The resulting images may be stored for viewing later (possibly as an animation) or displayed in real time.
Unlike 3D film and similar techniques, the result is two-dimensional, without visual depth.
A model can be displayed visually as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering, or it can be used in non-graphical computer simulations and calculations.
[1] William Fetter was credited with coining the term computer graphics in 1961[2][3] to describe his work at Boeing.
An early example of interactive 3-D computer graphics was explored in 1963 by the Sketchpad program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory.
[9] 3D computer graphics production workflow falls into three basic phases: The modeling describes the process of forming the shape of an object.
Animation refers to the temporal description of an object (i.e., how it moves and deforms over time.
Stop Motion has multiple categories within such as Claymation, Cutout, Silhouette, Lego, Puppets, and Pixelation.
One can give the model materials to tell the render engine how to treat light when it hits the surface.
Altering the scene into a suitable form for rendering also involves 3D projection, which displays a three-dimensional image in two dimensions.
Alternatively, files can be accessed through third-party standalone programs, or via manual decompilation.
Many modelers allow importers and exporters to be plugged-in, so they can read and write data in the native formats of other applications.
Most 3-D modelers contain a number of related features, such as ray tracers and other rendering alternatives and texture mapping facilities.
After producing a video, studios then edit or composite the video using programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro at the mid-level, or Autodesk Combustion, Digital Fusion, Shake at the high-end.
Use of real-time computer graphics engines to create a cinematic production is called machinima.
2D computer graphics with 3D photorealistic effects are often achieved without wire-frame modeling and are sometimes indistinguishable in the final form.
Some video games use 2.5D graphics, involving restricted projections of three-dimensional environments, such as isometric graphics or virtual cameras with fixed angles, either as a way to improve performance of the game engine or for stylistic and gameplay concerns.