Rendering (computer graphics)

Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model, by means of a software program. The model is a description of three dimensional objects in a strictly defined language or data structure. It would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture and lighting information. The image is a digital image / raster graphics image.

Related Topics:
Texture - Lighting - Digital image - Raster graphics - Image

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is one of the major sub-topics of 3D computer graphics, and in practice always connected to the others. In the 'graphics pipeline' it's the last major step, giving the final appearance to the models and animation. With the increasing sophistication of computer graphics since the 1970s onward, it has become a more distinct subject.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It has uses in: computer games, simulators, movies/tv special effects, and design visualisation. Each employing a different balance of features and techniques. As a product, a wide variety of renderers are available. some are integrated into larger modelling and animation packages, some are stand-alone, some are free open-source projects. On the inside, a renderer is a carefully engineered program, based on a selective mixture of disciplines related to: light physics, visual perception, mathematics, and software development.

Related Topics:
Light physics - Visual perception - Software development

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the case of 3D graphics, rendering is a slow, computationally intensive process (typically for movie creation), or supported by realtime 3D hardware accelerators in graphics cards (typically for 3D computer games). The term is by analogy with an "artist's rendering" of a scene.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~