PlayStation Architecture: A Promising Newcomer by Rodrigo Copetti

Author:Rodrigo Copetti [Copetti, Rodrigo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, Computers, Advanced Computing, Engineering, Computer Architecture, Application Software, Computer Graphics, Computer Science
ISBN: 9798201013707
Published: 2019-08-07T14:30:00+00:00

5.5 Secrets and Limitations

Whereas the PS1 had a very simple and suitable architecture, problems ended up arising anyway. Surprisingly, certain issues were tackled with very clever workarounds!

5.5.1 Distorted models/textures

Figure 5.11: Square Soft’s Final Fantasy VIII (1999). Textures jiggle a bit while they move. Interactive viewer available in the website edition.

The routines used for handling geometry and applying textures are known to carry some inaccuracies.

Firstly, the rasteriser only handles pixel units: While vertex coordinates are integers, the calculated triangle edges may only occupy a fraction of a pixel. However, the rasteriser will only draw the pixel if the triangle area covers the pixel’s sampling point, and it won’t keep track of the fraction occupied [13]. This brings up some problems:

External edges of models make sudden jumps when moved slightly.

Triangles within a mesh (sharing the same vertices and edges) will be ‘fighting’ to draw over the same pixels. With the ordering table, the GPU will draw following a ‘last-come first served’ basis, which can lead to triangle intersections flickering or overlapping when moved slightly.

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