Glossary

IMPORTANCE
There are many familiar and new concepts in digital Modeling and Rendering. Being able to read about, discuss, and possibly write about your experiences and expectations is important. Having and using the appropriate terminology avoids confusion, establishes credibility, and communicates efficiently. That's why it is important.

INDUSTRY STANDARD TERMINOLOGY
There is a significant core of vocabulary that was established largely by industry researchers and academics and shared through conference venues such as SIGGRAPH. The terminology of this group of speakers tends to be tied to individuals or theories and unrelated to specific products. This is the vocabulary this course aspires to cultivate.

VARIATION
Of course, not everybody means the same thing by the words they use, even if they are trying to communicate with a shared vocabulary. The fields of modeling and computer graphics change over time and new terminology emerges, while old terms sometimes shift in their meanings. Limitations in english lead to reuse of terms with new meanings ("smoothing" comes to mind).

PROPRIETARY VENDOR TERMINOLOGY
Another source of variability in terminology is terminology invented or promoted by particular vendors in association with marketing their products. Sometime these terms enter general usage, but sometimes they're just confusing.

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