UK real-time lighting outfit Geomerics has been demoing its Enlighten engine running on iPad for most of 2012.

Now, however, at SIGGRAPH, the company has formally announced support for iOS and Android devices as part of its most recent SDK release.

Used in high-end PC and console games such as Battlefield 3, Eve Online and Quantum Conundrum, Enlighten is a suite of tools that developers use to improve the quality of their in-game lighting while ensuring a high framerate.

Eye popping

"Sometimes we have to remind ourselves just how astonishing it is to see global illumination computed in real-time on a tablet or phone. It wasn't that long ago that people were telling me this was impossible on high-end hardware," commented company founder Chris Doran.

As well as mobile support, the new version of Enlighten includes improved workflow, simplified handling of geometry, and a new Maya viewport for better previewing.

For more details about Enlighten, which uses Windows for its authoring and lightmap baking tools, check out the company's website or the video of Chris Doran demoing the engine at GDC 2012.