Unigine Heaven Benchmark with DX11 Tessellation

Unigine Heaven Benchmark with DX11 Tessellation -

What does DX11 Tessellation look like in a real-time 3D engine? Unigine’s Heaven Benchmark supports DX11 with Tessellation and we’ve taken a look at Tessellation in this unique application. Tessellation has the potential to improve the gameplay experience, and you’ll see why once you see these screenshots.

BTW, I know people will want to compare their results with ours, being a benchmark and all. Just launch the program and set the resolution to 1680x1050 Full Screen, and make sure shaders are on High, leave AA and AF at defaults. On DX10 level cards use the DX10 render, on DX11 cards you can use DX10 and DX11 render.

I mean in this regard developers can make use of a feature on the graphics card, That doesn't mean that games will use it.

Some places where people use the ingame engine for cut-scene's that springs to mind as something that can have some extra detail without it hurting performance.

And these days the average development time for a game is longer and longer, this means if were getting games that use these kind of features that it might be a while,

Programmers can/will tweak their polygon models for these kind of functions? Games can end-up looking piss poor on cards that do not support hardware tessellation.

do keep in mind that in the comparison shots, in DX10 they could have added instanced tessellation which is supported by the older ATI/NVIDIA hardware; but they did not, making the on/off comparison a bit exaggerated.

Instanced Tessellation in DirectX10

if they'd added some instanced tessellation to the DX10 path the difference would be noticeably less stellar!

Originally Posted by Pieter3dnow

I mean in this regard developers can make use of a feature on the graphics card, That doesn't mean that games will use it.

Some places where people use the ingame engine for cut-scene's that springs to mind as something that can have some extra detail without it hurting performance.

And these days the average development time for a game is longer and longer, this means if were getting games that use these kind of features that it might be a while,

Programmers can/will tweak their polygon models for these kind of functions? Games can end-up looking piss poor on cards that do not support hardware tessellation.

Fact is we know of two games right now that will use DX11 Tessellation, DiRT 2 will use it for the water and cloth and crowd. Here is a screenshot of that wireframe - http://hardocp.com/image.html?image=...8xOV9sLmdpZg== and there is a DX11 Tech video out there as well here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9p3PYOX1Vc

Alien vs. Predator will use it on the Aliens, here is a wireframe screenshot of that - http://hardocp.com/image.html?image=...8yMF9sLmdpZg== - Not as detailed as the Dragon in this benchmark, but the ability is there in the engine itself.

I must say that ever since I first saw this demo something has bothered me. Is it just me or does that road look extremely uncomfortable? It's all jagged with sharp pointy rocks......

Tell me a game that doesn't look piss poor when you lower the graphics settings?

Originally Posted by JMke

do keep in mind that in the comparison shots, in DX10 they could have added instanced tessellation which is supported by the older ATI/NVIDIA hardware; but they did not, making the on/off comparison a bit exaggerated.

Instanced Tessellation in DirectX10

if they'd added some instanced tessellation to the DX10 path the difference would be noticeably less stellar!

Fact is, these features in games, such as Dirt 2 and Alien vs. Predators, are coming under the DX11 API for DX11 Tessellation. We won't see DX10 Instanced anything in games. We indicated in the article that Tessellation is nothing new, the idea certainly isn't, but the ability to run it on consumer hardware at playable framerates using the latest API sure is. The fact it is coming in games makes it relevant now.

Originally Posted by Pieter3dnow

I mean in this regard developers can make use of a feature on the graphics card, That doesn't mean that games will use it.

Some places where people use the ingame engine for cut-scene's that springs to mind as something that can have some extra detail without it hurting performance.

And these days the average development time for a game is longer and longer, this means if were getting games that use these kind of features that it might be a while,

Programmers can/will tweak their polygon models for these kind of functions? Games can end-up looking piss poor on cards that do not support hardware tessellation.

I fully expect this to make it into most games, as from what I understand it is a relatively easy thing to enable that requires minimal developer intervention. If anything, I expect developers to use it as a crutch. Port over the models from the console versions, and then use tessellation to add details dynamically instead of creating and tweaking higher poly models manually.

Time will tell, of course

Originally Posted by kllrnohj

If anything, I expect developers to use it as a crutch. Port over the models from the console versions, and then use tessellation to add details dynamically instead of creating and tweaking higher poly models manually.

But at the least, it's still gonna be better graphically than if it was straight ported. Either way, dynamic or manual, we get better graphics.

Isn't it actually displacement mapping? at least on the road and the dragon.

From the images it looks like the Tessellation is operating on a bump map, it should not be too difficult to implement.

Originally Posted by elmer92413

I must say that ever since I first saw this demo something has bothered me. Is it just me or does that road look extremely uncomfortable? It's all jagged with sharp pointy rocks......

It's over exaggerated that's for sure. But I think once it is scaled down to a reasonable level this will look AMAZING. This is the kind of "pop" that DX10 vs DX9 just didn't have in most games. When a larger selection of games start hitting the market with this I think I'll finally have a reason to upgrade.

But how does the dyanmic method determine how it should be shaped? What should be squared, pointy, or sharp? The dragons pointed scales COULD be rounded.

How is tessellation used currently that it isn't dynamic?

My concern is that in the last two full size screenshots the house in the rear has no tessellation applied to it.

I understand this is a minor point but it really breaks the immersion factor of an otherwise awesome technology.

I also hope it is applied more realistically in future titles. Time will tell.

I have high hopes for this technology.

Originally Posted by elmer92413

I must say that ever since I first saw this demo something has bothered me. Is it just me or does that road look extremely uncomfortable? It's all jagged with sharp pointy rocks......

I was thinking the same thing. It would suck to walk on lmao.

But this is very cool stuff. Aliens in the new AvP look absolutely badass with tessellation. Can't wait for the [H] review on this tech in games to see if it will finally be a great benefit to games. Honestly I loved the hardware tessellation my Radeon 8500 (or was it the 9700?) back in the day with Counter-Strike. Sure it made some guns look a little funky but overall it was neat tech back then but being proprietary at the time it wasn't excepted and shouldn't have been. Now that it's back in an open standard I say bring it on!

Originally Posted by The Gonz

My concern is that in the last two full size screenshots the house in the rear has no tessellation applied to it.

I understand this is a minor point but it really breaks the immersion factor of an otherwise awesome technology.

I also hope it is applied more realistically in future titles. Time will tell.

I have high hopes for this technology.

I hadn't even noticed that. I don't find it a break in the immersion factor except for the fact that house will suddenly "explode" as tessellation is applied as you get closer.

i thought there are games that uses this type of feature before. Doesn't unreal 3 engine do something similar? Loads different levels of detail over when you get closer?

I know you guys don't have the resources to test out every possible configuration of video cards, but do you think tessellation will see a benefit from multiple GPU setups? With the load balanced between two 5870s, do you think frame rates would see an appreciable jump?

Originally Posted by Konig-Wolf

I know you guys don't have the resources to test out every possible configuration of video cards, but do you think tessellation will see a benefit from multiple GPU setups? With the load balanced between two 5870s, do you think frame rates would see an appreciable jump?

I'll second this. Lets see some multi-GPU numbers! I think it's pretty clear that the benchmark needs it!

I'm guessing there isn't a crossfire profile for the benchmark, but I believe there is a tool to create one IIRC. So that shouldn't stop you. However, I'm wonder if you guys have a second 5870 I know they are in high demand atm.

Is tesselation just a new name for displacement mapping? The end result looks the same and I guess both use height maps.

It looks just fantastic, can't wait to jump on the DX11 bandwagon.