Blender Schoolwhat a game world is made of: a magazine about video game graphics

An independent magazine about graphics in video games. Not a school or courses; does not teach or issue any documents; sells nothing; not connected with the former site on this domain.

Glossary

Game glossary

Graphics menus and talk about visuals are full of puzzling words: UV unwrap, normals, occlusion, draw distance. We've collected the most common ones and explained them the way you would to a friend who just wants to know what yet another slider in the settings means.

Knowing the word means seeing the thing. Once you've heard about the “stair steps” on edges, you start noticing them everywhere.

— From the editors

How this section works: the terms are split into three groups: model, light and material, and settings. The definitions are general: individual games may name options differently, but the meaning is usually the same.

Model

Polygon
One of the flat faces that make up a model's surface. Most often it is a triangle: both the hero's face and the mountain on the horizon are assembled from many such pieces.
Vertex
A point in space where edges meet. By moving vertices, creators change a model's shape, and during animation the skeleton moves them.
Mesh
The full set of a model's vertices, edges and faces. A dense mesh gives smooth curves, a sparse one gives angular shapes.
UV unwrap
A way of laying a model's surface out flat so an image can be applied to it. It is like a sewing pattern that a costume is later made from.
Level of detail
One of several versions of a model, from detailed to very simple. The game picks the right one depending on the distance to the camera.
Skeleton
An invisible set of bones inside a character. Animators move the bones, and the mesh obediently follows them.

Light and material

Texture
An image applied to a model according to its UV unwrap. It is responsible for the color and pattern of the surface.
Normal map
A special texture that tricks the light: a flat surface appears to have relief, with grooves and seams, even though the mesh stays simple.
Roughness
A material property that decides whether a highlight is sharp, as on glass, or blurry, as on an old wooden board.
Ambient occlusion
Subtle darkening in corners, cracks and where objects touch each other. It adds depth to a scene and seems to press objects to the ground.
Reflections
The image of the surroundings on smooth surfaces: in puddles, windows, polished metal. Accurate reflections take a lot of calculation.
Shadow map
The way a game remembers what a light source “sees.” The higher its quality, the sharper and steadier the edges of shadows.

Settings

Resolution
The number of pixels a frame is made of. The higher it is, the sharper the picture and the more work for your computer.
Anti-aliasing
Methods of removing jagged “stair steps” on object edges. Some smooth the edges at almost no cost, others slightly blur the whole picture.
Draw distance
How far away the game shows objects in detail. Beyond that line they are simplified or disappear.
Frame rate
How many new images the game puts out per second. The higher and steadier it is, the smoother the motion and the more responsive the controls.
Vertical sync
A setting that matches frame output to your screen's refresh. It removes image tearing but sometimes adds a slight input delay.
Render scale
An option that lets the game draw the frame at a smaller or larger size than the screen and then fit it. It helps you find a balance between sharpness and smoothness.
  • Mechanics

    How a game builds a frame: model, texture, material, light, shadow and post-processing, and what to turn down first when things stop feeling smooth.

  • Guides

    Guides to the picture: choosing graphics settings, taking great screenshots, reading a scene and finding out why a game stutters. Our article catalogue lives here too.

  • 3D models (in Russian)

    Archive page: what an in-game model is made of (mesh, UV unwrap, texture and levels of detail) and how to spot them yourself.

  • FAQ

    Answers about the magazine, graphics settings, screenshots, photo mode and the risks people take when installing third-party mods.

What we rely on

  • Reference material on computer graphics (in general terms)
  • Descriptions of graphics settings in game menus (in general terms)
  • Blender School editorial material

We describe the general principles of game graphics. Every game lays out its settings menu differently, options go by different names and change with updates, so look for the exact wording in the game's own tooltips and help screens.