NVIDIA Kickstart RT SDK
The Kickstart RT SDK enables developers to get more realistic dynamic lighting into their game engines in a much shorter timespan than traditional methods. It is a cross-API, cross platform solution that brings real-time ray-traced reflections, shadows, ambient occlusion and global illumination to game engines.
This scene highlights ray-traced global illumination, ambient occlusion and shadows; all enabled through Kickstart RT.
Benefits of Kickstart RT
Faster Integration Time
Kickstart RT forgoes traditional Direct3D 12 API requirements and invasive changes to existing material systems.
One Stop Shop
The SDK enables real-time ray-traced reflections, shadows, ambient occlusion and global illumination under one umbrella.
Runs Everywhere
This is a cross-API and cross-platform solution that provides APIs via Direct3D11, Direct3D12 and Vulkan. It can run on Windows and Linux systems.
Available Effects in Kickstart RT
Ray-Traced Global Illumination and Ambient Occlusion
Ray-traced ambient occlusion and global illumination provides the subtle indirect light that really enhances a scene. Kickstart RT allows dynamic contributions to indirect lighting by capturing those contributions to the direct lighting cache and then tracing them in the scene.
Ray-Traced Reflections
Reflections of dynamic geometry that are not on screen are one of the hallmark features of real-time ray-tracing. Kickstart RT can trace against the persistent direct lighting cache to render ray-traced reflections (including transparency) and increase the dynamic immersion of a scene. All without the need to prepare and bind a list of materials to trace against!
Ray-Traced Shadows
Ray-traced shadows provide higher fidelity compared to traditional shadow mapping techniques. We cast rays across a scene to realistically account for characters, objects and foliage that block light, resulting in lifelike dynamic shadows.
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