återgivningskedja

återgivningskedja, or rendering pipeline, refers to the sequence of steps a computer graphics system takes to generate a 2D image from a 3D scene description. This process is fundamental to computer graphics and is used in everything from video games and movies to architectural visualizations and scientific simulations.

The pipeline typically begins with the scene data, which includes information about objects, their geometry, materials, lighting, and camera position. This data is then processed through a series of stages. Geometry processing involves transforming the 3D models into screen space coordinates. This includes operations like modeling transformations, view transformations, and projection transformations.

Next, rasterization converts the geometric primitives (like triangles) into pixels on the screen. This stage determines which pixels are covered by each primitive. After rasterization, fragment shading (or pixel shading) is performed. This is where the color of each pixel is calculated, taking into account factors like texture mapping, lighting calculations, and material properties.

Finally, the output merged pixels are written to a frame buffer, which is then displayed on the monitor. Modern rendering pipelines often utilize the graphics processing unit (GPU) to accelerate many of these stages, allowing for real-time rendering of complex scenes. The specific stages and their order can vary slightly depending on the graphics API (like OpenGL or DirectX) and the rendering techniques employed.