ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Baking (computer graphics)

Baking in computer graphics is like when you make a cake. Before you eat a cake, you have to bake it first. The baking process in computer graphics is similar.

When we make 3D objects on a computer, they are made up of different parts such as the shape, texture, color, and lighting. Baking is the process of taking all those different parts and making them into one single picture or texture for the computer to use. This picture or texture can then be applied to the 3D object to make it look better and more realistic.

Think of it like when you color a picture in a coloring book. Before you can color the picture, you have to outline it. When you bake in computer graphics, it's like outlining the picture so that you can color it in later.

When baking, the computer takes all the different parts of the 3D object, like the shape and different textures, and puts them together to make a single picture. This picture is called a texture map. The texture map is then used by the computer to make the 3D object look like it has the different textures and colors that were used in the picture.

So, in summary, baking in computer graphics is like making a cake, where you take all the different ingredients and put them together, to create a better final product. Baking in computer graphics is where the computer takes all different parts of a 3D object, puts them together to make one single picture or texture for the object, so that it can look more realistic.