SS23 – TD – 09 – Raymarching for the masses with RayTK

Description

May 31st 2023 6-9 PM (CET) / In English Language / Online via Zoom

Raymarching has been around for a long time, but it is very different from traditional rendering, and it requires a strong knowledge of GLSL and vector math. The technique is particularly interesting because it is entirely computed in a screen-space shader. In other words, no mesh data is provided to the renderer and the scene is drawn on a single quad that covers the camera’s field of vision.

Objects in the scene are defined by mathematical equations that describe the shortest distance between a point and the surface of any object in the scene. Some forms (fractals) and effects (caustics, volumentric lights) that are very difficult to achieve with traditional rendering methods can be calculated in real time with raymarching. As raymarching doesn’t work with polygonal meshes but mathematical equations it is possible to define perfectly smooth surfaces.

However, raymarching is far from trivial and was until recently exclusive to TouchDesigner users that were able to write rather advanced shader code. Until RayTK was released that is. RayTK is a library of TouchDesigner components that construct raymarching shaders (and other types of shaders) with networks of COMPs using the TouchDesigner network editor. RayTK consists of a set of operator (ROP) components, and a set of tools for working with them.

RayTK allows artists without a strong knowledge of GLSL to render raymarched scenes, using the familiar elements of the TouchDesigner network editor.

After the live lesson you will get access to the recording and the workshop files for one year.