Rendering Reality: Measuring Time Efficiency in Virtual Human Creation

Recent advancements in real-time rendering technology have significantly improved the detail of virtual humans. Higher resolution textures, physically-based hair and skin materials, and other innovations have increased their likeness. However, this has also raised render time and complexity. While hardware improvements alleviate some issues, limited access to high-performance hardware restricts creators on lower-performance systems from using advanced rendering techniques. This study explores the relationship between render times at different levels of detail and the perceived realism of avatars. By comparing these levels, we establish a relative realism scale and identify suitable levels of detail for specific virtual experiences.