docs/perf.html

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<h1>Performance Tips</h1>

<p>
Performance tips for software rendering:
</p>
<ol>

<li> Turn off smooth shading when you don't need it (glShadeModel)
<li> Turn off depth buffering when you don't need it.
<li> Turn off dithering when not needed.
<li> Use double buffering as it's often faster than single buffering
<li> Compile in the X Shared Memory extension option if it's supported
      on your system by adding -DSHM to CFLAGS and -lXext to XLIBS for
      your system in the Make-config file.
<li> Recompile Mesa with more optimization if possible.
<li> Try to maximize the amount of drawing done between glBegin/glEnd pairs.
<li> Use the MESA_BACK_BUFFER variable to find best performance in double
      buffered mode.  (X users only)
<li> Optimized polygon rasterizers are employed when:
         rendering into back buffer which is an XImage
         RGB mode, not grayscale, not monochrome
         depth buffering is GL_LESS, or disabled
         flat or smooth shading
         dithered or non-dithered
         no other rasterization operations enabled (blending, stencil, etc)
<li> Optimized line drawing is employed when:
         rendering into back buffer which is an XImage
         RGB mode, not grayscale, not monochrome
         depth buffering is GL_LESS or disabled
         flat shading
         dithered or non-dithered
         no other rasterization operations enabled (blending, stencil, etc)
<li> Textured polygons are fastest when:
         using a 3-component (RGB), 2-D texture
         minification and magnification filters are GL_NEAREST
         texture coordinate wrap modes for S and T are GL_REPEAT
         GL_DECAL environment mode
         glHint( GL_PERSPECTIVE_CORRECTION_HINT, GL_FASTEST )
         depth buffering is GL_LESS or disabled
<li> Lighting is fastest when:
         Two-sided lighting is disabled
         GL_LIGHT_MODEL_LOCAL_VIEWER is false
         GL_COLOR_MATERIAL is disabled
         No spot lights are used (all GL_SPOT_CUTOFFs are 180.0)
         No local lights are used (all position W's are 0.0)
         All material and light coefficients are &gt;= zero
<li> XFree86 users:  if you want to use 24-bit color try starting your
      X server in 32-bit per pixel mode for better performance.  That is,
      start your X server with
         startx -- -bpp 32
      instead of
         startx -- -bpp 24
<li> Try disabling dithering with the MESA_NO_DITHER environment variable.
      If this env var is defined Mesa will disable dithering and the
      command glEnable(GL_DITHER) will be ignored.
</ol>


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