Bumpmapping going forward

[indio]

What do you all think the status of bumpmapping going forward into the future? Alot of differing types of 3d graphic have been coming out i.e. Unreal Engine high polycounts and large textures, Cel-shaded games ,Tron 2.0 (i don't even know what that uses) , Bloodrayne heavy bump mapping.

I think bump mapping should be the way forward personally. It just looks more realistic.

 

[Ostsol]

I think bump-mapping will be used for quite while, given that it's still impractical to render in 3d every little pock-mark in a wall, or every brick.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Bump mapping is required for the Tier 2 implementation of the Longhorn GUI (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1072793,00.asp), which means it will get a lot of attention in hardware. And if chip makers continue to enhance their implementations, it'll continue to be attractive to engine builders.

 

[RussSchultz]

Bump mapping is required for the Tier 2 implementation of the Longhorn GUI (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1072793,00.asp), which means it will get a lot of attention in hardware. And if chip makers continue to enhance their implementations, it'll continue to be attractive to engine builders.

Feh. What kind of person puts their videos up in RM format these days?

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Feh. What kind of person puts their videos up in RM format these days?

I suspect that Real is "sponsoring" PCMag/Extremetech. But anyway, I suggest using Media Player Classic (http://www.gabest.org/mpc.php) and the Real CODEC pack (http://hebus.gottferdom.free.fr/codec_real_media_9.zip) instead of any of Real's garbage.

You'll sleep better.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

I think bump-mapping will be used for quite while, given that it's still impractical to render in 3d every little pock-mark in a wall, or every brick.

Bump mapping is used in offline rendering for more than 15 years now, maybe even more... I don't think it'll ever get obsolute. Thus it'll remain a major feature in realtime rendering as well.

 

[Humus]

Bump mapping is required for the Tier 2 implementation of the Longhorn GUI (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1072793,00.asp), which means it will get a lot of attention in hardware. And if chip makers continue to enhance their implementations, it'll continue to be attractive to engine builders.

Not sure if there's much enhancement needed from the hardware vendors. Bumpmapping is just another effect you can code up in a fragment shader nowadays. So any enhancement effort would be on the shoulders of the game developers.

 

[indio]

What I should have asked is "If you could implement one rendering technique or gimmick and put it in hardware for acceleration what would it be ?
This technique i.e. bumpmapping has to have the best ACCEPTABLE performance/realism ratio possible.

 

[Grall]

I suggest using Media Player Classic (http://www.gabest.org/mpc.php) and the Real CODEC pack (http://hebus.gottferdom.free.fr/codec_real_media_9.zip)

How can I get the codec pack to work with any media player? I installed it, but media player 9 doesn't recognize rm files anyway.

Besides, why on earth make a FRENCH installer for a codec pack and put it up on the internet? FEH! If you can't speak friggin English, you shouldn't be allowed to use a computer anyway.

*G*

 

[Tahir2]

You can't use WMP9 for that codec at all.

Download MP 6.4 from the link above and the RM codec.. it works (threw me as well initially).

 

[Basic]

After those two dowloads you don't need any other media player. BIG thanks Oompa Loompa. It was good enough to get the Real CODECs without installing "The Virus". But then getting a media player with good old WMP6 style is just perfect. I hate that WMP7+ tripe.

 

[SA]

What I should have asked is "If you could implement one rendering technique or gimmick and put it in hardware for acceleration what would it be ?
This technique i.e. bumpmapping has to have the best ACCEPTABLE performance/realism ratio possible.

With programmable pipelines the need for hardware specific techniques begins to disappear.

However, of the things that have not yet been implemented in hardware to the degree that I wish they were and could have a large impact on realism I would have to say these things (sorry that I have more than one):

1. Faster and more versatile floating point. Floating point vertex and pixel shaders are still too restrictive and specific and much too slow. Most of the interesting problems in 3d graphics that have not yet been solved require very fast, generalized floating point. The Cell processor is a big step in this direction. I think it is important for the PC to head in the same direction with at least an equal pace.

2. Soft shadow maps. Where the self shadowing and shadow antialiasing are solved directly in the hardware without the need for z offsetting, priority buffers, etc.

3. More effective occlusion culling. I would like to see the option of sending bounding volumes along with the geometry and have the chip cull the hidden geometry without the need for an occlusion query.

 

[Althornin]

After those two dowloads you don't need any other media player. BIG thanks Oompa Loompa. It was good enough to get the Real CODECs without installing "The Virus". But then getting a media player with good old WMP6 style is just perfect. I hate that WMP7+ tripe.

it also plays quicktime movies (if you have the quicktime codecs installed)

 

[Oompa Loompa]

BIG thanks Oompa Loompa. It was good enough to get the Real CODECs without installing "The Virus". But then getting a media player with good old WMP6 style is just perfect. I hate that WMP7+ tripe.

Happy to help. I was thrilled to be liberated from Realplayer and pleased to be able to discard Quicktime's player. I've actually begun to like WMP9, though, so I still use that for non-QT non-RA/RV items.