An outline of 3D graphics concepts.
- Renderer (backend)
: a scene combines light, camera, and geometries in a viewable 3D space.
- : a model of the geometries, lights, cameras in a scene. Typically a tree (though not always).
- : math for rotations in 3D space
- Near and far : objects outside these bounds won't be rendered.
- : the field-of-view of the camera. Objects outside may not be rendered.
- Ambient light (directionless)
- Directional light (sun)
- Point light: lightbulb
- Area light (light shape, like a box of light)
- : glowing dome over the scene
- Aspect Ratio
- In , a Mesh is made up of a Geometry + Material.
- vertices (points)
- faces (fill)
- : line that is perpendicular to a face
- : splines like Bezier
- Models: serialized mesh
- / serializing models
: Typically an instance of a shader. Defines how a mesh surface looks and interacts with a light.
- / shading
- : shader language.
- , or physically-based rendering
- Metalness (shiny)
- Specular highlights, reflectivity
- : trace the rays of a raycaster for reflections, shadows.
skins the mesh
- : texture pixel
- : mapping how texture wraps mesh
- : simulate bumps and wrinkles
- Objects (Mesh + material w/ texture (optional))
- can be used to group many objects in the scene graph and move or scale as a group.
- Child objects (like groups, child objects have a position and rotation relative to the parent)
- : a literal cloud of points
Important paths between toolchains:
- Creating models, importing models into game engines.
- Creating shaders, bringing into game engine.
- Creating normal maps and texture maps, bringing into modeling software or game engine.