User:Sleap/Deep Image (computer graphics)

Deep Images (also deep buffers), unlike regular 2D raster images, store multiple values per-pixel and include depth or distance to provide 3D information. Direct uses of deep image data include deep image compositing and commonly real-time graphics applications such as order-independent transparency.

Description
A typical 2D raster image may store red/green/blue colour values per-pixel. In 3D graphics, a framebuffer stores the result of a render, commonly including colour and depth. Together, colour and depth may provide just the front-most visible surface information from a scene. A deep image, or deep buffer in this case, stores multiple colour and depth values per-pixel and provides information for many or all surfaces. More complex image space operations and effects can be computed with this data, which would not be possible or would be inaccurate without.