Different implementations of truform in games

[noko]

I would think for best results the models that can benefit TRUFORM should have it on while other models such as square objects and such have it off. Meaning the game should be smart about it and that has to come from the development of the game. Having high polygon models without an automatic tesselation of the model is also pointless and uses up resources. That is why I like Serious Sam engine, it has different detail models which allows the large number of creatures to run fluidly. Still TRUFORM adds realism if enabled in Serious Sam which can be model controlled. I hope the Serious Engine is used more in other games with TRUFORM in mind at the model level.

I hope R350 has hardware assisted TRUFORM not like the software R300.

Now according to ATI Jedi Knight II Outcast surpose to have TRUFROM capability, now how do you turn it on?

 

[DeanoC]

Wow! Sounds interesting.

It would be better to read the triangle (patch) data form a vertex stream using "SetStreamSourceFreq" with a divider of the number of subtriangles instead putting the data into constant registers.

Too bad it's only supported VS 3.0

Edit: I just realised it's a VS3 feature.

Thanks, TomF is doing the really cool displacement stuff, I'm just doing the basic vertex shader displaced patch stuff. its the N-Patch thing I described but also stores a pre-filtered displacement in a seperate vertex stream (like I did for planar displacement maps in ShaderX1).

Another problem (apart from VS_3_0) with SetStreamSourceFreq is that you can't use indexed primitives, but there a few cool things you can do with non-indexed primitives (like programming the vertex DMA to give you triangle level data in the vertex shader, handy to get the DDX/DDY at the vertex level) so it may become more used for special fx.

 

[Nagorak]

also, how do you force truform in the drivers? in the control panel and ragetweak it is only off or application preference. is there some reg hack and if so can you set the value for a maximum angle for a soft edge as well? i take it it would be applied to absolutely everything at that point? that is bound to have issues but i would still like to try it out; so how do you do it anyway Nagorak?

Hmmm...it seems like I was mistaken. I seem to remember a long time back there was an option to force it, but it seems like either I was mistaken or it is gone (I could have sworn!). Sorry for the confusion...

 

[kyleb]

lol, no problem at all; 'to error is human' as they say. i got a little exited but i wasn't holding my breath on this one anyway.

 

[Luke Philpot]

that you both for complementing my work Luke Philpot and K.I.L.E.R, it is always rewarding to have ones efforts acknowledged.

Wow, someone read my post

Oh yeah, your welcome

 

[Ante P]

Personally I'd go the more cynically minded (but probably accurate) route and say its buggered in the R300 hardware, so they chose to de-emphasise it.

Wonder if it will have better performance in R350 or not...

I asked them some weeks ago and they told me it was simply a matter of reducing the transistor count. Considering the 115 mil. transistor count of the R300 I'd say that sounds pretty reasonable.
Perhaps TRUFORM was closely related to the hardwired TCL of the R200, that would make sense since it isn't present in the RV250 either.

But the excuse that TRUFORM isn't needed for performance reasons anymore is plain crap. I mean I don't know of a single title where TRUFORM is used for geometry compression, rather developers been using it to enhance current results visually.

As for the R350...

 

[Simon F]

Don't get me wrong, Truform is a fine feature (but perhaps poorly named, given the occasional results),

Well, Truform is just ATI's name for N-Patches which, according to the SIGGRAPH paper, was a joint collaboration between at least ATI and MS.

Another problem with N-Patches is that only the geometry is "cubicly" interpolated. Textures will still have discontinuities in the first derivative.

the white car's right rear fender looks rather flat.

Surely, if you're modelling a "frogeye" sprite, it would be called a bumper bar.

 

[kyleb]

it is a fender on a bugeye, i have no clue what you are going on about Simon F.






seriously, i have never heard the term "bumper bar" and have always seen it referred to by british as a "wing"; is there a difference? i actually own a a '67 mk4 which, though different in many respects, came in quite handy for reference sake when creating the model. i practically wore a track in the carpet running back and forth from the computer room the the garage. also, sense you are familiar with the car i figure i should point out the humorous responses i have gotten from people who appreciate the quality of the model but told me that i it was flawed in the sense that it is so much smaller than the other cars in the game.

 

[Dio]

Welcome to OT Dictionary Corner

This is to clarify any confusion about words, note that I haven't actually seen what we're talking about here so how it applies to those I'm not sure. UK definitions only here.

"fender" == front metal part of an open fire, or it seems it can be used as a generic term for guitar (in the same way that 'hoover' has entered the language as a generic term for vacuum cleaner).

The bits on the front and backs of cars designed to absorb minor accidents and (increasingly) to create maximum damage to the shins of pedestrians who are wearing grippy shoes are called "bumpers" here.

"wings" are the bits on the sides of the car usually above the wheelarches.

We now return you to your usual programming.

 

[KimB]

What do you mean, "front metal part of an open fire?"

Anyway, here in the US, at least with the people I talk to, "Fender" describes a very specific type of electric guitar, albeit the most common style (Only other two I know of are the flying-V and Epiphone...though I don't think anybody's used a flying-V in quite some time).

 

[Dio]

The bit at the front that keeps the logs/coals in.

Surely you've heard of the Gibson Les Paul too? Flying-V's are still pretty common - think the guitarist at the Alice Cooper gig I saw a few months back was using one.

(Help! Thread derailed!)

 

[KimB]

Yeah, I have heard of those. Been a while since I've been around my guitar buddies...can't pull 'em all outta my head anymore

 

[Xmas]

Anyway, here in the US, at least with the people I talk to, "Fender" describes a very specific type of electric guitar, albeit the most common style (Only other two I know of are the flying-V and Epiphone...though I don't think anybody's used a flying-V in quite some time).

You're mixing guitar styles/models (flying-V) with companies/labels producing guitars (Fender, Epiphone). Fender has some popular model lines like Telecaster and Stratocaster.

 

[kyleb]

lol, woops sorry about the ot bit; i supose that is what i get for posting at 4am after staying up to read the preview.


but anyway, thank you for clearing that up Dio. ohh ya and Xmas is right on the gutair bit.

 

[Dio]

Well, you only took the handbrake off, I was the one who careered wildy over the cliff.