The Bitmap Cache component rasterizes its input to an internal bitmap without further processing. It may be useful to place in front of heavy modules like loops and high-detail noises, improving rendering time and filter control response.
This is not a universal solution and should be used with caution. Possible side effects include increased initialization time while the cache is being populated, higher memory usage, and less room for anti-aliasing. You should always check filter performance with and without the cache and generally prefer fully procedural rendering. For more information, see Bitmap-based components and Sample-based architecture.
Bitmap Cache is a map component, it can be located in the Advanced category on the Components bar. This component can output HDR colors.
Source: Map Input (HDR), Required
Provides the source image to be cached. This is a required input – in order to make Bitmap Cache work, this input must be connected. This input accepts HDR colors.
Defines the method of pixel interpolation during resampling: None, Bilinear or Bicubic.
None
This option uses the nearest neighbor algorithm which is the fastest but can produce visible artifacts.
Bilinear
This is the default method that offers smooth results without sacrificing much speed.
Bicubic
This method is slower than the other two but preserves fine detail better than the bilinear algorithm.
