It takes a long time to render a single 3d image of a head using SSS in mental
ray or vray using 3dsmax and a fast computer, I doubt it can be done at 70 fps!

Perhaps a pixel/vertex shader can approximate this effect by greatly softening
the edges of shadows and using a map that might make some areas of the model
appear more translucent by using some type of illumination. Hard to make a mesh
look like wax since it is hollow.

yes in Crysis engine that's approximation.

let's wait for some demo of their game :
perhaps we will find some shader files to look at and copy.

i play Oblivion and don't know if it has the effect , but it's face designer is incredible

like i said when the game is like Call Of Duty 2 or others : you have
such lot of action and to be carefull at what is happenning that you haven't any time to notice if there is some sub surface scaterring or not

even mroe all ennemies, characters are in movement.

The real next step in 3D will be lot more polygons (not bump mampping)
for simulating real clothes when characters are moving.

mental ray is always slow ;-)

So its like a candle with a light source behind it, it will appear lighted on the edges and dark in the middle? OK thanks now I understand.

Luck at the candles in Oblivion, they have faked SSS - but I don´t think it´s even a shader

Just a quick link with some informations regarding the workings behind sub surface scattering. I would also recommend having a look at the book ShadersX³

http://www.neilblevins.com/cg_education/translucency/translucency.htm

Greetings
Sven

When i meaned more polygons i also wanted to say :
real cloth simulation affected by walking, explosions, wind etc ...

In fact directions can be infinite in 3D progress , there will always be new directions.

One thing i like is Nvidia & ATI will support and perhaps include in the future
dedicaced 3D physic engine.

SSS looks very intresting. It seems to take away the "plastic" look of some normal maps.

Quote:

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One thing i like is Nvidia & ATI will support and perhaps include in the future
dedicaced 3D physic engine.

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I agree, this is a great step forward. The more systems with inreased physics processing the better.

Our skin does not only reflect light directly. Some rays get into the skin, will be scattered and reflected from flesh or bones. Some rays get lost. That makes skin abit like self illuminating some sort of glow because you can see light at the skin where no light should be in some cases. When skin is thinner then you could even see the influence of blood and flesh under the skin. That changes even the color of the light rays.

I am quite sure that Oblivion has some kind of faked sss. Just look at the light sources and the lighting of the face compared with the lighting of the clothes. It is not really super realistic but it is sort of sss.