Vertices!

This is a reminder to myself for what is a vertex.

Vertex, plural vertices, is a fundamental element in graphics programming. Think of it as the most primitive element of a shape — one of it’s sides/edges. A vertex is the thing linking together two points on a shape.

Or, in other words, vertices are the smallest discrete unit that makes up a 3d or 2d object in space.

In 5 year old terms 👦: a triangle has three vertices, which is the smallest amount of any polygon.

Attributes of a vertex

• Position: in 2d space, this is X and Y coordinates. In 3d space, this is X, Y and Z coordinates.
• Color: Vertices can also hold color data, which can be used to color the surfaces between vertices when rendered.
• Texture Coordinates: These coordinates (often denoted as u and v) map a texture image onto the surface of a shape. This process is known as texturing.
• Normal Vector: Not sure what exactly this means, but it’s related to how light interacts/appears on a vertex’s surface in 3D graphics.