Pre-render vs Real-time rendering in games
Pre-render:
·
A pre
render is a video file that is made from captured frames – so pixels not asset
models. Usually they are created on more powerful pieces of hardware than the
target machine for the user such as CGI animations. These files can take a long
time to make, even on the more powerful machines – but are intended to be much
higher fidelity than the game itself.
·
The most
common use for pre rendered files are for cutscenes and animated loading
screens. Sometimes these things are one and the same – because the file does
not require any processing a cutscene may be used to blend between two
different scenes that need new assets loaded.
·
These
files are not interactive with the player usually and have a predetermined
outcome made by a game designer – unless the game has been created to just be
transitions between set content (such as an animated novel game). The files
used to play pre rendered content require animation, special sound and a large
amount of storage space if left uncompressed.
·
The
result can also have edits applied that are separate to the models and assets –
such as specific sound mixing, lens flares and filters/colour grading like a
traditional film format.
o For example, the image below
shows a screenshot from a cutscene in Final Fantasy 7: REMAKE and has:
§ Higher quality render on the
image,
§ Composition has been considered,
§ The player cannot interact with
or change the outcome of the cut scene,
§ The character has a deliberate
cut scene animation.
|
Real-time:
·
Real time
refers to the loading of assets with the help of the game engine. The process of
the engine using asset files allows the players interactions with the game to generate
unique results and respond to triggers.
·
Most
modern games use majority real time rendering for assets since they require
lower specs for a system than a render pc. Most often, games will provide the recommended
specs of a machine to play the game at a consistent frame rate, where the
optimised assets in real time are most common.
·
Real time
also allows for the quality of assets to be tweaked in video settings in game –
for example in games like Overwatch there is a range of individual options and
option presets that can alter the games appearance and performance, catering to
a wider audience and their wide variety of machines.
o For example, the image below
shows a screenshot from gameplay in Final Fantasy 7: REMAKE and has:
§ Medium quality textures and
details overall,
§ Composition has not been considered,
§ The player is actively
interacting with the assets on screen – such as fighting Roche and the enemies
seen in the background,
§ The character has a set of pre-made
animations, but they are only played with inputs from the player or when triggers
are reached (such as the death animation show on screen).
|
Roche from ff7 remake in real time during the game |
Why are games (mostly) made in real-time?:
·
Games are
primarily real time because pre-rendered content is expensive to make in both
time and resources. Real-time is also
responsive to player input, so the player actually gets to play the game
instead of watching a film. Assets are made with optimisation in mind usually
so that more content can be on screen at a good play quality, whereas assets
for rendered videos are made primarily for appearance.
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