CG

Computer graphics (CG) is the field of creating, storing, and manipulating visual content with computers. It covers two- and three-dimensional imagery and includes both real-time graphics for interactive media and offline rendering for film, design, and science. The term CG is often used interchangeably with computer-generated imagery (CGI), though CGI usually refers to the final images produced.

Core techniques include 3D modeling, texturing, lighting, shading, rigging, animation, and rendering. Rendering converts a scene description into an image, using rasterization for speed or ray tracing for realism. Real-time CG relies on GPUs and optimized pipelines to achieve interactive frame rates, while offline CG emphasizes physical accuracy and high quality.

Applications span entertainment (movies, games), product and architectural visualization, medical and scientific visualization, virtual and augmented reality, and digital art. The CG workflow typically involves content creation software, rendering engines, and compositing, all connected through graphics APIs such as OpenGL, DirectX, or Vulkan. Common data formats include 3D models (OBJ, FBX, glTF) and textures (PNG, JPEG).

Hardware advances, especially GPUs, have steadily increased capability. Emerging areas include physically based rendering, real-time ray tracing, AI-assisted upscaling and denoising, and scalable pipelines for large studios and independent artists.

Historically, CG arose from early computer graphics research in the 1960s–70s, gained prominence in film and animation in the 1990s and 2000s, and continues to expand with new software, hardware, and techniques.