NVIDIA Kickstart RT SDK enables developers to integrate 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 SDK forgoes traditional Direct3D 12 API requirements and invasive changes to existing material systems, providing a one-stop shop for real-time ray-tracing effects.

Features

• Ray-Traced Global Illumination and Ambient Occlusion: Provides subtle indirect light that enhances a scene by capturing dynamic contributions to indirect lighting and tracing them in the scene.
• Ray-Traced Reflections: Renders reflections of dynamic geometry not on screen, increasing the dynamic immersion of a scene without needing to prepare and bind a list of materials to trace against.
• Ray-Traced Shadows: Offers higher fidelity shadows compared to traditional shadow mapping techniques by casting rays across a scene to realistically account for characters, objects, and foliage that block light.
• Cross-API and Cross-Platform: Provides APIs via Direct3D11, Direct3D12, and Vulkan, and can run on Windows and Linux systems.
• Faster Integration Time: Reduces the time required to integrate realistic dynamic lighting into game engines by avoiding traditional Direct3D 12 API requirements and invasive changes to existing material systems.

Benefits

• Enhanced Realism: Delivers more realistic dynamic lighting effects, improving the visual quality of games.
• Efficiency: Reduces development time and effort by providing a comprehensive solution for real-time ray-tracing effects.
• Flexibility: Supports multiple APIs and platforms, making it suitable for a wide range of game development environments.
• Immersive Experience: Increases the dynamic immersion of scenes with high-fidelity reflections, shadows, and ambient occlusion.