CC Jul-Aug 2021

TECHNOLOGY focus
Deep Learning
Enscape's association with NVIDIA on its latest Graphics Cards featuring DLSS technology
boosts the company's real-time rendering capabilities
It's not so long ago that you had to resort
to 'render farms' to turn your 3D models
and animations into lifelike images.
There was a step change up from that
time-consuming process when computers
with more powerful or multithreaded CPUs
became available, and you merely had to
pop off for lunch when you got to the
rendering stage. Graphics cards have
advanced considerably, and it became
obvious that NVIDIA had product and
technology goals which they saw they
could achieve through a specific avenue of
hardware/software development. They
executed successfully on that strategy -
and updated their capabilities dramatically.
With more powerful GPUs and increased
frame buffer sizes, NVIDIA claims that they
can now be used to accelerate the
rendering process by up to 6 or 15 times
compared to what is achievable using the
fastest CPUs. A graphics workstation's
CPU features a small quantity of highly
complex cores, compared to the hundreds
or thousands of smaller and simpler cores
on a typical GPU. Simple cores prove ideal
for handling the rendering of masses of
small polygons that you get in a 3D model.
It is the cores in a GPU that handle the
computations, and the RAM frame
buffer stores pixel data so that it can be
fed to a video display. VRAM stores
textures and other data that are to be
used in the rendering.
Groundbreaking AI technology is also
used by NVIDIA to increase other elements
of its graphics performance. Its DLSS
(Deep Learning Super Sampling)
technology uses dedicated Tensor Cores
on its GeForce RTX GPUs to leverage its
deep learning neural network, boost frame
rates and generate beautiful, sharp
images in a render. Together with the RT
cores ray tracing capabilities leveraging
deeper tracking of individual light paths, it
can simulate ultra-high resolutions and
produce images comparable to native
resolution even though it might only render
a fraction of the pixels.
The deep learning-based upscaling
technology actually renders internally at a
lower resolution but is able to output
cleaner and sharper high-resolution
images for videos and high-performance
virtual reality walkthroughs.
In the gaming industry, DLSS allows
users to choose one of several quality
modes, from Quality Performance with 4 x
AI super resolution (i.e. 1080p render
resolution) or Ultra-performance levels at 9
x AI super resolution (1440p or 8K
resolution). Whille Enscape's rendering
modes are not dependent on DLSS it may
be implemented in future releases.
ENSCAPE
Enscape, a leading provider of 3D
visualisations and virtual reality technology
for architects and designers, recently
released Enscape 3.1, stating that,
amongst other enhancements, it will be
leveraging NVIDIA's DLSS technology with
the new release supporting the company's
RTX Graphics cards. This will enable
Enscape to provide the ultimate in realtime
rendering technology with lower GPU
requirements, giving clients the tools to
create more realistic experiences during
walkthroughs and exports. Using the
technology in Enscape's video rendering
capabilities will mean that the reduced
GPU requirements are sped up, the quality
improved and visual distortions removed.
The images on the opposite page show
the effect of raytraced sun shadows using
Enscape with and without using DLSS,
and also highlight the DLSS performance
enhancements at 4K and 8K resolutions
and the improvements that running at 60
frames per second delivers.
AI IN THE AEC INDUSTRY
We are all perhaps guilty of mentioning AI
technology in any discussion pertaining to
the construction industry lately. It's a
technology, though, that can be used to
enhance visualisations and innovative
rendering techniques, and it is enabling
rendering software developers like
Enscape to both improve their
photorealistic rendering capabilities and
make the software easier to use.
16
July/August 2021