CryENGINE 3

[_Enigma_]

CryEngine 3 - Technical Analysis (Eurogamer)

http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/cryengine-3-technical-analysis

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gdc-cryengine-3-the-technical-breakdown
"You can surmise that the Xbox 360 version of the engine appears to be ahead in development compared to the PS3 rendition. You draw this conclusion simply from the fact that the majority of shots involving elements that really tax the engine (and thus incur frame loss) are using 360 video."

 

[L. Scofield]

I wanna know what new features that are currently implemented in the CE3 console version against CE2

The deferred lighting. That's a huge improvement considering that in CE2 you can have only a dozen or so lights on screen before nasty artifacts start to pop-up.

also what features that are PC exclusive on the CE3. For all we know there could be some UBER lighting effects only available for the likes of Larrabee or future gen consoles hidden in CE3.

Global Illumination.

There's also one thing never explained by Crytek, they said some features were hidden in CE2 and only to be unveiled with the proper hardware, yet they've never shown any so far. So instead they probably recompiled all that into CE3. Or am I running circles here?

That may be the case, actually. A couple of things from CE2 demos didn't make it into the game, such as realtime ambient maps, indirect lighting and ocean waves. Although not shown in demos, cloth physics are also supported, but they're currently very taxing.

 

[_phil_]

CryEngine 3 - Technical Analysis (Eurogamer)

"

Frankly..... this isn't serious, is it ?

 

[SlmDnk]

Frankly..... this isn't serious, is it ?

You mean the video?

Why do you say that?

 

[Neb]

The deferred lighting. That's a huge improvement considering that in CE2 you can have only a dozen or so lights on screen before nasty artifacts start to pop-up.

CE2 can render onscreen by far more realtime lights, shadow casting or mix between shadow casting and dynamic without artifacts. But it's probably just not optimal regarding perfomance as it would be with CE3.

The Core missions is an example where it orginal has upwards 40 or more dynamic lightsources. hitting 20 is not rare with muzzleflashes ect. I've had no problem in editor with 40/60 (shadow casting/dynamic).

Global Illumination.

Although they did implement an optimised GI solution for both Crysis and Warhead. The Crysis editor has indirect lightsources to place out of 3 types. Advanced, simple and fake IIRC. Though the CE3 GI is more true to real raytracing GI AFAIK and certainly more taxing as a future/top-end feature.

That may be the case, actually. A couple of things from CE2 demos didn't make it into the game, such as realtime ambient maps, indirect lighting and ocean waves. Although not shown in demos, cloth physics are also supported, but they're currently very taxing.

Realtime ambient maps are present in Crysis, heavily used in Fleet mission (carrier). Indirect lighting to but the ocean waves are not fully functional and results in black ocean waves.

 

[Turok]

Wow, that collision detection for the smoke at 1:07 is pretty amazing.

 

[L. Scofield]

CE2 can render onscreen by far more realtime lights, shadow casting or mix between shadow casting and dynamic without artifacts. But it's probably just not optimal regarding perfomance as it would be with CE3.

The Core missions is an example where it orginal has upwards 40 or more dynamic lightsources. hitting 20 is not rare with muzzleflashes ect. I've had no problem in editor with 40/60 (shadow casting/dynamic).

I just did a test and while it's possible to put a lot of lights on the scene, some of them dissapear when many are on the screen. Maybe if they're spaced enough or use some sort of automatic on/off switch based on proximity it could work, but otherwise it's pretty limited.

Although they did implement an optimised GI solution for both Crysis and Warhead. The Crysis editor has indirect lightsources to place out of 3 types. Advanced, simple and fake IIRC. Though the CE3 GI is more true to real raytracing GI AFAIK and certainly more taxing as a future/top-end feature.

Indirect lights are useless in CE2 because they act exactly the same as regular lights. It's a broken feature.

Realtime ambient maps are present in Crysis, heavily used in Fleet mission (carrier). Indirect lighting to but the ocean waves are not fully functional and results in black ocean waves.

You may be thinking of the demo video that showed the RAMs on the carrier but they're not used in the final game. I saw a thread at crymod that talks about how the RAM works on the final build, but the implementation gives a totally different effect than the one showcased on the demo video. Also, the black waves are due to just altering the TOD.

 

[BadTB25]

CryEngine 3 - Technical Analysis (Eurogamer)

http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/cryengine-3-technical-analysis

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gdc-cryengine-3-the-technical-breakdown
"You can surmise that the Xbox 360 version of the engine appears to be ahead in development compared to the PS3 rendition. You draw this conclusion simply from the fact that the majority of shots involving elements that really tax the engine (and thus incur frame loss) are using 360 video."

WOW!

Giving it a second and third look with explanations really add a lot to it. There was so many things that I just did not notice before. I guess I don't have the eye for it.

I'm especially impressed by the jungle scene when the character was shooting at the trees. All real time too.

 

[Neb]

I just did a test and while it's possible to put a lot of lights on the scene, some of them dissapear when many are on the screen. Maybe if they're spaced enough or use some sort of automatic on/off switch based on proximity it could work, but otherwise it's pretty limited.

Might be dependant on situation, outdoor/indoor. Still there are places in Core with upwards 40 lightsources accoding to the debug info (realtime). I expect though CE3 to go far beyond that.

Indirect lights are useless in CE2 because they act exactly the same as regular lights. It's a broken feature.

Actually it seems to be correct, it seems broken or just works in special places. I am sure though I saw some indirect ligthsources placed out in some singleplayer maps while browsing through them. Might not work anyway or only in DX10.

You may be thinking of the demo video that showed the RAMs on the carrier but they're not used in the final game. I saw a thread at crymod that talks about how the RAM works on the final build, but the implementation gives a totally different effect than the one showcased on the demo video. Also, the black waves are due to just altering the TOD.

Never really compared it to the techdemo but they are in the game although might be different/simplified. e_ram_maps, e_indir_lighting, e_ambient_occlusion.


*** Things might have changed with the latest patches.


EDIT:

Realtime Ambient Maps - Atmospheric (reflected) lighting is applied to every in-game object, simulating, not accurately, radiosity. It seems this feature is either not as apparent, or completely absent from the game's DirectX 9 mode.

http://www.incrysis.com/wiki/index.php/Crysis_Graphics

 

[Barbarian]

.
I'm not sure anymore that Tiling is the "right" solution to the AA problem on 360. And I would also extend this to MSAA in general. It feels somehow wrong having to spend so much memory to store fragments and then use it effectively only for edges. Memory spent for MSAA on 360 translates directly to the processing cost involved in Tiling.
If I take this memory/speed hit, I want FSAA and much better quality over all.

I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment.
The memory/performance and complications in engine design to support MSAA (and it's basically to support 2x MSAA, 4xMSAA is pretty much out of the question) feels unjustified for the tiny problem that it solves. Especially in a deferred lighting setup where it's even harder to gain from it compared to a full blown FSAA.

 

[L. Scofield]

Might be dependant on situation, outdoor/indoor. Still there are places in Core with upwards 40 lightsources accoding to the debug info (realtime). I expect though CE3 to go far beyond that.

That might be the number of lights on the scene but they're probably not activated all at once. Specially considering that having so many lights at once would REALLY kill performance.

Actually it seems to be correct, it seems broken or just works in special places. I am sure though I saw some indirect ligthsources placed out in some singleplayer maps while browsing through them. Might not work anyway or only in DX10.

Some levels fake IL like in the carrier. Or this for example:

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x192/AtsEst/KZ_2005_3-1.jpg

and

http://www.crymod.com/thread.php?threadid=45618&threadview=0&hilight=indirect&hilightuser=0&page=1

Looks like IL but it's faked using additional lights.

Never really compared it to the techdemo but they are in the game although might be different/simplified. e_ram_maps, e_indir_lighting.

*** Things might have changed with the latest patches.

EDIT:

http://www.incrysis.com/wiki/index.php/Crysis_Graphics

That article contains very outdated information. This paper reveals that the RAM feature was dropped, and was in fact replaced by SSAO.

There's a function in the editor for RAMs but it only produces some sort of improved-SSAO effect:

http://www.crymod.com/thread.php?threadid=39268&hilight=ram

 

[PhilB]

Also, the black waves are due to just altering the TOD.

Are you talking about the ocean waves feature that was dropped? I'm pretty sure setting e_water_ocean_waves (or whatever the CVAR is) to on does nothing but produce and unfinished wave effect, represented by thick black lines in the water (regardless of the TOD).

As for the RAMs, I thought the effect was added back into Warhead? They called it global ambient lighting (not sure if it was actually RAMs but the effect supposedly was supposed to be the same).

 

[L. Scofield]

Are you talking about the ocean waves feature that was dropped? I'm pretty sure setting e_water_ocean_waves (or whatever the CVAR is) to on does nothing but produce and unfinished wave effect, represented by thick black lines in the water (regardless of the TOD).

Oh no, I was just talking about the water color.

As for the RAMs, I thought the effect was added back into Warhead? They called it global ambient lighting (not sure if it was actually RAMs but the effect supposedly was supposed to be the same).

I haven't seen it featured in any part of the game : /.

________

New inverview with Cevat Yerli

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47412.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47410.html

Far better than all previous interviews, plus it has more footage than the already extended trailer.

 

[PhilB]

I haven't seen it featured in any part of the game : /.

Well I guess it's not the same as the RAMs then (looking at the thread you posted a bit back, it doesn't look like that is in Warhead). However, something they call global ambient lighting is in Warhead. According to Crytek it's a better/faster reworked lighting system that better shows off the detail in the normal maps (maybe better SSAO as well). Don't know much else about it though besides what Crytek mentioned.

 

[bagofsuck]

This Deferred lighting (Cry Engine 3)is more aggressive( superior/whatever you wanna call it) than the one found in KZ2?

 

[ultragpu]

This Deferred lighting (Cry Engine 3)is more aggressive( superior/whatever you wanna call it) than the one found in KZ2?

Not the same thing I believe, KZ2 uses Deferred Rendering, different to Deferred lighting.

 

[bagofsuck]

Not the same thing I believe, KZ2 uses Deferred Rendering, different to Deferred lighting.

Oh ok.. i'm not an expert..but isn't Cry Engine 3 a mix of Forward and Deferred rendering?

 

[AlNom]

Not the same thing I believe, KZ2 uses Deferred Rendering, different to Deferred lighting.

KZ2 defers the lighting calculation. It also has its forward rendering path for transparent objects.

Folks, let's not get too caught up with whose ePen is larger mmmkay? For an engine that is still in production, there is little tangible reason to compare engines from different companies.

 

[L. Scofield]

Well I guess it's not the same as the RAMs then (looking at the thread you posted a bit back, it doesn't look like that is in Warhead). However, something they call global ambient lighting is in Warhead. According to Crytek it's a better/faster reworked lighting system that better shows off the detail in the normal maps (maybe better SSAO as well). Don't know much else about it though besides what Crytek mentioned.

I'm thinking it's an improved SSAO too.

__

I'm also wondering how many of those 300 lights can cast shadows at once.

 

[Neb]

I'm thinking it's an improved SSAO too.

__

I'm also wondering how many of those 300 lights can cast shadows at once.

No it is not improved SSAA alone. That might be tweaked for Warhead/Crysis Wars to but the 'global ambient lighting' improves detail in textures and how lighting affects environment. Probably the reason why Crysis Wars looks quite a bit more realistic than Crysis ~same mp maps.

I cant find the comparision shot for this feature but I found an interview.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/c...d=6195832&mode=previews&cpage=5&prev_button=1