FarCry and HDR rendering

[MistaPi]

FiringSquad: One new feature NVIDIA has added to GeForce 6800 is support for HDR. How does NVIDIA’s solution differ from ATI’s?
Cevat Yerli: It’s more about the FP16 versus FP32 format. We’re using it [FP32] for HDR, which is not supported by ATI. That is to deliver very high image quality. But, I have to tell you HDR isn’t officially going to be part of the 1.2 patch.

FiringSquad: So basically your requirement for HDR is FP32?
Cevat Yerli: Yes FP32 blending.

- http://www.firingsquad.com/features/crytek_far_cry/page2.asp

Does not FarCry use FP16 blending for HDR? Would FP24 really be a limitation for HDR?

 

[kyleb]

Yes and probably not. As for why the missinformation, I think this explains it:

Cevat Yerli, President and CEO of CryTek

 

[AndrewM]

Yes, Cevat Yerli is wrong.

 

[Pete]

To be fair, at the 6800's launch, I think it was Cevat who pointed out that the HDR beach levels and virtual displacement they were showing off was for both SM2 and SM3 hardware, contrary to that initial picture FUD.

 

[Dave Baumann]

I don't think there is any purposeful misinformation here, I think it is more representative of the lack of knowledge and understanding, even in the development community, about the float formats on current chips and getting confused about internal and external formats and capabilities. Even higher profile dev's seem to display a lack of understanding in some cases.

 

[AndrewM]

Even higher profile dev's seem to display a lack of understanding in some cases.

Such as who?

 

[kyleb]

I don't think there is any purposeful misinformation here...

Oh yeah, I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I belived there was. I was simply alluding to the fact that "President and CEO" types often don't have much of a clue when it comes to technical details, despite liking to posture as if they do.

 

[kyleb]

Even higher profile dev's seem to display a lack of understanding in some cases.

Such as who?

A small example, but lots of Unreal Egine games I have seen ship with .ini files that set vsync on while keeping triple buffering off. I highly doubt this is done because they desire the effect it creates.

 

[Xmas]

A small example, but lots of Unreal Egine games I have seen ship with .ini files that set vsync on while keeping triple buffering off. I highly doubt this is done because they desire the effect it creates.

Still way better than doing it the other way round

 

[Mintmaster]

Even higher profile dev's seem to display a lack of understanding in some cases.

Such as who?

A small example, but lots of Unreal Egine games I have seen ship with .ini files that set vsync on while keeping triple buffering off. I highly doubt this is done because they desire the effect it creates.

Well, triple buffering can use a lot of memory, especially at high res with AA. And v-sync off is only for frapaholics. I don't know why anyone would enjoy tearing.

I think that's a very reasonable setting. I think I play most of my games that way.

 

[wireframe]

On a related note to Far Cry HDR, Half-Life 2 should get an airing of its HDR capabilities today. Although the implementations may be different, it will be interesting to see how this one fares. Here is a link to Attack of the Show where Doug Lombardi should be presenting this technology at ~ 7 PM (eastern time USA).

 

[Guden Oden]

And then hopefully it'll end up on steam within not too long...

 

[Sxotty]

What give it too gamers guden? No it is just to show that it can be pretty

 

[DegustatoR]

Hopefully they'll do it right on all chips and not only on Radeons...

 

[Cat]

Doesn't triple buffering introduce input latency that many players find unacceptable?