Abstract: An apparatus for displaying information to an occupant of a vehicle including a display coupled to the vehicle, the display configured to display an image based on information stored in a frame buffer, and a control circuit coupled to the display, the control circuit configured to receive information related to the vehicle from a vehicle electronics system, wherein the control circuit is configured to display a digital instrument based on the information related to the vehicle by revealing a color gradient bitmap background using a bitmap mask and storing the result in the frame buffer, and wherein the bitmap mask is moved relative to the color gradient bitmap.