Gamma:
This is a mathematical function used to describe the relationship between input and output levels, and measures the level of compression or expansion of dark or light shades in an image.

 

 

GDI (Graphical Device Interface):
Windows programs are unable to access certain parts of a PC, such as the screen or printer, so Windows uses a graphics language known as GDI (Graphical Device Interface) which controls display functionalities (color management, printing controls…).

 

 

Gouraud shading (smooth shading):
A method of shading polygons, where each color is initially calculated at each of the vertices in a polygon. The polygon's surface is then shaded to give a smooth transition between colors at each vertex, consequently smoothing the appearance of adjacent polygons. The replacement of texture with shading for 3D objects that are too far away to be perceptible saves processing time.

 

 

Graphics:
The representation of all non-text that appears on-screen.

 

 

Graphics board:
A board which provides the PC with a separate processor on which to offload graphics oriented tasks, and thus freeing up valuable CPU time. This obviously improves graphics-intensive software performance.