Real-Time Global Illumination
Real-Time Global Illumination (RTGI) is a computer graphics technique that simulates how light interacts with surfaces in a 3D environment, including indirect lighting effects like color bleeding and soft shadows, all rendered at interactive frame rates. It aims to achieve photorealistic lighting in games, simulations, and other real-time applications by approximating complex light transport phenomena that were traditionally limited to offline rendering. This involves calculating not just direct light from sources, but also how light bounces between surfaces to create more natural and immersive scenes.
Developers should learn RTGI to create visually stunning and realistic real-time graphics, especially in video games, architectural visualizations, and virtual reality, where accurate lighting enhances immersion and visual fidelity. It's crucial for modern game engines and graphics pipelines to support dynamic lighting scenarios, such as moving light sources or changing environments, without pre-baked solutions. Use cases include AAA game development, real-time film production, and training simulations that require high-quality visuals at 60+ frames per second.