In computer graphics, ray tracing is a technique for generating an image by

tracing the path of light through pixels in an image plane and simulating the
effects of its encounters with virtual objects. The technique is capable of
producing a very high degree of visual realism, usually higher than that of
typical scanline rendering methods, but at a greater computational cost. This
makes ray tracing best suited for applications where the image can be
rendered slowly ahead of time, such as in still images and film and television
visual effects, and more poorly suited for real-time applications like video
games where speed is critical. Ray tracing is capable of simulating a wide
variety of optical effects, such as reflection and refraction, scattering, and
dispersion phenomena (such as chromatic aberration).
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model (or models in
what collectively could be called a scene file), by means of computer
programs. Also, the results of such a model can be called a rendering. A
scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it
would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information
as a description of the virtual scene. The data contained in the scene file is
then passed to a rendering program to be processed and output to a digital
image or raster graphics image file. The term "rendering" may be by analogy
with an "artist's rendering" of a scene. Though the technical details of
rendering methods vary, the general challenges to overcome in producing a
2D image from a 3D representation stored in a scene file are outlined as the
graphics pipeline along a rendering device, such as a GPU. A GPU is a
purpose-built device able to assist a CPU in performing complex rendering
calculations. If a scene is to look relatively realistic and predictable under
virtual lighting, the rendering software should solve the rendering equation.
The rendering equation doesn't account for all lighting phenomena, but is a
general lighting model for computer-generated imagery. 'Rendering' is also
used to describe the process of calculating effects in a video editing program
to produce final video output.
Rendering is one of the major sub-topics of 3D computer graphics, and in
practice is always connected to the others. In the graphics pipeline, it is the
last major step, giving the final appearance to the models and animation.
With the increasing sophistication of computer graphics since the 1970s, it
has become a more distinct subject.
Rendering has uses in architecture, video games, simulators, movie or TV
visual effects, and design visualization, each employing a different balance of
features and techniques. As a product, a wide variety of renderers are
available. Some are integrated into larger modeling and animation packages,
some are stand-alone, some are free open-source projects. On the inside, a
renderer is a carefully engineered program, based on a selective mixture of
disciplines related to: light physics, visual perception, mathematics and

software development.
In the case of 3D graphics, rendering may be done slowly, as in prerendering, or in real time. Pre-rendering is a computationally intensive
process that is typically used for movie creation, while real-time rendering is
often done for 3D video games which rely on the use of graphics cards with
3D hardware accelerators.