Rendering can be thought of as five components that make up a rendered image (O'Rourke):

• Geometry
• Camera
• Lights
• Surface Characteristics
• Rendering Algorithm

To create a 3D scene, geometry with surface characteristics, lights and a camera view are required. When passed to a rendering algorithm, these components result in a rendered image.

The rendering algorithm chosen has implications for the speed of rendering and the quality of the rendered frame.