Renderment

Renderment is a term used in computer graphics to denote either the act of generating a rendered image from a scene or the final rendered result itself, depending on context. The word combines render with the suffix -ment, signaling a process or state. Because renderment is not widely standardized, its precise meaning varies across sources. In some discussions, renderment refers to the output image or sequence produced by a rendering engine, while rendering refers to the computational process that creates that output. Others treat renderment as a broader umbrella including both the process and its results.

In practice, renderment encompasses the entire imaging pipeline: scene representation, visibility, shading, lighting models, texture mapping, sampling, and the pixel-level assembly into frames. Rendering methods include rasterization for real-time graphics and ray tracing for higher fidelity. Real-time renderment emphasizes speed and may employ techniques such as multisample anti-aliasing, post-processing, and denoising to deliver acceptable quality. Offline renderment emphasizes physical accuracy and may use path tracing, global illumination, and advanced materials.

Factors affecting renderment quality include resolution, anti-aliasing, texture resolution, material properties, lighting setup, and camera parameters. Performance is measured in frames per second or render time per frame. The term is more common in some communities and less familiar in others, leading to occasional confusion with traditional rendering terminology. See also Rendering, rasterization, ray tracing, shading, and global illumination.