Renderers and diagnostics
Deferred, Forward+, Mobile, Compatibility, antialiasing and Radiant status.
Choose a renderer for the project
The renderer determines available effects, GPU requirements and frame cost. Choose according to target hardware and required features, rather than the most complex mode's name.
| Mode | Practical use | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Deferred | Detailed desktop 3D and clustered G-buffer lighting | No MSAA; transparent and specialized surfaces may use separate Forward passes |
| Forward+ | Desktop 3D with the full modern graphics toolset | Requires a compatible modern GPU/API |
| Mobile | A lighter path for constrained frame budgets | Its post-processing set differs from Forward+/Deferred |
| Compatibility | Broad compatibility and simpler graphics requirements | Does not support the entire desktop effect set |
New desktop projects use Deferred and TAA. Other modes remain valid choices; retaining an effect's settings does not guarantee execution after switching renderers.
Selecting Mobile or finding a platform in the source does not mean its ready-made export package has been published. Check renderer, export template and target device separately.
Antialiasing and resolution
Deferred uses TAA, FXAA, SMAA or a supported temporal upscaler. Enabling an MSAA setting does not provide Deferred MSAA. Forward+ supports a different set of combinations.
Inspect motion: thin grids, leaves, transparent surfaces and high-contrast edges. TAA can produce trails and strong sharpening can emphasize noise. Change one setting and compare the same viewpoint at the same resolution.
3D rendering scale determines internal frame resolution. Window dimensions alone do not reveal the actual buffer sizes.
Lighting and reflections
Direct light, indirect illumination, contact occlusion and reflections serve different purposes. Bloom is not a light source; SSAO is not full light transport.
Choose reflections to suit the scene: ReflectionProbe covers an environment, while SSR uses visible frame data. Objects leaving the screen inherently limit SSR. Inspect metal and smooth surfaces while moving the camera as well as in still images.
Baked light reduces some runtime work but must be updated after changes to static geometry or lighting. A scene whose indirect lighting comes from lightmaps is not fully dynamically lit.
Radiant and newer source changes
Reckfell Radiant is experimental GI in a separate test build. It uses world probes and software tracing; this does not make it available in every installed editor.
Dynamic geometry, small metallic reflections and other devices retain limitations. A universal advantage over SDFGI has not been established. Do not make Radiant a release requirement without separately validating the exact build and project.
AreaLight shadow changes, ReflectionProbe resolution changes and WebGPU may exist only in newer source builds. An item in the development inventory does not automatically update the installed Runtime or export templates.
Diagnose a problematic frame
The Lit menu beside perspective selection opens diagnostic view modes. Search by name and select a mode for the question: lighting, material, geometry, buffers, LOD or collisions. Return to Lit to evaluate the final image.
Compare the same scene and camera. Record renderer, graphics API, resolution, antialiasing, exposure and frame time. A good still frame does not establish whole-game performance.
Continue with post-processing, Shader Graph, Terrain and Voxel Tools.