Global Illumination
Global Illumination (GI) is a computer graphics technique that simulates how light interacts with surfaces in a 3D scene, accounting for indirect lighting effects like reflections, refractions, and color bleeding. It models the physical behavior of light rays as they bounce between objects, creating realistic lighting and shadows that enhance visual fidelity. This is crucial for applications such as video games, architectural visualization, and film production where photorealistic rendering is desired.
Developers should learn Global Illumination when working on projects requiring high-quality, realistic graphics, such as AAA video games, virtual reality experiences, or simulation software. It is essential for achieving natural lighting effects that improve immersion and visual appeal, particularly in real-time rendering engines like Unreal Engine or Unity. Understanding GI helps optimize performance by balancing accuracy with computational efficiency, using techniques like precomputed lighting or ray tracing.