Clamping (graphics)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In computer graphics, clamping is the process of limiting a position to an area. Unlike wrapping, clamping merely moves the point to the nearest available value. Pseudocode for it is:

 function clamp(X, Min, Max:Real):Real;
 if X > Max then
   X := Max;
 if X < Min then
   X := Min;
 return X;
 

And the C/C++ code like this (int can be changed into any other datatype).

 int clamp(int X, int Min, int Max)
 {
   if( X > Max )
     X = Max;
   else if( X < Min )
     X = Min;
 
   return X;
 }

[edit] Uses

One of the many uses of clamping in computer graphics is the placing of a detail inside a polygon--for example, a bullethole on a wall. It can also be used with wrapping to create a variety of effects.