Spherical harmonics are a set of mathematical functions used to compactly represent how a value — such as color or lighting — varies across all directions on a sphere. In 3D graphics they are a standard, efficient way to encode view-dependent appearance.
In 3D Gaussian splatting, each Gaussian stores its color as spherical-harmonic coefficients rather than a single fixed color. This lets a splat change appearance with the viewing angle, reproducing reflections and specular highlights as the camera moves — a key reason splatting looks photorealistic.
Gaussian splatting — Uses spherical harmonics for view-dependent color.
3D PBR (physically based rendering) — Another approach to realistic, view-dependent shading.
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Technical deep-dives on adaptive spatial streaming, the infrastructure challenges of 3D at scale, and what we're learning as we build. Written by the team doing the work.
