How do Game VFX Work in games?
How do Game VFX Work in games?
VFX such as smoke or fog are created using specialized rendering techniques. The process involves generating particles or volumetric effects and integrating them into the game’s environment. Rendering is handled by the graphics engine, which manages how these effects are displayed in real time. If the environment lags while applying fog or smoke, possible causes could include insufficient processing power, memory constraints, or inefficient shader usage.
It mainly comes down to how each game engine handles effects. Some, like the Source engine, rely heavily on the CPU for most tasks except texture and model generation. Others, such as Frostbite, can make better use of the GPU. Updated February 13, 2016 by Dan Castellaneta
Imagine a scenario like Guild Wars 2. For personal experience, I face challenges in foggy zones and smoke-filled areas where lag occurs. Your specs are listed on your account. What steps should I follow? What might cause delays? I understand the CPU relies on other parts for performance, which could limit frame rendering. I’m aware the game uses the CPU heavily, so perhaps VFX work or storage is the bottleneck. This is for troubleshooting—please clarify.
I'm curious about how fog or smoke effects are generated and ways to boost your performance. These are two distinct topics. There are many methods for creating fog/smoke, such as volumetric fog and a tessellated blob that doesn't interact with the player—similar to water but with unique traits. Another option is an in-game ENB that simply calculates space and applies a fog filter. There are numerous approaches, but I’m not sure how GW2 achieved this. What fascinates me is that it works despite being a relatively old game and powerful hardware. Try turning off certain settings (I don’t play GW2, but maybe tessellation or volumetric effects) to see if it improves things. Also, consider disabling shadows in the affected area—something I noticed in GW2 forums.
Smoke effects in games can be created in various ways, often limited by the resources available to developers. Many titles render smoke as a 2D animation using tools such as Maya, keeping it aligned with the player’s camera view. This approach gives the illusion of smoke rather than a realistic plane. Additionally, some games use smoke composed of numerous tiny particles that interact physically with models—a method that is computationally intensive and rarely implemented due to performance constraints (for instance, Nvidia GameWorks offers an integration for this).
The GPU handling is what matters here. It determines how effects are managed, whether they require extra memory or storage, and the real-time resources used to generate these visuals. In games like Heroes of the Storm and during battles, particle systems or similar effects likely rely on CPU-GPU communication and temporary RAM storage. Tiling might not be an issue, but performance can drop when combined with heavy settings such as AA, DSR, or Supersample. Games like GW2, League of Legends, or Heroes of the Storm tend to be more efficient, while particle-heavy effects—especially in 3D—can strain even powerful hardware if many parameters are active. On the other hand, simpler titles like GTA V or LOL usually run smoother. The key is understanding the data flow between CPU and GPU for these effects.