Pixelshader effects w/o pixelshader GPU support?Canitbedone?

[randycat99]

Is it possible to render an onscreen image using a conventional rasterizer and composite a finite number of swatches that have been "pixel-shaded" via CPU (3 or 4 bumpmapped rocks in the player's view, for example)? Yes, it wouldn't be a "pervasive" effect (is there a game to date that actually does have bumpmapping on everything?), but it could certainly be a means to sparingly enable such an effect where it would otherwise not be possible.

Also, what if you dynamically updated (again via CPU) a certain texture map to be later applied to polygons. The trick is that the dynamic updating comes from a pixelshading operation. The updating is done per lighting and directional information from the game state, for example? (Something as simple as a dynamically updating specularity map to give the sense of bumps, perhaps?) Could such a technique offer some interesting possibilities?

 

[DeathKnight]

From my understanding it is entirely possible, however, in most all cases it isn't anywhere near feasible.

 

[marconelly!]

I don't know if it's general, but bumpmapping is definitely possible. There are demos on PC that run on Trident VGA cards that have pretty extensive bumpmapping. Heck, such demos exist on Amiga, and Gameboy Advance

 

[randycat99]

194 views and only 2 posts?! Certainly there are people interested in the premise, but it would sure be nice to have some more game programmers tip-in on the subject.

[conspiracy]...or maybe they are working on it now, but just can't tell us...[/conspiracy] To that, I say good luck on your "outside-the-box" techniques. We hope to see your good work soon!