"Realtime indirect bounce shadowing is not supported for spot and point lights" - Updates?

With the release of 2018.3, I'm wondering what is the official status on this specific issue?
I've been using realtime GI on my current project for two years now, but due to this limitation, I always run into issues with light bleeding in small interior environments with thin walls that rely on point lights.

What I'm wondering is:

• Is the support for real-time indirect bounce shadowing for spot and point lights ever going to be implemented? Or is it just something technically unfeasible in the foreseeable future.
• If not, are there workaround or solutions in place if someone wants to use real-time GI in closed spaces? (maybe a Unity Asset, or some other workflow that has recently been released)

 

Thanks for the quick reply. What could I do to bump the priority?

SEGI unfortunately is no longer being developed and as far as I'm aware there are no other solutions around.

Also is there anyone at Unity I could show what we are doing and see what we can do to minimize issues in the meantime?

 

Hi, and thank you very much for the conversation.

I've been through the roadmap and found no reference to this in the to-do task nor the archive. Could you please share some updated info about it? This feature is very important for architecture vizualization with dynamic lighting, for example.

Thanks!

 

Thank you very much for your reply.

Following your link, I dedicated some time to read the blog and the forums, and I understand that:
* Enlighten is the only system that provides realtime GI at the moment.
* At some point in 2021 Unity will add realtime GI to Progressive light mappers. Or to a new system altogether, but made by you guys in-house.
* Enlighten is being dropped in 2020 versions for HDRP. It will be dropped in 2021 altogether.

So:

* In order to use realtime GI with HDRP, I will need to wait in 2019 versions. 2019.2 for new project, 2019.4 for upgraded projects (with Enlighten).​

* I will be able to use realtime GI with LDRP or the built in RP until version 2020.4 (with Enlighten).
* I will need to find a way to compensate for the light bleeding until the new system is in place in 2021, and this issue in particular is addressed.

Please let me know if I'm wrong! I'm quite confused. Thanks!

 

From the experience with my projects that used so far Enlighten, I can tell you that you are stucked when looking for 100% clean solution. I also had the problem with a horror game: Interior map with rather thin walls, like 0.25 to 0.5 meters thick, completely realtime lights with lights flickering, go on and off and change their colors due to story and gameplay. Also had a flashlight for the player. The problem is light bleeding at some corners. I was never able to get rid off them completely. I got some negative feedback and just had to admit the current state of tech cannot fullfill the game's goals for lighting, sad as it is.

And at the moment there is no other solution to realtime GI. Maybe at some day in the future, you will be able to update your game IF and only IF they come up with a better system. And by that I mean a system that is not forced on RTX cards, because I can tell you from experience of my testers, nobody has that expensive hardware, expect some very ambitious developers, rich tech nerds and high demanding CoD gamers.

Rich and big studios may can afford an own good GI solution, but as an indie, the best you get with Unity is Enlighten. And at least it is free.

 

May I ask why Illumination is not a high priority for a realtime engine? If lighting is not so important for rendering, what else? Automotive and architechture visualization, I guess. For lighting leaking, you could come up with a solution of placing geometry proxies preventing the light leaking like the new GI approach in CryEngine.