Pre-rendering

Pre-rendered graphics, in computer graphics, is a video footage which is not being rendered in real-time by the hardware that is outputing or playing back the video. Instead, the video is a recording of a footage that was previously rendered on a different equipment (typically one that is more powerful than the hardware used for playback). The advantage of pre-rendering is the ability to use graphic models that are more complex and computationally intensive than what can be rendered in real-time, due to the possibility of using multiple computers over extended periods of time to render the end results. The disadvantage of pre-rendering, in the case of video game graphics, is a generally lower level of interactivity, if any, with the player.

CG movies such as Toy Story, Shrek and Final Fantasy are entirely pre-rendered. Pre-rendered graphics are used primarily as cut scenes in modern video games, where they are also known as full motion video.

See also