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An asynchronous method for cloud-based rendering

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Abstract

Interactive high-fidelity rendering is still unachievable on many consumer devices. Cloud gaming services have shown promise in delivering interactive graphics beyond the individual capabilities of user devices. However, a number of shortcomings are manifest in these systems: high network bandwidths are required for higher resolutions and input lag due to network fluctuations heavily disrupts user experience. In this paper, we present a scalable solution for interactive high-fidelity graphics based on a distributed rendering pipeline where direct lighting is computed on the client device and indirect lighting in the cloud. The client device keeps a local cache for indirect lighting which is asynchronously updated using an object space representation; this allows us to achieve interactive rates that are unconstrained by network performance for a wide range of display resolutions that are also robust to input lag. Furthermore, in multi-user environments, the computation of indirect lighting is amortised over participating clients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Keith Bugeja & Sandro Spina

  2. WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

    Kurt Debattista

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  1. Keith Bugeja
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  2. Kurt Debattista
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  3. Sandro Spina
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Correspondence to Keith Bugeja.

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Bugeja, K., Debattista, K. & Spina, S. An asynchronous method for cloud-based rendering. Vis Comput 35, 1827–1840 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00371-018-1577-8

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