Real-time rendering involves creating and displaying images immediately, rather than waiting for the process to complete. Technology has a long history, first appearing in video games and CGI movies in the 1990s. Artists and animators can now see their work as it is created, without waiting hours or days for the final result.
What is real-time?
Real-time rendering refers to the ability to dynamically generate images or animations. It's like playing a video game, the graphics changing as you move your character, or watching animations on your phone that respond to your touch.
The technology has a wide range of possible uses, from creating simple animations to developing full video games. Unlike pre-rendering, which requires waiting for the final product, real-time rendering can instantly change and improve the quality of the footage.
Why use real-time?
With this type of rendering, you can see the end result of your work faster. You don't have to wait long days for the final release. This means you can try out different designs, make changes, and see results almost instantly.
This is a huge advantage for artists and animators because they can see what their work will look like immediately. By doing so, they can quickly get customer and stakeholder feedback and make necessary changes before producing the final product. This helps to minimize rework, which saves time and money in the long run.
Benefits:
- Ability to create realistic images on the fly.
- Full creative control of the final quality of the image on the fly.
- Results are delivered faster.
- It's a great opportunity for filmmakers with virtual production.
Is real-time rendering expensive?
Real-time projects are not necessarily more expensive than offline ones. It all depends on your needs and what kind of software are you using.
Working on projects in a real-time tool like Unreal Engine could be more expensive than offline ones, but offline rendering has some disadvantages:
- Waiting for previews and final material.
- Costs of rendering—you have to own a really expensive graphic card or spend money on render farms to do it quickly (but still it could be hours or days).
- It takes more time to do minor changes.
Our clients benefit greatly from working with real-time software. Making corrections, deliveries and even collaborating together in live sessions increases productivity while allowing everyone to see the results immediately.
There's no limit to what can be achieved with this technology, giving you the potential for a major edge over your competitors.
Conclusion
It's an incredible tool for bringing technology to life. It gives us the ability to create vibrant, captivating visuals and interactive simulations that range from games and animated effects all the way up to virtual production in the film—giving any storyteller more options than ever before!
With Unreal Engine at your disposal, it's time to push the boundaries of what we think computers can do!
