SMU Guildhall Graduate Catalog Spring 2019 — Cohort 27 | Page 74

Abhishek Arora Software Development « Volumetric Cloud Rendering The immersion offered by modern The clouds thus rendered interact with my primary driving force as a game scene objects into consideration while video game worlds has always been developer. Advances in technology have afforded us the capability to simulate real world systems that not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of games but also augment gameplay in ways that were not previously possible. These motivations, combined with my interest in computer graphics and 3D mathematics, led me to explore Volumetric Rendering, an advanced real-time rendering technique for transparent media like clouds and fog. By using my personal game engine to render a scene with clouds that can be viewed from below, above, and within, I sought to learn how physically-based rendering and optimization go hand-in- hand to bring effects that until recently were only available by film to types of interactive media like games. 74 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT light in a realistic manner and take other running at 60 frames per second, making them ready for use in games like Horizon Zero Dawn and Ace Combat 7. This project involved one month of research and five months of development, with other projects being undertaken in parallel.