Rendering

Massive amounts of data from models, sets, lighting and surfaces are created in animation's virtual workspace. Eventually, all that virtual information must be converted into real footage in a process called rendering, which calculates the color of every pixel of every frame. This takes time, even for today’s powerful computers, and sometimes choices are made that simplify the data and cut down on rendering time.

In Rendering, you can:

Adjust a Ratatouille scene to balance image quality and render time • Look inside Pixar's “Render Farm” • See how to limit a model’s complexity based on proximity

Photos: © Nicolaus Czarnecki

The Science Behind Pixar was developed by the Museum of Science, Boston in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios. ©Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.