DC now and forever!

[Fafalada]

(e.g. daft games that want to sample the Z buffer).

You calling me daft? (we use Z for several effects)
Kidding , but seriously, there's just so many cool things you can do using ZBuffer (particularly if you have some support for 24-32bit number arithmetic in the rasterizer). And it's hard to beat constant time usage for particular effects as opposed to alternative methods of doing it without postrender ops.

 

[darkblu]

(e.g. daft games that want to sample the Z buffer).

You calling me daft? (we use Z for several effects)
Kidding , but seriously, there's just so many cool things you can do using ZBuffer (particularly if you have some support for 24-32bit number arithmetic in the rasterizer). And it's hard to beat constant time usage for particular effects as opposed to alternative methods of doing it without postrender ops.

agreed. effects like finding hit spots from an eye-originated ray are an O(1)-piece-of-cake when using the zbuffer, given access to it was generously provided by the good 'ol hw engineers and their driver teams ; ) ...oh, the advantages of being daft 8)

 

[London Geezer]

so basically let me get this straight, in theory one could get "cheap" dev tools to program for DC now that it's not commerically available???
or did i miss something??

 

[Simon F]

(e.g. daft games that want to sample the Z buffer).

You calling me daft? (we use Z for several effects)
Kidding , but seriously, there's just so many cool things you can do using ZBuffer (particularly if you have some support for 24-32bit number arithmetic in the rasterizer). And it's hard to beat constant time usage for particular effects as opposed to alternative methods of doing it without postrender ops.

Oh, I know it makes some things very easy to implement but it comes at a price that many are unaware of. <shrug>.

 

[darkblu]

so basically let me get this straight, in theory one could get "cheap" dev tools to program for DC now that it's not commerically available???

yes, and it's been so for a while ..actually since DC was still commercially available
*ducks*

 

[London Geezer]

so basically let me get this straight, in theory one could get "cheap" dev tools to program for DC now that it's not commerically available???

yes, and it's been so for a while ..actually since DC was still commercially available
*ducks*

now now....

thats cool... i mean i don't really see the point of giving tools away unless they're really cheap, it's not like someone can program new consoles in their bedrooms and expect great results.... like the Linux Kit for PS2, i see it more like a geek's very expensive toy more than anything else... *ducks for real*