Bandwidth:
Maximum amount of data, expressed
in MBs or GBs, which one same peripheral is able to
treat in one second. The greater the bandwidth, the larger the amount of information
processed.
Bilinear
filtering:
This is
a sophisticated technique that averages the four adjacent texels
and interpolates, thus creating a new texel. Games require at least this level
of texture filtering to avoid a deterioration of textures
when approaching objects.
BitBLT
(Bit Block Transfer):
The term BitBLT refers to block transfers of pixel
data, providing hardware acceleration for many common operations. It involves
transferring blocks of data from one memory location to another. The capacity
to perform raster operations on the data using a
pattern is also included.
Bitmap:
A 2D digital image. An exact representation,
consisting of rows and columns of dots, of a graphics
image in the computer's memory is known as a bitmap. In strict terms, a bitmap
refers to images that are bi-level (i.e. each pixel
in the image is either "off" or "on", as in black or white), but the term is
commonly used in place of the correct term "pixmap" to describe digital color
images. Examples of bitmaps include backgrounds and sprites.
Storing bitmaps necessitates a lot of computer memory. A bitmap is an image
defined by a collection of dots, as opposed to a vector image, which is defined
by mathematical formulae.
Bit
packing:
A no-loss (perfect) compression method for graphics
with few colors or simple sounds. For example, if an image only has 16 colors
(15+ transparency), each pixel can be described by
4 bits (16) instead of a higher number.
Boot
(boot up):
To start a computer system. The term was originally IPL (Initial Program
Load), from which the extremely logical evolution! During the boot up, the PC
checks set disk locations to be informed of the location of that particular
system's operating system.
Bump
mapping:
A technique used to simulate rough or bumpy textures
with irregularities in their shading.
Bus:
The pathway between devices (usually chips) on
a printed circuit board (PCB).
Byte:
The standard "size" measure used in computer memory. It is comprised of
8 bits.