Sprite (computer graphics): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:51, 11 July 2025

Latest revision as of 15:52, 14 July 2025

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== Etymology ==

According to Karl Guttag, one of two engineers for the 1979 [[TMS9918|Texas Instruments TMS9918]] video display processor, this use of the word ''sprite'' came from David Ackley, a manager at TI.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Guttag |first1=KArl |title=First, Be Useful (Home computers and Pico Projectors) |url=https://kguttag.com/2011/12/06/first-be-useful-home-computers-and-pico-projectors/ |website=KGOnTech |date=December 6, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{us patent|4243984|quote=In addition, however, the preferred form of the VDP 60 accomodatesaccommodates a plurality of mobile blocks or "sprites" which may be freely moved relative to the fixed display image by defining or selecting a particular column U all row V at which the upper left corner of the sprite is to be displayed.}}</ref> It was also used by [[Danny Hillis]] at Texas Instruments in the late 1970s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Johnstone |first1=Bob |title=Never Mind the Laptops: Kids, Computers, and the Transformation of Learning |date=2003 |isbn=978-0595288427 |page=108 |publisher=iUniverse |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UsWRDjcuao8C&q=daniel+hillis+sprites&pg=PA108}}</ref> The term was derived from the fact that sprites "float" on top of the background image without overwriting it, much like a ghost or [[Sprite (folklore)|mythological sprite]].

Some hardware manufacturers used different terms, especially before ''sprite'' became common: