Anisotropic filtering

<p>In <a href="/facts/3D_computer_graphics/zlWW6eaF">3D computer graphics</a>, anisotropic filtering (AF) is a technique that improves the appearance of <a href="/facts/Texture_filtering/XraFoapy">textures</a>, especially on surfaces viewed at sharp <a href="/facts/Viewing_angle/oIujT9AQ">angles</a>. It helps make textures look sharper and more detailed by reducing blur and <a href="/facts/Aliasing/Pzg84HL0">aliasing</a> that can occur when surfaces are angled away from the viewer. <a href="/facts/Anisotropy/YMqTQWVB">Anisotropic</a> filtering works by applying different amounts of filtering in different directions, unlike simpler methods like <a href="/facts/Bilinear_filtering/yoke6SzF">bilinear</a> and <a href="/facts/Trilinear_filtering/cmf5Qwvx">trilinear filtering</a> which filter equally in all directions. 
</p><p>While it requires more <a href="/facts/Processing_power/td1qKox4">processing power</a> than these simpler methods, anisotropic filtering became a standard feature in most graphics cards in the late 1990s and is now commonly used in games and other 3D applications, often with user-adjustable settings.
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Anisotropic filtering open-in-new

Anisotropic filtering