As with many technical disciplines, artists in the 3D rendering industry create a lot of acronyms and industry-specific terms!
For experienced artists, these terms help to quickly convey complex ideas–the type of light in a scene, for example, or the exact type of digital asset needed for a project.
To help both novice designers--and experienced designers who want to learn some new lingo--we put together this glossary of automotive rendering terminology.
We’ll start with the most important terms we see in widespread use, and then move on to some very specific terms for describing lighting and vehicle features.
Key Automotive Rendering Terms to Know
Here are some of the most common (and crucial) terms you should know.
Backplate : A high-resolution background image used as a background in a 3D render. In our collection, we provide Backplates at a variety of camera heights to make it easy for designers to choose the perfect look.
Blender : An open-source DCC often used in automotive and product rendering. Blender is popular with professional designers, but its open-source license also makes it popular with student designers.
DCC : Digital Content Creation; refers to software applications used for creating automotive renders. Blender, VRED, and Nvidia Omniverse USD Composer are examples of popular DCCs.
Dome : A spherical or hemispherical environment used in 3D scenes for surrounding the subject. The term "dome" is often used to refer to HDRi Maps with large, detailed skies.
HDRi Map : A 360-degree image that includes lighting information as well as visuals. Read lots more here.
Image-Based Lighting (IBL) : A rendering technique where images (usually HDRi Maps) are used as light sources to illuminate 3D scenes realistically. Our RAY.HDRi Map format includes detailed IBL data.
RAY.HDRi Map : CGI.Backrounds’ best-in-class proprietary format for HDRi Maps, which includes up to 32k resolution and detailed IBL data.
Realtime Rendering : The process of generating computer graphics instantaneously, allowing for interactive visualization and manipulation of 3D scenes. Real-time rendering in tools like VRED has allowed designers to create automotive renders much faster. The tech has been influenced heavily by the gaming industry.
RM License : Rights Managed License; a licensing model for media assets where usage rights are controlled and priced based on specific conditions and durations.
Sky : In 3D graphics, a simulated atmospheric background representing the sky, used to add realism to outdoor scenes. HDRi Maps are sometimes called “skies,” especially when used for outdoor renders.
Skybox : A method for creating surrounding backgrounds in 3D environments using a cube with textures on its inner faces to simulate distant environments. Commonly used in gaming, the technique (and the term) have expanded into the automotive rendering world. More on the connection with gaming here.
Unreal : Refers to Unreal Engine, a widely used real-time 3D creation platform (or DCC, see above) for developing games, simulations, and visualizations.
VRED : A high-cost but extremely powerful DCC from Autodesk, commonly used in automotive rendering, especially within big enterprise companies. If you’re working with a large car brand, it’s very helpful to learn VRED.
We've worked with Autodesk to provide free VRED scenes here.
Describing Light In Your Renders
Light is complex and emotionally powerful. Putting it into words can be hard. Use these terms to help describe the light in a scene, or the kind of light you want in your render.
Raking Light : Light that strikes a surface at a shallow angle, emphasizing texture.
Bounce Light : Light that is reflected off a surface to soften it. When adding HDRi Maps, designers often add their own artificial bounce lights.
Ambient Light : The natural or existing light in a scene. Especially when working with professional HDRi Maps like the ones in our collection, you can often illuminate your render entirely through the ambient light from the original location, captured in the images’ IBL data.
Hard Light : Light that creates strong shadows and high contrast. Again, think of directed artificial light or the sun on a cloudless day.
Soft Light : Diffused light that produces soft shadows and lower contrast.
High Key : A style of lighting that is bright, with few shadows, often used in comedies and fashion. In renders, high key light is ideal for showing luxurious or everyday vehicles.
Low Key : A lighting style that uses predominantly dark tones and high contrast. The vehicle may appear to fade into a black background. This lighting is perfect for high-performance vehicles, racing vehicles and the like.
Spotlight : A focused beam of light that illuminates a small area or subject. Spotlights can create a dramatic effect in your render, or can be used to selectively illuminate a key part of a vehicle.
Terms for Describing Vehicles, or “Who Knew Cars Had So Many Parts?”
Cars are complex machines! If you’re rendering vehicles, these terms can help you be specific when presenting your renders or providing feedback to other artists.
Silhouette : The overall outline or profile of the vehicle as seen from the side. Some cars have aggressive, sporty lines, whereas others are meant to look sleek and luxurious.
Proportion : The relationship between different parts of the car’s body, such as the size of the cabin versus the hood. The proportions of a vehicle vary dramatically between vehicle categories, and even vary widely within a specific brand.
Stance : How the car sits on its wheels, including its width, height, and posture. Performance vehicles are often low to the ground to reduce drag; off-road vehicles have high clearances to avoid obstacles on the road.
Shoulder Line : The contour running along the sides of the car, typically from the front to the rear.
Beltline : The imaginary line that runs along the bottom edge of the windows, separating the glass from the body. Reflective surfaces (like a vehicle’s body panels) and transparent ones (like windows) are important to note in your renders, since light will interact with them differently.
Greenhouse : The upper part of the car’s body, including the roof and windows, that appears "transparent" like a greenhouse. Consider what will be visible in the background through the windows of your vehicle’s “”greenhouse.”
A-Pillar/B-Pillar/C-Pillar : The vertical supports of the car’s body structure, with the A-pillar at the front windshield, B-pillar between the doors, and C-pillar near the rear window. Knowing these specific terms can be helpful for giving feedback on a vehicle design.
Character Line : A distinctive crease or line along the car’s body to create visual interest or emphasize certain design features. Including these in a vehicle digital twin is crucial if you want to get the exact look of a specific vehicle right.
Flare : The outward bulge of the wheel arches or fenders to accommodate wider tires and give the car a more muscular look.
Haunches : The pronounced rear fenders of a car, often giving the impression of strength and power.
Wedge Shape : A design where the car appears to be rising from front to back, with a lower nose and higher rear.
Overhang : The portion of the car’s body that extends beyond the front and rear wheels. Many high-performance cars feature a significant overhang.
Cab-Forward Design : A design where the cabin is positioned more toward the front of the car, creating a longer rear deck or trunk.
Cab-Rearward Design : Opposite of cab-forward, where the cabin is positioned farther back, often seen in luxury sedans and sports cars. This allows for larger displacement engines in front-engine vehicles.
Fastback : A design where the roofline slopes continuously down to the rear of the car, giving a streamlined appearance.
Boxy : A more angular, squared-off design, typically seen in SUVs and older models. Lots of Mercedes SUVs use this shape.
Surface Tension : The way light interacts with the car’s surfaces, creating tension and visual dynamism through curves and edges. If you’re working with assets that include IBL data, surface tension is especially important to consider on your digital twin.
Plan View : The top-down view of the vehicle, showing its shape and proportions from above.
Concave/Convex Surfaces : Describes areas of the car body that are either indented (concave) or bulging out (convex).
Bonnet/Boot Line (UK) or Hood/Trunk Line (US) : The design contours and shapes of the front (hood) and rear (trunk) sections of the car. If you’re working with international clients, it’s very important to understand the different terms used in countries that speak US vs UK English.
Cowl : The area of the car’s body between the windshield and the hood, where the dashboard and firewall are located.
Sculpting : The art of creating curves, ridges, and forms on the car's body to give it aesthetic and aerodynamic properties.
Negative/Positive Space : Negative space refers to the gaps or voids (e.g., around wheel arches), while positive space refers to the solid, tangible parts of the car body.
