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Geek Culture / If Pixels Got Small Enough, Would Anti-Aliasing Become No Longer Needed?

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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 11:22
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After using my new iPod touch today with it's retina display where you cant see any pixels at all, i thought, if pixels get small enough, we wont need anti aliasing anymore! Also, i wonder if the extremely high resolution to make up for the smaller pixels would get rid of the advantage of not needing anti aliasing? But that wont matter, hardware by then will be crazy powerful!


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BatVink
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 11:31
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Anti-aliasing will always make an image better, no matter what the pixel size. Anti-aliasing is what turns binary logic into fuzzy logic.

You can use the analogy of disk space and compressed files; Cheaper, more abundant disk space allows you to store more data, but you just collect more, larger files that still benefit from being compressed for archival purposes.

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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 11:34
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Ahh, i see! I kinda figured as much.
Quote: "Anti-aliasing is what turns binary logic into fuzzy logic."
Haha fuzzy logic is awesome.


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Fallout
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 11:50
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While I agree with BatVink a bit of fuzziness will always smooth out the image, I also agree with you. Fat Ball doesn't have anti-aliasing on the main character sprites (it does on everything else). This is because I made a render and export program in DBPro, and I don't think (someone correct me if I'm wrong!) I can export an img using SAVE IMAGE that GET IMAGE captured with transparency on the edges of an anti-aliased image.

Too much blabbing. Anyway, my point is, on my HTC DesireZ, I can hardly see any difference between anti-aliased images and the main characters. The pixels are so small, it's really hard to see.

So I would say yes, there may be a point where anti-aliasing in realtime rendering is dropped because resolutions are so high, but my initial thoughts are that the speed increase would be negated by having to render the new pixels. So it might be more of a case that anti-alasing is dropped because there isn't enough power to render loads of pixels and smoothed edges!

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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 11:56
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Ahh yah, good point, if the res does get high enough, it would be stupid to try to anti alias. But that's with modern hardware, in the future, we will be able to do that no problem! I wonder if (or when) we will have 16 inch screens with the <100 micrometer pixels!! That will be cool!


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swissolo
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 18:21
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Well, your answer should be yes, as anti-aliasing should be unnecisary and shouldn't exist. Pixels are supposed to be so small you can't preceive them, but we use AA to pretend that we've got more in a way(although not really) AA sort of interpolates pixels that aren't there, although I might have my terms wrong there Anyways, it'll be a long way before that happens really I think(at least for computers)

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Neuro Fuzzy
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 20:17
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Well... there are small hairs on people's arms, and on most other objects, such that if we viewed them with an infinite grid of pixels, they'd still have fuzzy edges. I think for the most part the answer is yes though.


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swissolo
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 20:25
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Quote: "such that if we viewed them with an infinite grid of pixels, they'd still have fuzzy edges"

Really? If there was an infinite grid of pixels you wouldn't be able to see the edges. They would be simply too small and should mesh together in an eyes view, right?

swis
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Neuro Fuzzy
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 20:48
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I don't mean the pixels would have funny edges, I mean the objects you're viewing would still have fuzzy edges.


Why does blue text appear every time you are near?
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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 30th Jul 2011 21:42 Edited at: 31st Jul 2011 03:48
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I agree with swissolo.


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