Chapter 1. Toward Photorealism in Virtual Botany

David Whatley
Simutronics Corporation

Rendering natural scenes in real time, while leaving enough CPU and GPU resources for other game-engine requirements, is a difficult proposition. Images of botany require a great deal of visual depth and detail to be convincing. This chapter describes strategies for rendering more photorealistic natural scenes in a manner that is friendly to real-time game engines. The methods presented here work together to create a convincing illusion of grassy fields teeming with plants and trees, while not overwhelming either the CPU or the GPU. These techniques are used in Simutronics’ Hero’s Journey, as shown in Figure 1-1.