KATANA, this tool can play the files through the development target for confirmation purposes on the actual hardware.

* MIDI Program Editor
A tool for registering and editing MIDI programs (tones) intended specifically for KATANA.

* FX Program Editor
A tool that is used for creating original sound effects, in combination with the preset DSP module.

== TrueMotion ==

* TrueMotion2
An upgrade for TrueMotion that is provided for KATANA.  Uses a new algorithm that targets high resolution.
