Description

Computer graphics is a sub-field of computer science that studies methods for digitally synthesizing and manipulating visual content. Although the term often refers to the study of three-dimensional computer graphics, it also encompasses two-dimensional graphics and image processing.

Computer graphics has existed since the 1960s but became more prevalent with 3D gaming in the 1990s, which sparked interest from both commercial industries as well as academics.

The first computer graphics were produced on cathode ray tube (CRT) devices. These showed only wireframe models, and they never became popular with the general public. However, a still image of an object could be created by “painting” it in bitmap format to a CRT screen that was capable of displaying this type of information.

This process would involve loading up one or more software libraries that contained file formats for vector drawings as well as pre-rendered raster images are known today as pixel art.