What is 3D Rendering in Video Game Programming?

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a programmer in the field of video games, you should first know the answer to the question "what is 3D rendering" and how this technology is used in the industry to design and create environments and scenarios for user movement.

The term "3D rendering" describes a computer-generated graphic representation that results in a photorealistic image or an image not based on a three-dimensional model.

How is this technique used in video game development and programming? Not so fast! Let's start from the very beginning.

What is 3D Rendering Used For?

As we mentioned above, 3D rendering techniques allow designers to create three-dimensional environments, both realistic and completely imaginary.

3D rendering is used to reproduce a scene created from a set of 3D data stored on a computer. The output image, called a 3D render, is a representation that displays realistic aspects such as materials, textures, lighting, atmosphere, and optical effects, such as light refraction in all elements or distances between them using focus and blur effects.

Thus, it allows creating images without the need for them to actually exist, either as part of real spaces or as scenarios created for image design. The resulting images can resemble reality, being more or less faithful to it, or completely ignore it if the designer aims to create a fully abstract environment.

What Are the Origins of 3D Rendering?

When it comes to the origins of 3D rendering, the film industry naturally comes to mind. And that is indeed the case. The creation of three-dimensional images through rendering began in cinema with attempts to create elements and settings that could portray the third dimension.

Animation in cinema became the first industry where 3D rendering was used to achieve this effect.

Who and when started 3D rendering? 40 years ago, Edwin Earl Catmull became the first pioneer in computer technology. His name may not be familiar to you, but his connection to "Pixar Animation Studios" certainly will be. That's right: this man became the founder of the most significant animation company in the world, which today is owned by the Walt Disney Company.

It is believed that the first 3D render appeared in one of his films and consists of a hand, a face, and other elements representing effects such as smooth shading (i.e., creating realistic shadows where light and dark smoothly blend and transition into each other) or wireframes, i.e., a sketch of the visual representation of a three-dimensional object.

Types of 3D Rendering

There are mainly 2 types of 3D rendering, one of which is used in video game programming.

• Real-time rendering: This type of 3D rendering is used in interactive graphics and video games, where image computation requires 3D information to change constantly at a dizzying speed.
• Pre-rendering (offline rendering): This type of 3D rendering is used when image speed is not a priority, for example, in animation works or in works where photorealism and complexity take precedence.

Importance of 3D Rendering in Video Game Programming

After you learn the answer to the question "what is 3D rendering", its possible results and applications, it will be much easier to understand its significance in the world of video game creation.

Early video games only used two-dimensional images

At that time, the software and hardware used by programmers imposed significant limitations, which fortunately were overcome over time. This allowed us to go from the game considered the first in history, Tennis For Two (1958), created on an analog computer connected to an oscilloscope that served as a monitor, where one could observe the movement of several light lines simulating the ball moving from one side to the other, to modern video games where image quality is exceptionally high and can resemble a real environment.

Throughout the history of this industry, many programmers and designers have turned to cinema and animation to learn 3D modeling techniques for creating three-dimensional images. Over time, the development of these industries allowed for increasingly realistic images where light and shadows, textures, and atmosphere match photographic results.

Do you want to become a master of 3D rendering to create stunning three-dimensional environments for video games? It's a much simpler process than you think.

See also: Mobile Game Development, The Big Guide to Ordering Mobile Game Development, Software Development.