Displacement mapping ...

[CuEdge]

My first post!!!

Just wanted to let you know about this interesting german article. There's even a large diagram explaining how it works and it has Matrox written all over it!

http://www.3dcenter.de/artikel/2002/03-25.php

[MK]

Thanks CuEdge !

MK

[Parhelia Pro256]

Matrox über Displacement Mapping

[ayoub_ibrahim]

Parhelia Pro256, love the avatar!

[PXR5]

whatsa nutzvoll?

To make also the Matrox its Displacement Mapping already for some time the game programmers savory tries, would be allowed to prove in dessem baldmöglichsten insert to be a nutzvoll.

that's good, right?

---e

[Wulfman]

nutzvoll = useful

doesn't make the translation much better, does it?

mfg
wulfman

[Dr Mordrid]

Here's what Google did with the German (with some obvious changes made by me);

DirectX9 Preview
25. March 2002/of aths & Leonidas /page 1 of 1

Microsofts DirectX covers a Sammelsurium of routines, in order under Windows fast and standardizes the hardware to access to be able. In things diagram went it at that time with "WinG" loosely. This was an extension for Windows 3,1, in order to smuggle through 2D-Ausgaben at the slow Windows GUI. Under Windows 95 then in an extended version the DirectDraw , which was later then combined with other things into DirectX , was called. Us interested of it naturally in particular the interface in the 3D-Hardwarebeschleunigung, speak Direct3D .

The most standing out characteristic of DirectX7 was as well known the support of hardware T&L acceleration (which it for OpenGL however already longer gave) . The appropriate DirectX procedure licenced Microsoft at that time of nVidia, which well-known-measured anno 1999 with the GeForce chip the first T&L accelerator on the Consumer market brought. For DirectX8 and its predominant adjustment on programmable Vertex and pixels Shader engaged themselves beside nVidia above all still 3dfx - and Matrox. We want to regard now some important innovations of the coming DirectX9 in the following.

Matrox seems to play here a role of the pioneer with DirectX9. For months Matrox has spoken about DISPLACEMENT Mapping : This technology one can understand oneself only once as advancement of Bump Mapping. While Bump Mapping rough surfaces however only simulated - the polygone remain smooth - "are indented" these by DISPLACEMENT Mapping actually. A large advantage resulting from the fact is that DISPLACEMENT Mapping for wide geometry can be used - up to whole landscapes, while Bump Mapping is suitable for small details particularly.

Now curved surfaces can be reached also with Curved Surfaces. DISPLACEMENT Mapping permitted however on simpler way of more details to represent and the procedure works without not fitting connection points (which in all other respects also a reason for it it were, why John Carmack Curved Surfaces for "overrated" explained) . Further advantages of DISPLACEMENT Mapping are the high compression rates (geometry can be compressed thereby approximately up to 40:1!) , with which the AGP bus is relieved. In addition a level OF detail system is automatic with integrated.

It is obvious that conventional 3D-Hardware cannot naturally be capable of DISPLACEMENT Mapping. Because around DISPLACEMENT Mapping meaningfully to begin, must support the GPU adaptive Tesselation (dismantling of the object data in polygone ) and not only simple transformation. Past GPUs must process and be able to do all corner points it neither omit, nor their own produce itself. If a diagram map transfers now the Tesselation, thus the dismantling to triangles, relieved that not only the CCU and the AGP bus, but overcomes also this past restriction. Can DISPLACEMENT map internally like textures be treated - inclusive MIP Mapping .

PICTURES HERE

DISPLACEMENT Mapping: From a simple surface fissured mountain country shank charms (click to magnify)

In the future Shader with DirectX9 seems to indicate it will compete with the clay/tone of ATi. Both Vertex and pixel Shader will develop ever more toward "genuine" programmability - bypasses and loops become possible. The pixels Shader version 2.0, which will be introduced with DirectX9, obviously rather pixel Shader realization addresses itself on nVidia's 1.1er to 1.ér pixel Shader realization out to ATi's 1.êr (3dfx ' last and unpublished chip "RAM PAGE" supported version 1.0) .

Particularly interesting are here the data formats. With DirectX9 the possibility of the 64-Bit-Renderings introduction will hold - whereby in addition not only fixed comma is possible -, but also for floating point representation. The advantage of it is that the relative error is distributed evenly with all pixel operations on all brightness. While with DirectX8 the 12 bits accuracy per farbkanal are only one recommendation, DirectX9 nevertheless requires a mindeste internal accuracy of 10 bits per farbkanal.

In order to summarize again briefly, which the most important components of DirectX9 will be:

Vertex Shader 2.0
Pixel Shader 2.0
adaptive Tesselation
DISPLACEMENT Mapping
at least 10 bits internal accuracy per pixel

In what respect these features are used however as soon as possible by the play programmers , is naturally now still most uncertain. DISPLACEMENT Mapping is this feature, which might be most lucrative probably for the play programmers, can a first-class diagram also quite little expenditure be reached nevertheless. Also the Matrox its DISPLACEMENT Mapping already since longer the play programmers tastily to make tried, might proving with dessem soon-possible employment than useful.

The drawback the medal is naturally again and again the sufficient availability of DirectX9 hardware - and without these runs with the allowance of the play programmers to new features little according to experience. The old "hen egg problem" will meet the DirectX9 feature & hardware of our opinion after in particularly hard measure: Because the play programmers turn at present straight only once DirectX8 and its utilization. DirectX9 is from this view a good continuation and extension existing, contrary to DirectX8 however no necessity.

To that extent we think at present that it will have DirectX9 still more with difficulty than DirectX8 to become generally accepted with the play programmers . If we must set approximately 1.5 years with DirectX8, before there are appropriate plays in mass, this will rather rather longer last with DirectX9-Spielen therefore in no case more briefly, but. Ergo: If DirectX9 this summer/autumn appears, it becomes probably hardly with DirectX9-Spielen in mass something the year ago 2004.

To the topic of the DirectX9 hardware ansich: It is unmistakable that for DirectX9 above all ATi and Matrox engage themselves strongly. That permits the assumption that both want to come with appropriate hardware in time and particularly as first on the market. Matrox seems to want to tie here to old times and would like again once a role of the pioneer to probably take over, however at present still are more exact plans of Matrox in the dark one.

With ATi is against it well-known that chip in this autumn (some talk about this summer) will begin their DirectX9-Chip R300, first data gives it in an older ATi Roadmap . Too nVidia ' s DirectX9-Chip NV30 are present themselves against it as with Matrox so far hardly data, only with release are quite safe one (so far) due to the usual nVidia Produktzyklus: Autumn this yearly.

Whether it will come to who will bring the first DirectX9-Chip on the market and when DirectX9 will now begin - we to become it in the run this yearly to experience to be allowed: -). Zumindestens appears it at present in such a way, than that for lack of DirectX9-Games nobody will have to mothball its DirectX8-Hardware with the appearance of the first DirectX9-Chips.

Dr. Mordrid