A guide to global illumination.
In this guide, we’ll explain what global illumination is and share several GI techniques for you to try.
In this guide, we’ll explain what global illumination is and share several GI techniques for you to try.
Global illumination is a feature that mimics how light interacts with surfaces in the real world in a virtual environment. Traditionally, game designers had to use direct lighting to illuminate objects from a direct source, which casts some shadows but doesn’t look very realistic.
With global illumination techniques, designers can use indirect lighting that scatters light when it hits a surface. This feature creates complex interactions that are far more intricate and realistic. It’s the reason why games using GI have more convincing environments that feel natural and immersive.
For example, global illumination can make a difference in the following scenarios:
There are many global illumination techniques you can use for rendering, such as:
Both global illumination and ray tracing help create realistic lighting. However, they’re not quite the same. They differ in terms of:
Global illumination makes models more realistic by simulating indirect lighting. However, it isn’t always feasible for real-time games because it requires a lot of resources.
Ray tracing also makes realistic scenes by simulating reflections and soft shadows. Historically, it took a lot of resources to do ray tracing, although new innovations have made it possible to use it for real-time rendering.
These two techniques might sound similar, and that’s because they often overlap. Ray tracing typically is used to compute global illumination, so it’s likely that designers will see more tools combining GI and ray tracing in the future.
Global illumination pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in video game design. It can be used to:
Modern games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Uncharted 4 are great examples of using global illumination to create stunning virtual worlds. However, while global illumination can create lifelike video games, it requires a lot of computing resources, and not all hardware will support that.
Global illumination brings virtual environments to life. It creates an ambiance that immediately immerses gamers in a story through clever indirect lighting.
While GI has its challenges, it’s a great tool for 3D and video game design. To see the difference firsthand, start using Adobe Substance 3D Stager to experiment with rendering global illumination in your own projects.
There are several ways to achieve global illumination, including:
● Radiosity
● Photon mapping
● Pre-computed
● Dynamics