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7
The Rendering
Pipeline
In this chapter, we are going to take a look inside the most important el-
ement of VR—the 3D graphics. Creating realistic-looking 3D graphics (a
process called rendering) poses a particular challenge for VR system builders
because, unlike making a 3D movie or TV show, we must endow our sys-
tem with a capability for real-time interactivity. In the past, this has meant
that VR graphics engines
1
had difficulty in achieving that really realistic look.
Not any more! For this, we have to thank the computer-game industry. It
was the multi-billion dollar market demand for games that accelerated the
development of some spectacular ...