Global Illumination

As software developed*, 3D programs began offering global illumination renderers. The scene is rendered more accurately because as in real life, nothing is isolated. Object are lit from the light source, and then become a source of light themselves. A green wall will give a green tint to objects that are close to it. Click next for a GI rendered example.

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*GI has actually been around quite a while. Back in 1987, Cornell University developed a rendering method called radiosity that calculates the energy bouncing around an environment. However, radiosity lacks the ability to render specular highlights, so that it often accomplished with a second pass raytrace.