Still no real SM3 approach for ATI 1K series in Splinter Cell CT

Skinner

Regular
I always said the HDR/ligting looks less intense and it's still the case:
splinter_nvidia.jpg



splinter_ati.jpg


An example of game development with only NV in mind? Is the X1K treated as SM 2.0?

http://www.gamespot.com/features/6145814/p-5.html
 
AFAIK:

SC:CT initially had two paths, SM1.1 and SM3. Later, ATI themselves added a SM2 path geared toward their X-series cards (to combat the SM3 HDR w/ GF6 press). The SM3 path uses FP16 while the SM2 path uses FX16. For whatever reason, the X1-series seems to use the SM2 path, not the SM3 one. Maybe there's some NV-specific coding in the SM3 path that prevents ATI's SM3 cards from using it (and so from having another FP16 HDR + AA game to lord over NV ;))?
 
Pete said:
AFAIK:

SC:CT initially had two paths, SM1.1 and SM3. Later, ATI themselves added a SM2 path geared toward their X-series cards (to combat the SM3 HDR w/ GF6 press). The SM3 path uses FP16 while the SM2 path uses FX16. For whatever reason, the X1-series seems to use the SM2 path, not the SM3 one. Maybe there's some NV-specific coding in the SM3 path that prevents ATI's SM3 cards from using it (and so from having another FP16 HDR + AA game to lord over NV ;))?

Well I hope the next one will have a proper SM3.0 patch for ATI 1K
 
I wonder when the next one will come out... Hmm, let me see... Far Cry... Ubisoft... Still no official HDR + AA patch.... Splinter Cell: CT... Oh look at that... Ubisoft... ATi making their own X8x0 patch... I see a pattern here.
 
Demirug said:
The SM3 Path in SC:CT needs FP Texture Filter. ATI doesn't support this.

So much about "SM3.0 done right" :devilish: ;)

Now seriously: is FP texture filter part of the SM3.0 spec?
 
No. FP blending isn't even part of the SM3.0 spec. There are still lots of things that are optional.
 
And as far as I know, FP Texture Filtering can also be done in software in the pixelshaders and the performancehit is very small compared to hardware fp texture filtering (looking at some figures for G70). So Ubisoft (or ATi) probably needs to write a patch which makes HDR in SC:CT use software fp texture filtering.
 
Dave Baumann said:
No. FP blending isn't even part of the SM3.0 spec. There are still lots of things that are optional.

Oh. So it's another lazy bunch of programmers again :neutral:
 
The SM3.0 path was coded in an absense of any other SM3.0 hardware, and with no indications of exactly what is going to be supported then they can't take all eventualities into account (of course, that doesn't mean that optional features used in a title should be arbitarily tied to required elements of a particular shader 'class').
 
It's been a while since X1k series is out, that's more than enough time for a patch I think. I guess it's either too much work or they just don't really care anymore since the game is already "old" now.
 
CJ said:
Hmm, let me see... Far Cry... Ubisoft... Still no official HDR + AA patch....

It almost becomes "funny". I clearly see Ati advertising on Ati.com with Farcry HDR+AA screenshots, while they officially even don't have HDR (without AA) support in that game!
 
It is using SM3 path (you set this in game settings by hand) but it looks like it's still using FX16 instead of FP16 for some reason.
 
Apple740 said:
It almost becomes "funny". I clearly see Ati advertising on Ati.com with Farcry HDR+AA screenshots, while they officially even don't have HDR (without AA) support in that game!
beta patch :???:
 
Back
Top