Glossary - An Introduction to Computer Graphics for Artists - page 306

Projection Plane The plane from which a projection is made, based on its normal
direction.
Quadrilateral Four-sided, regardless of parallel or perpendicular edges.
Radius The distance from the center of a circle to any point on the circle. This is
the most common method of describing a circle in computer graphics.
Real-time Something that is rendered immediately to screen, without noticeable
intermission for the rendering process to complete.
Reference Source material used for the purpose of ascertaining information about
target objects.
Reference cube A construction object used to defi ne an area of cubic space for the
purpose of ensuring that all UVs projected with it as a part will be projected at
the same scale.
Reference Map A texture designed to test an object's mapping coordinates for
distortion, alignment, and orientation.
Relative Something dependent on external conditions for its specifi c size, scale,
rotation, etc.
Right-hand Rule The opposite of the left-hand rule.
Render An image fi le created as an end-product of calculations made in a CG
application where three-dimensional objects are projected onto a two-dimensional
picture plane, and then other calculations are made to determine the color of each
pixel in the image, usually with a highly realistic image as a goal.
Renderer A software application that renders.
Rendering The process of creating a render.
Resolution In pixel graphics, this is the number of pixels in an image, usually rep-
resented by the number of pixels in X and Y, or horizontal and vertical. In polyg-
onal models, resolution refers to polycount and curve detail.
Resolution Contrast A condition where two or more objects of differing resolution
are either adjacent, or near enough that their different resolutions are easily noted.
Resolution Limit The maximum allowed polycount or image size.
Reversed Normal A polygonal face where the normal vector is pointing 180°
away from the front of the object
Revolve To loft around a circular axis.
Rounding Error When a number is averaged to the next highest or next lowest
whole number, its accuracy is reduced, or made errant.
Rotate To turn around an axis.
Scale To change the size of.
Scan To import by the use of either a 2D or 3D scanner.
Schematic A way of looking at things that is more topological than object-specifi c.

Schematic View Drawings of an object in one or more orthographic views, drawn
primarily as outlines. Also known as plan view .
Seam Used most often to defi ne a break in a UV set between faces that have a com-
mon edge, but do not share UVs along the shared edge.
Selection Set An arbitrary group of components or objects, identifi ed as belonging
together by pick-based selection. These may be named, but this is not always true.
Self-penetration When a part of an object intersects another part of the same object.