Question

What are the major stages of the Graphics Pipeline?

Answer 1

The major stages of the Graphics Pipeline are the Application Stage, Geometry Processing Stage, Rasterization Stage, Fragment Processing Stage, and Framebuffer Operations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The stages of the Graphics Pipeline refer to the sequence of steps used to transform 2D and 3D models into rendered images on the screen. Here is a simplified explanation of the major stages:

1. Application Stage: This is where the scene is set up with respect to geometry, camera, lighting, and other details. It is performed by the CPU.
2. Geometry Processing Stage: Here, the transformation of 3D coordinates to 2D coordinates occurs, along with lighting calculations. This stage can be executed by the GPU for efficiency.
3. Rasterization Stage: In this phase, the transformed 3D figures are converted into pixels or fragments, which can then be colored and displayed on the screen.
4. Fragment Processing Stage: Each pixel's color and texture are computed, and operations like z-testing are performed to determine visibility.
5. Framebuffer Operations: Lastly, the pixels are written to a framebuffer, resulting in the final image output displayed to the user.

It's important for designers to be flexible during the implementation and realization phases of their graphics pipeline flow, adapting to unexpected challenges and changes.