Whether you liked the latest Dragon Age game or not, one fact remains: The Veilguard has gorgeous lifelike hair with amazing physics. In the latest blog post, the developers explore the Strand Hair technology that adds visual fidelity and realism to the game’s characters.
Together, the Frostbite and BioWare teams embarked on a quest to elevate the technology, focusing on the following elements:
- 50,000 individual strands per character for over 100 hairstyles – EA’s Strand Hair technology brings natural motion to your hero’s hairdo in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
- Adaptable to various character movements and environments – Frostbite and BioWare pushed the limits of rendering, achieving realistic material response and shadows. This collaboration introduced detailed, physics-driven hairstyles tailored to the unique world of Dragon Age.
- Industry-leading realism – Dragon Age: The Veilguard sets a new standard for lifelike character hair with compatible hardware, showcasing EA’s leadership in innovation and BioWare’s craftsmanship in enhancing immersive storytelling.
Strand Hair technology combines physics with real-time rendering to simulate believable modeling. While the technology had previously been used in EA Sports titles, it is The Veilguard that pushed it further: waist-length hair, characters having horns and more have all presented unique challenges. Additionally, characters are frequently finding themselves surrounded by magical particles or getting the hair wet. The teams had to address these states as well:
“The collaboration between Frostbite and the BioWare engineering team was key to supporting complex hairstyles. Advancing the technology for intricate styles and optimizing performance ensured that specific moments, like when hair covers a large percentage of the screen in certain cinematics, run smoothly.” – Maciej Kurowski, Studio Technical Director, BioWare.
Follow the link to the official site to find out more, including the detailed approach to transparency, rendering, and more!
