A question about floating point color precision

[binmaze]

Sorry for this basic question.
But i want to know what's the merit of the floating point color precision over integer mode?

I know it allows you to use broad range of colors.
But currently, vga has physical 32bit color limit.
Therefore, I've been assuming it would let you match the precise color to the real one or to the intended one.

So what's the point?

I think it'd been asked and answered, but too hard to search through.

 

[nAo]

As you said with a higher color precision one can represent a broader range of colors.
This could be useful in intermediate calculations (better accuracy) and to store the 'final' color in the rendering buffer.
Once you have a fp image you have to map it to a standard RGBA back buffer in order to output it to some devices, like a monitor or a LCD.
How this mapping is done is up to yourself, but now you have much more color informations than before and you can decide yo give more color bits to some color range where your original fp color datas have a more dynamic variation and so on...
(umh..I believe this is a almost new research field...so there isnt at the moment THE WAY to do it...eye/brain subjectivity...you know)

ciao,
Marco