Which rendering technique can be used to achieve high-quality graphics by simulating light interactions?

The choice of ray tracing as the rendering technique used to achieve high-quality graphics through simulating light interactions is particularly significant because it closely mimics the behavior of light in the real world. Ray tracing works by tracing the paths of rays of light as they travel through a scene, calculating how they interact with surfaces, materials, and light sources. This results in highly realistic images with accurate reflections, refractions, diffusions, and shadows, making it a preferred method for creating photorealistic visuals.

Ray tracing can capture complex phenomena like global illumination, which accounts for indirect light scattering, and other subtle effects that contribute to realism in a scene. This stands in contrast to other techniques, such as rasterization, which primarily focuses on rendering 3D objects on a 2D surface without as much consideration for the intricate interactions of light. Rasterization is typically faster and more performance-efficient but may sacrifice some visual fidelity.

Baking, on the other hand, is a technique used primarily for pre-computing lighting and shadow data, which can enhance performance in real-time applications but does not dynamically simulate light interaction. Overdraw refers to the process where multiple layers of pixels are rendered which can lead to performance issues and does not directly relate to simulating