The best uses for Pixel and Vertex shading

Reverend

Banned
Let's assume, first of all, that we're talking about a first-person-shooter game since game genre will determine their (pix/vert) usage.

What sort of stuff would you use for pixel/texture shading?

What sort of vertex programs will you use?
 
Regarding to pixel shaders, I want to see per-pixel lighting everywhere :)
For an example, creatures have bumpy skins, metal has anisotropic reflections (like some brushed metal), and so on.

For vertex shaders, I think it best used for vertex blending for living things. The vertex blending can be complex, i.e. the host only set some control values and the remaining matrices are computed by the vertex shader.

Vertex shader can also be used for generating rough shadow volumes for living things since they are deformed by vertex shader and their silhouettes can not be computed by CPU.

Ugh, it looks like I am not very imaginative. :)
 
Ok I will take a shot if you don't laugh at me :)

Not sure on the pixel shades.

But for the vertex shades, how about real time deformation of the characters, weapons or environment. For example say this game allows you to pick up armor. Well won't it be neat if after a few hits that armor gets all dented? Or take the bastard sword in the ChaosUT mod, how about if that thing gets a few nics from hitting things? How about something like the GeoMod found in Red Faction but at a smaller scale where only parts of the environment can be deformed? What about more realistic animations? Like breathing (seeing the chest go up and down in the "idle" animation state). Going back to that ChaosUT mod, they have large turrets. Would be neat if when you are shooting rockets at them, parts of turrets get dented or fall off?
 
For pixel shaders, refractions and reflections on water is a very interesting effect. I'll put up a demo of this very soon.
 
Humus,

Will that be a Pixel Shader 1.4 demo only? It would be great to finally have a pixel shader demo that is 1.4, and then has a fall-back to 1.1 to "produce the same results with more passes." To be really useful, those with Radeon 8500's should be able to choose whether to render the demo with 1.4 shaders, or with 1.1 shaders only. This way, we can see how "identical" such scenes really look.
 
As I'm using OpenGL it's not a PS1.4 vs. PS1.1/PS1.3, but rather GL_ATI_fragment_shader vs. GL_NV_texture_shader[2/3]. As I don't have any NV hardware to test on and have no experience with GL_NV_texture_shader it'll be a GL_ATI_fragment_shader only demo.
If the card nVidia supposedly were going to send to me ever appears I'll try port it to GL_NV_texture_shader.

Anyway, it's basically done, just some polishing left. I'll up it either tonight or tomorrow.
 
How about doing it in DirectX then?
I no nothing about DX programming, but I'm assuming that the API calls would be sufficiently documented in MSDN so that both 1.4 and 1.1 calls could work on the 8500
 
I fully agree with Joe, and Humus you're probably one of the Radeon 8500s best supporters. It would be REALLY nice if someone like yourself finally made a demo for Ps 1.4 cards and possibly even a comparison option... :p
We paid good money for our cards too yet we see zero support for the supposedly easiest to code and fastest version out there.

To answer Revs question I must say First Person Shooters would be nice yet the current game I'm playing right now and totally engrossed in is DungeonSeige. This game could REALLY use these newer neat affects, be it the magic effects, water effects etc...
This game is very addictive and no world loading (loading screens) and the world is immense !

Doom2.jpg
 
µße®LørÃ￾ said:
How about doing it in DirectX then?
I no nothing about DX programming, but I'm assuming that the API calls would be sufficiently documented in MSDN so that both 1.4 and 1.1 calls could work on the 8500

Well, since it's 99% done already and in OpenGL I don't feel like switching to Direct3D right now, especially now that I really should be studying for an upcoming exam instead of coding demos ... :)
It's bedtime now for me, so I'll release it tomorrow.
 
Doomtrooper said:
To answer Revs question I must say First Person Shooters would be nice yet the current game I'm playing right now and totally engrossed in is DungeonSeige.

I know I am helping this thread getting almost off topic but anyways...

I am just dreaming how to use these new techs on Off Road racing games like INSANE or 4x4 EVO 2?

For Example of INSANE which is now over a year old. Screenshot doesn't do much justice because with random map generator, you can easily get landscape full of trees and plants. But this is one of the reasons why I am so eager to see some Displacement Mapping with Vertex and Pixel Shader based rendering.

and oh yes... EMBM for tire tracks would make the mud really look like mud. ;)

bulka_hajalla.jpg


and btw, that thing rolling on front of 8x8 Tatra, is (or was) racing tuned VW Bug. ;)
 
PCChen wrote:
Regarding to pixel shaders, I want to see per-pixel lighting everywhere :)
I agree 100% with pcchen. Without pervasive per-pixel lighting is no good talk about few isolated pixel shaders effects here and/or there because it does not have a major Impact.

I would like to see a U2 game with a Doom3 engine :eek: 8)
 
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