quote:
After the projection matrix transforms the clip coordinates, the XYZ-vertex values are divided by their clip coordinate W value, which results in normalized device coordinates. This step is known as the perspective divide. The clip coordinate W value represents the distance from the eye. As the distance from the eye increases, 1/W approaches 0. Therefore, X/W and Y/W also approach zero, causing the rendered primitives to occupy less screen space and appear smaller. This is how computers simulate a perspective view.

As in reality, motion toward or away from the eye has a less profound effect for objects that are already in the distance. For example, if you move six inches closer to the computer screen in front of your face, it''s apparent size should increase quite dramatically. On the other hand, if the computer screen were already 20 feet away from you, moving six inches closer would have little noticeable impact on its apparent size. The perspective divide takes this into account.

As part of the perspective divide, Z is also divided by W with the same results. For objects that are already close to the back of the view volume, a change in distance of one coordinate unit has less impact on Z/W than if the object is near the front of the view volume. To put it another way, an object coordinate Z unit occupies a larger slice of NDC-depth space close to the front of the view volume than it does near the back of the view volume.

In summary, the perspective divide, by its nature, causes more Z precision close to the front of the view volume than near the back.