3D Gaussian Splatting - Why Graphics Will Never Be The Same

This week I saw a YouTube video which left me impressed regarding Gaussian Splatting. [link] I got it recommended because I watched the following video: [this video] Both are worth watching if one didn't know it exists.

I am a complete layman in the world of complex computer graphics programming and research, but I have an interest in it as someone who enjoys playing computer games. I really enjoyed this succinct YouTube video on the topic, for those interested in a primer: [this video]

This 2-minute video is a great intro to the topic [this video] I think this tech has become "production-ready" recently due to a combination of research progress (the seminal paper was published in 2023 [link] ) and improvements to differentiable programming libraries (e.g. PyTorch) and GPU hardware.

Youtube recommended this video to me, which concisely explains splatting. Information necessary for trade is there but the trade is left to the viewer. The key drawback that isn't highlighted is that you need a physical space to be a close approximation of what you want to render. So if you want to make a few counter strike maps based off of your workplace (not recommended) then this would be a good technology, but if you want to make an open world on an alien planet you're likely better off with traditional rendering. [this video]

> [1] 2 min intro to 3D Gaussian splatting: [this video] I don't know what the hell a "gaussian splat" is and I have to say this video did not help at all.