rasterization

noun

ras·​ter·​i·​za·​tion ˌra-stə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

computers

: the process of converting a digital image from a vector graphics format in which the characteristics of lines, shapes, etc. are defined by mathematical formulas into a set of individual pixels

Rasterization is the process of taking a vector graphics image which is made up of shapes and converting it into a raster image which is made up of pixels or dots for output on a video display or printer or for storage in a bitmap file format.

—Joseph Frantiska, Jr.

For this test we'll focus exclusively on rasterization performance as the Radeon [graphics card] doesn't support ray tracing.

—Steven Walton

Examples of rasterization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This gallery consists primarily of benchmarks that rely on normal rasterization (i.e., no ray tracing). —Sam MacHkovech and Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 5 Oct. 2022

Still, with only rasterization as a metric, some testing limits became evident in a small percentage of tests. —Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 12 Oct. 2022

Word History

Etymology

rasterize + -ation

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above