5 minutes reading timeCould you imagine a game without fire, smoke, explosions, or even falling leaves? Of course not! To bring these elements to life, we must venture into the magical and unique world of VFX to create them.
What is real-time VFX?
You’ve likely heard of VFX (visual effects), especially if you’ve watched a movie. In today's world, it’s used almost everywhere in some form, both in the film and gaming industries. However, the VFX used in these two fields is not the same. In film VFX, studios work on various specific tasks and then combine them into a whole. This often involves pre-rendered effects, which are created through time-consuming calculations, resulting in a fixed, non-interactive visual effect.
In games, however, the situation is different, as real-time visual effects are needed. Here, games must continuously display the effects without hindering gameplay. In games, the effects must be seamless and dynamic, as they are triggered directly by the player's actions. There's no time to pre-render each frame; the effects need to appear instantly.
It's crucial that these effects don’t overload the system, which is why performance optimization is a primary concern. Real-time VFX must not diminish the player's experience while remaining visually impressive and impactful.
The Basics of Real-Time VFX
Real-time VFX refers to the computer-generated effects that make the gaming experience more realistic or action-packed. These effects can be simple, like smoke, fire, or explosions, or more complex, like a portal opening to another world. Even small details, like sparks flying off a broken wire, can be included. All of these contribute to the credibility of the game world and enhance the player's immersion.
Before you start creating VFX, it's important to consider the game's artistic direction and mood, as these fundamentally influence how the effects will look. In a realistic game, fire, water, or smoke must be as lifelike as possible, whereas in a stylized game, the effects can deviate from reality, focusing more on emotion or artistic expression.
Art Style and VFX
Before we can start creating a real-time VFX, we first need to examine what artistic style the game follows, as the visual effects need to align with this style. There are many different styles in games, each with its own guidelines and characteristics. Below are some of the most common styles:
Realistic
The goal of the realistic style is to create effects that look as true to life as possible. Fire, smoke, water, and other natural phenomena should aim to appear as they do in real life. This style is particularly popular in AAA games, such as first-person shooters (FPS) and open-world games.
Game examples:
- Red Dead Redemption
- Hell let loose
- Battlefield
Semi-Realistic
The semi-realistic style strives to maintain a lifelike appearance while incorporating elements that don’t exist in the real world, such as magic or effects reminiscent of fantasy realms.
Game examples:
- Witcher
- God of War
- Hogwarts legacy
Stylized
The stylized style focuses more on artistic expression than realism. These types of games aim to create a unique look and atmosphere. Many stylized games use hand-drawn elements, often combined with digital techniques to achieve a distinctive visual experience.
Game examples:
- League of legends
- Genshin Impact
- WoW
Pixel Art
The pixel art style uses 2D pixel graphics as its building blocks. While it may seem simple, this style requires great precision and attention to detail for successful execution.
Game examples:
- Stardew Valley
- Dave the diver
What makes up a VFX?
A basic VFX in games consists of several different components that come together to create spectacular and dynamic effects.
1. Particle Systems
Particle systems are one of the fundamental elements of VFX in games. They are made up of tiny objects that move and behave dynamically. Particle systems are used to create effects like smoke, fire, explosions, rain, snow, dust, etc. Examples: billowing smoke, raindrops, sparks.
2. Textures
Textures determine how visual effects look. These are two-dimensional images applied to particles or other objects. Textures help add detail to effects, such as showing flames in a fire or creating the subtle transparency of fog. Examples: flame patterns, smoke textures, energy flows.
3. Animation Flipbooks
Animation flipbooks are sequences of textures displayed rapidly in succession to create the illusion of movement. They are often used to animate fire, explosions, or magical effects. These flipbooks are frequently hand-drawn, requiring a lot of time and precise work. Examples: explosions, flickering flames, flashes.
4. Shaders
Shaders play a crucial role in refining the appearance of VFX, such as controlling light reflection or transparency. They are used to enhance the visual realism of effects. Examples: handling light and shadows, transparency (e.g., for magical shields), light flows.
5. Lighting
Lighting provides the mood and depth to effects. Well-designed lighting enhances the realism of VFX and results in a more powerful visual impact. Examples: flashes of light from explosions, light emitted from magical spells.
6. Sound Effects Integration (SFX)
Although not a visual component, sound plays an important role in the VFX experience, as it enhances the visual impact of effects. A well-placed explosion or magical sound effect makes the scene feel much more dynamic. Without the appropriate sound effects, visual effects can have less impact, as sounds further amplify the emotional resonance of what is seen.
However, it’s important to note that sound design and effects represent a separate field that requires deep and complex expertise. SFX is so intricate that it could easily be the subject of an entire standalone blog post. Examples: the impact of projectiles, the whoosh of a spell, a lightning strike.
7. Motion (Animation)
The movement of effects is key to creating a sense of dynamism. Animation controls how particles or effects move through space, at what speed, and in what direction. Examples: the rapid strike of lightning, sparks flying through the air.
8. Physical Simulations
By using physical simulations, the behavior of effects becomes more realistic. Gravity, wind, and collisions all influence the movement of effects, enhancing the visual authenticity. Examples: debris falling after an explosion, smoke blown by the wind, or raindrops.
9. Opacity and Transparency
In VFX, it's important to set the opacity correctly. Translucent elements, such as smoke or magical auras, create subtler effects, while more powerful effects (e.g., fire) are less transparent. Examples: fog layers, transparent energy fields.
10. Timing
The timing of VFX is crucial for impactful visuals. Timing determines how quickly or slowly an effect starts, how long it lasts, and when it reaches its peak. Examples:a delayed explosion effect, slowly spreading smoke, quick flashes.
The careful coordination of these various elements allows the effect to be visually stunning, believable, and integrated into the game's world and interactions.
How to Start a VFX Project?
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Plan: Consider what types of effects you want to create. Develop a detailed plan that takes into account gameplay and visual aesthetics. Sketch your ideas or create mood boards to establish a visual direction.
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Choose Software: Select the appropriate tools for your project. If you're a beginner, free tools like Blender, GIMP, Audacity, and Unreal Engine are perfect for initial projects. These programs offer a wide range of features that you can later expand upon with more professional software.
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Start Simple: Don’t try to create complex explosions or magical effects right away. Begin with simpler effects, such as a cloud of smoke or fire, and gradually build your skills. Understanding the basics of particle systems and animations will help you grasp more complex effects.
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Test Continuously: Continuous testing is crucial for real-time effects. Check how the effects look in different situations and on various platforms to ensure proper functionality and performance.
The world of real-time VFX is rich and diverse. To successfully create stunning effects, it’s important to understand both the technical and artistic aspects. The right tools, thoughtful planning, and ongoing testing all contribute to ensuring that the final result is not only visually impressive but also optimized and player-friendly.
Article written by G.D
Translated by F. Flóra
