Three-dimensional medical images can be generated with a variety of computer algorithms from computed tomography and magnetic resonance data sets. The most commonly used techniques are maximum intensity projection (MIP) and shaded surface display (SSD). Recently, volume rendering (VR) has become available on dedicated workstations, providing the possibility of interaction with data sets. All 3D rendering techniques represent a volume of data in 1 or more 2-dimensional (2D) planes, conveying the spatial relationships inherent in the data with the use of visual depth cues. Techniques and artefacts regarding MIP, SSD, and VR are described here, along with several models of clinical application.