Render

To render is to have the computer photograph a 3D model. The software takes the geometry, the materials on each surface, the light sources and the camera settings, and works out a colour for every pixel. Both that calculation and the resulting picture are called a render.

How a render is calculated

There are two broad approaches. Rasterization projects objects onto the screen very quickly and powers games and real-time engines. Ray tracing, and its more complete form path tracing, follow rays of light through the scene to compute reflections, shadows and bounced light with far more physical accuracy, at the cost of more processing. Modern engines often mix the two.

Rendering in architecture

An architectural render is the most direct way to show a building that does not exist yet to an investor, a planning board or a buyer. The model matters, but so do lighting, materials, camera angle and post-production. The same model can look ordinary under flat light and convincing in a well-built scene.

• Exteriors, interiors, aerial views and close-up details
• Daylight, dusk and night scenes
• Still images, animations and 360 panoramas

For a practical introduction to the basic settings, see what is rendering and how to set it up.