Alan Zucconi

Tag: unity

  • Shader Showcase Saturday #1: Volumetric Crystals

    Shader Showcase Saturday #1: Volumetric Crystals

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    When a 3D object is drawn on the screen, only its outer shell is actually rendered. This works for most solid and opaque materials, but is not powerful enough to bring life to transparent and translucent materials. Currently, this is one of the biggest limitations of most modern game engines. Volumetric rendering is a technique that…

  • Unite Berlin 2018: What Went Wrong

    Unite Berlin 2018: What Went Wrong

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    If you have been following Unite Berlin, you might be aware that OMG NESTED PREFABS! Fun fact: I was literally below the confetti explosion; I’m back to London, and I’m still finding those damn confetti everywhere. And I have evidence…

  • Inverse Kinematics in 2D – Part 2

    Inverse Kinematics in 2D – Part 2

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    You can read the rest of this online course here: A follow-up that focuses on 3D is also available:

  • Inverse Kinematics in 2D – Part 1

    Inverse Kinematics in 2D – Part 1

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    If you have been following this blog for a while, you might have noticed some recurring themes. Inverse Kinematics is definitely one them, and I have dedicated an entire series on how to apply it to robotic arms and tentacles. If you have not read them, do not fear: this new series will be self-contained,…

  • CD-ROM Shader: Diffraction Grating – Part 2

    CD-ROM Shader: Diffraction Grating – Part 2

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    This post completes the series on how to create a shader for CD-ROMs. You can find the complete series here: A link to download the Unity project used in this series is also provided at the end of the page.

  • CD-ROM Shader: Diffraction Grating – Part 1

    CD-ROM Shader: Diffraction Grating – Part 1

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    This post will guide you through the creation of a shader that reproduces the rainbow reflections that can be seen on CD-ROMs and DVDs. This tutorial is part of a longer series on physically based iridescence. You can find the complete series here: A link to download the Unity project used in this series is…

  • Fast Subsurface Scattering in Unity (Part 1)

    Fast Subsurface Scattering in Unity (Part 1)

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    Most (if not all) optical phenomena that materials exhibit can be replicated by simulating how the individual rays of light propagate and interact. This approach is referred in the scientific literature as ray tracing, and it is often too computationally expensive for any real-time application. Most modern engines rely on massive simplifications that, despite being…

  • The Mathematics of Diffraction Grating

    The Mathematics of Diffraction Grating

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    This post introduces the mathematics behind the optical phenomenon known as diffraction grating, which is responsible for iridescent reflections in many materials. You can find the complete series here: A link to download the Unity project used in this series is also provided at the end of the page.

  • Understanding Diffraction Grating

    Understanding Diffraction Grating

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    The first post in this series, The Nature of Light, introduced the dual nature of light, exhibiting behaviours which are typical of both waves and particles. In this part, we will see how those two aspects are both necessary for iridescence to arise. You can find the complete series here: A link to download the…

  • Improving the Rainbow – Part 2

    Improving the Rainbow – Part 2

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    In the previous part of this tutorial, Improving the Rainbow – Part 1, we have seen different techniques to reproduce the colours of the rainbow procedurally. Solving this problem efficiently will allow us to simulate physically based reflections with a much higher fidelity. The purpose of this post is to introduce a novel approach that…