Volumetric Effects Emerging in Real-time

Creating volumetric effects has always been a challenge for FX artists. It is not only the visual output but also the simulation time, the iterations and the rendering time it takes to achieve a good-looking sequence which takes a lot of time. That is why, over the years, FX has been one of the most complicated and costliest things for any project. So, it is an Fx artist's dream to visualize any volumetric effects in real-time where everything is live and there is hardly any guess work involved. 

Over the past few years game engine technology has been a key topic because of its technological advancements and the flexible workflow it provides. But when it comes to Fx, it was surely lacking some of the key features and technologies which FX artists has been using for years to create realistic and believable effects for movies and series. With the likes of Unreal's volumetric effects natively built-in within the engine, it feels like a dream come true for all the FX artists out there. 


(Volumetric Fire in UE5)

(3D Liquid in UE5)
 
It is not limited to Unreal Engine but lot of other platforms like EmberGen, Zibra Liquids, Omniverse Flow, etc. are providing solutions where artists can create and visualize these effects in real-time. So, the artists will be able to focus more on the aesthetics rather than waiting for hours for the cache or render to get completed. Many of these solutions might not be directly used for games at the moment but definitely these can be used for cinematic, visualization and in some cases for runtime purposes too. Undoubtedly, it is evident that we are standing at a paradigm shift in the industry where, within a few years' time, real-time effects creation will be the general norm for Fx workflow throughout the industry. Exciting times ahead!

Some Useful Links:

Niagara Fluids in UE5

Fluid Ninja VFX

EmberGen

Zibra AI

Omniverse Flow

Let me know in the comment section if you have already worked on any of these solutions, or do you come across any other real-time solution like these which are out there or being developed.

The advancements of game engine technology and the multifaceted use of real-time tech for different businesses is super exciting.

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