Artworks in 16K resolution with the game engine Unreal
Game engines and real-time renderings are hot topics for generating visual content in product communications. And rightly so—because what engines like Unreal from Epic Games are capable of is unbelievable.
Task
High-quality still-image artwork is just as important a part of an modern customer journey as interactive media that uses real-time 3D. The objective here was to transfer the visual quality of ‘traditional renderings’ to the Unreal game engine in the context of a single-source pipeline. The intended result was to achieve high-resolution, print-ready artwork based on the digital twin, which would match the quality of traditional renderings or shootings.
Implementation
Unreal 4.25 was used together with native real-time lighting based on RTX (real-time raytracing) technology. Standard production methods like baking light and shadows were intentionally not used. The digital twin was optimised used largely automated techniques and given customised materials/shaders. This approach ensures content provision is possible from the system and automated for any variation of the model.
Result
High-quality marketing material at an ultra-high 16K resolution (15,984 × 12,000 pixels). Game engines like Unreal can be used for a lot more than simply interactive real-time games or VR/AR applications. For still images, these engines offer perfectly photorealistic quality – even for ultra-high resolutions. This makes the most of their real-time capabilities, offering rapid results and therefore short production times that maximise the available budget. They can be used as the starting-point for a true, single-source production pipeline that feeds all of the touchpoints in a modern customer journey.
