Editing Z-buffering (section)

== History ==
Z-buffering was first described in 1974 by Wolfgang Straßer in his PhD thesis on fast algorithms for rendering occluded objects.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Straßer|first1=Wolfgang|url=http://isgwww.cs.uni-magdeburg.de/graphics/misc/Wolfgang_Stra%C3%9Fer_Schnelle_Kurven-_und_Flaechendarstellung_auf_grafischen_Sichtgeraeten.pdf|title=Schnelle Kurven- und Flächendarstellung auf grafischen Sichtgeräten|date=April 26, 1974|location=Berlin|at=6-1|language=de|trans-title=Fast curve and surface display on graphic display devices|chapter=Zukünftige Arbeiten}}</ref> A similar solution to determining overlapping polygons is the [[painter's algorithm]], which is capable of handling non-opaque scene elements, though at the cost of efficiency and incorrect results.

Z-buffers are often implemented in hardware within consumer [[graphics cards]]. Z-buffering is also used (implemented as software as opposed to hardware) for producing computer-generated special effects for films.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}