What is global illumination and how does it improve rendering realism?

Global illumination is a rendering technique that simulates light’s multiple bounces and interactions in a scene, enhancing rendering realism by replicating natural light propagation. It goes beyond direct lighting (only light from sources) to include indirect light: - Light reflecting off surfaces, diffusing through materials, or bouncing between objects. - This creates natural soft shadows, realistic highlights, and accurate color bleeding (e.g., a warm wall tinting adjacent objects), making 3D scenes lifelike. For beginners, testing global illumination presets in tools like Blender can直观 show the realism boost over direct lighting alone.