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Offset mapping performance on the x800PRO!!

Z

zkalra

n00b
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
Messages
21
I decided to download the map and see for my self what the big deal is. Well, let me tell you, YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT TO BELIEVE IT. This was toted to be a PS3.0 only feature but the x800PRO performs it at ZERO PERFORMANCE PENALTY (basic implementation only hence results might change drastically during more complex implementations of offset-mapping) . Check the pics for proof. Notice the fps...these frame rates at settings of 1280x1024, 4xAA and 8xAF. Walking on the right set of tiles (ones with the offset mapping) is like walking on actual tiles (complete with a 3d effect like i have never seen before). The thing is that these pictures dont to justice since you have to see it in motion for the complete effect. Basically this competely reinforces my decision to get the XT since offset mapping is supposed to be one of the most notable and widely touted features of PS3.0.

Click on these links for the photos:

http://www.xioserv.com/view.php?f=zkalra.FarCry0004.jpg

http://www.xioserv.com/view.php?f=zkalra.FarCry0006.jpg

http://www.xioserv.com/view.php?f=zkalra.FarCry0007.jpg

http://www.xioserv.com/view.php?f=zkalra.FarCry0008.jpg
 
thats pretty damn good looking.

i havent been following the X800's at all...but are you saying the X800 XT is the only card that comes with PS3.0? and that your "forcefully" running PS3.0 on the regular X800?
 
No...the Nvidia's are the ones with the native PS3.0 support. These new gen ATI's only support PS2.0. Thats why i found this real interesting since everyone was saying that this offset modelling implementation wasnt possible on the ATIs. What we have here is implementation accompanies with an almost zero performance hit!!
 
No One Said Offset mapping only worked in SM 3.0.

In fact I made it very clear right here at the bottom of this page: http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjEwLDY= The paragraph labeled "Parrallax Mapping". In it I state it only needs SM 2.0.

And in fact I learned that Offset Mapping can indeed be squeezed into Pixel Shader 1.1.

All video cards capable of SM 2.0 will definitely be able to do Offset Mapping, all it is is a better way to do Bump Mapping, it looks much better, the effects are sweet.

BTW, where did you get that map you have shown above? I would like to take a look at it, Thanks.
 
The map can be gotten from here

BTW, thanks for clearing that up. I was beginning to think that this was the SM3.0 feature that people were talking so much about.
 
zkalra said:
The map can be gotten from here

BTW, thanks for clearing that up. I was beginning to think that this was the SM3.0 feature that people were talking so much about.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link!

You would be reffering to Displacement Mapping, which actually isn't really a SM3.0 feature either ;) Though can certainly be done in VS 3.0 because of vertex texture lookups. The Radeon 9700Pro and up support Displacement Mapping via N-Pathces.

A lot of people were confused over the effects being seen in the new FarCry mod, they were not Displacement Mapping, they were simply Offset/Parrallax Mapping.
 
Great...thanks for clearing that up as well. I was feeling confident in my decision to go in for the x800XT thinking that this was an SM3.0 feature thus proving that ATI could manage that without 'official' support for SM3.0. However I still personally feel that the SM3.0 features are going to be a long time coming and probably by that time the new range of cards would be available from both companies, thereby negating the advantage of choosing Nvidia's feature set over ATI's performance lead.
 
zkalra said:
Great...thanks for clearing that up as well. I was feeling confident in my decision to go in for the x800XT thinking that this was an SM3.0 feature thus proving that ATI could manage that without 'official' support for SM3.0. However I still personally feel that the SM3.0 features are going to be a long time coming and probably by that time the new range of cards would be available from both companies, thereby negating the advantage of choosing Nvidia's feature set over ATI's performance lead.
Click to expand...

it all hinges on developer support and what they use and put in their games

since no one can predict the future (except for maybe bill gates :p ) no one knows how soon it'll catch on

i personally don't believe it will be an issue this year

i believe that 2005 will be the year of SM 3.0 games

and by that time i have a feeling both camps will have fast sm 3.0 cards

that's my personal opinion anyways
 
Brent_Justice said:
it all hinges on developer support and what they use and put in their games

since no one can predict the future (except for maybe bill gates :p ) no one knows how soon it'll catch on

i personally don't believe it will be an issue this year

i believe that 2005 will be the year of SM 3.0 games

and by that time i have a feeling both camps will have fast sm 3.0 cards

that's my personal opinion anyways
Click to expand...

And I completely concur with that. Most games/developers that are capable of creating games with these features (STALKER, DOOM3, HL2) etc are all at or nearing the end of their respective development lifecycles. As such they are going to find it hard to implement such features especially considering the limited target demographic that they would be catering to even if they decided to go ahead and pursue these implementations. Also, since a decent game takes at least a year to complete I believe that these new features wont be here, like you said, till 2005. By which time I am going to be upgrading anyway.
 
If I download this map, will I be able to see the same affects as you with my Radeon 9700 PRO?
 
All I can say is wow. Loaded this up on my 9800pro and it looks freakin sweet, the sand mapping is pretty cool too. On a side note, anyone else notice that there are two suns?
 
Really I didnt notice the 2 suns...Maybe to provide the lighting and reflections from multiplt angles??
 
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