RenderMan is the name of a computer graphics rendering technology invented by Pixar Animation Studios; an implementation of Pixar's photorealistic 3D description standard, the RenderMan Interface Specification.
The name RenderMan can cause confusion because it is often used to refer to two different things:
- The RenderMan Interface Specification (RISpec): Pixar's technical specification for a standard interface between modeling programs and rendering programs capable of producing photorealistic quality images
- PhotoRealistic RenderMan (PRMan): A RenderMan-compliant renderer developed by Pixar themselves based on their own interface specification