The visualization process encompasses all of the steps necessary to produce images of a given dataset to enhance understanding. When a scientific simulation completes, or when sensors produce a file on disk, those raw files can be far from intelligible. Each file has its own data format containing fields of values defined in mathematical spaces; units and physical meaning are assigned to these values.

In some cases, such as with images from a microscope, the data can be displayed immediately. Conversely, in the example of data corresponding to the chemicals produced by a flame combustion, further processing must be done to transform that information into colored pixels on a screen. Visualization includes steps that fall into two groups: those that transform the data into polygons with color, and those that take those polygons and display them on the screen.

The "graphics pipeline" is the set of steps taken to display a given set of polygons as pixels on a screen. Understanding this pipeline can help figure out why your results may not look right, such as when your screen is unexpectedly all black or when data seems to flicker in and out during an animation.