ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Geometry pipeline

The geometry pipeline is a process that turns shapes into pictures on a computer screen. It's like playing with blocks and then making a picture of them. First, you have to pick what shape you want to use. Then you decide where to put it on the screen. This is called the "vertex stage." Next, you have to figure out how the shape should look. You might want it to be bigger or smaller, or you might want it to look like it's moving. This is called the "transformation stage." After that, you have to think about how to color the shape. This is called the "shader stage." Finally, you put all of these steps together and make a picture of your shapes. This is called "rasterization." Now you can see your creations on the screen!