New technology being developed?

[evil^milk]

I was browsing Wiki earlier and I saw this:

Future Technologies
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Dynamic Lighting and Shadowing 2

A new dynamic lighting and shadowing system is being developed for Half-Life 2: Episode Two [1], replacing the existing system. Currently, all dynamic shadows in a map:

* Come from the same angle regardless of the area's light sources
* Cast through all objects save world geometry/BSP
* Only cast shadows on world geometry
* Do not blend with precompiled static shadows
* Do not self-shadow (i.e. a character's arm will not cast a shadow on its torso)

The new system appears to go some way towards unifying pre-compiled and dynamic shadowing, but little else is known.
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Next-gen Renderer

An upgraded rendering path is in development for future Source engine games on Xbox 360 [2]. PC development is not confirmed, but extremely likely. No other details are known at this point. Possible features include support for the Shader Model 3.0 (Pixel Shaders) and DirectX 10.
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Landscape and Flora Rendering
Flora rendering in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. The new shadowing system can also be seen.
Enlarge
Flora rendering in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. The new shadowing system can also be seen.

The trailer for Half-Life 2: Episode Two makes extensive use of large-scale natural environments that have traditionally been a weakness for the Source engine.

... and I was wondering if Valve had confirmed being working on this. It'd be neat to have dynamic lightning

 

[Ennui]

Gabe confirmed that there was new lighting.

 

[Citadel]

Nice, new lighting and we thought the graphics looked good in Half life 2. Now we have even better ones, I thought something in the episode 2 trailer looked different, wasn't sure though. I can't wait to see the next expansion pack, its new graphics tweaks, enemys, story oh for the love of Gordon its going ot be great.

 

[myth]

all these tips have brought me to a conclusion. WILL HAFTA UPGRADE TO PLAY HALF LIFE2 : EPISIODE 2. (sigh...)

 

[Reginald]

all these tips have brought me to a conclusion. WILL HAFTA UPGRADE TO PLAY HALF LIFE2 : EPISIODE 2. (sigh...)

You will still have the option to play with all these options switched off. I'm pretty sure Source is turning into one of the most scalable engines in the gaming world.

 

[Asuka]

Nice, new lighting and we thought the graphics looked good in Half life 2. Now we have even better ones, I thought something in the episode 2 trailer looked different, wasn't sure though. I can't wait to see the next expansion pack, its new graphics tweaks, enemys, story oh for the love of Gordon its going ot be great.

Its not a expansion pack its a episode. Big difference.

 

[evil^milk]

Yeah, I think I may need to upgrade too soon.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Yep saw this about a month ago.

 

[NJspeed]

This means we'll probably see Episode 2 in early 08.

Seriously tho. Aftermath was supposed to come out last August.

Instead, it come out this June.....10 months late. So that Spring 2007 target for Episode 2 will probably turn into early 08.

What's the big deal with technical advances anyway? Save em for HL3 and just release the damn episodes now. Was it worth waiting an extra however many months just to have HDR in Episode 1? No. We'd all have been just as happy playing it 10 months ago with no HDR.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Seriously tho. Aftermath was supposed to come out last August.

No it wasn't, the only other date besides June 1st given for Episode 1 was April 24th by EA.

 

[bbson john]

How about the total internal reflection? And how about a real refraction?

 

[99.vikram]

How about the total internal reflection? And how about a real refraction?

If and when they can find a way to fit that stuff into gameplay, they will use it.
I'm sure it's possible with Source, but not many gamers will notice TIR and be wowed by it.

 

[Death.Trap]

Theres an episode 2 trailer?

 

[99.vikram]

Theres an episode 2 trailer?

At the end of episode 1.
If it didn't run when you finished the game, search in your GCFs.

 

[Death.Trap]

At the end of episode 1.
If it didn't run when you finished the game, search in your GCFs.

Started a new game after I beat it the first time, almost done with it again though...

 

[Naudian]

Well you can watch the EP2 trailer anyway by clicking New Game and scrolling to the last chapter, "Coming Soon."
Or just DL it from somewhere on teh interwebs...


Dynamic lighting for source...'bout time I'd say

 

[FoB_Ed]

What's the big deal with technical advances anyway? Save em for HL3 and just release the damn episodes now. Was it worth waiting an extra however many months just to have HDR in Episode 1? No. We'd all have been just as happy playing it 10 months ago with no HDR.

The episodes ARE HL3...

 

[RaBiD WeAzEL]

Or you can just go into the Steam\SteamApps\[YOUR USERNAME]\half-life 2 episode one\episodic\media\Ep2_Teaser.wmv

It'll be there.

 

[ríomhaire]

Sounds great, was I was disapointed with shadows in HL2, particularly when you are in the buggy on the crane you can see the buggy's shadows overlapping.

 

[NJspeed]

The episodes ARE HL3...

Ummmm NO, they are not.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Ummmm NO, they are not.

I'm glad to see you keep up-to-date with your info! :|

 

[russ_uk]

Sounds great, was I was disapointed with shadows in HL2, particularly when you are in the buggy on the crane you can see the buggy's shadows overlapping.

i thought they said they were going to fix that ?

 

[FoB_Ed]

Ummmm NO, they are not.

Yes, they are.

Eurogamer: Why did you change the name from Aftermath? We liked the name.

Gabe Newell: Errr... I... I think that Aftermath was almost a temporary name. I always thought of it as Episodes One through Three because that's how we planned the products out. I think people thought we'd need a name for them, and Aftermath ended up being more confusing than helpful. Probably a better name for it would have been Half Life 3: Episode One, but these three are what we're doing as our way of taking the next step forward, but Half-Life 2 was the name we used.

 

[NJspeed]

Nowhere does it say that Episode 1 is Half Life 3.

"Half-Life 2 was the name we used."

Anyway, I don't like arguing on forums, because nobody else probably really cares, but I do see your point. However, unless they actually went with the name "Half Life 3: Episode 1" you can't go around saying Episode 1 is HL3. Sure, they considered it, but bottom line is it's called Half Life 2 : Episode 1.

It's not like after the episodes are done the next chapter/game/whatever is going to be called Half Life 4, right?

Nuff said anyway. But believe me I see what your saying.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

i thought they said they were going to fix that ?

They are...its called new lighting system they are working on.

 

[FoB_Ed]

Nowhere does it say that Episode 1 is Half Life 3.

"Half-Life 2 was the name we used."

Anyway, I don't like arguing on forums, because nobody else probably really cares, but I do see your point. However, unless they actually went with the name "Half Life 3: Episode 1" you can't go around saying Episode 1 is HL3. Sure, they considered it, but bottom line is it's called Half Life 2 : Episode 1.

It's not like after the episodes are done the next chapter/game/whatever is going to be called Half Life 4, right?

Nuff said anyway. But believe me I see what your saying.

Fair enough. Half-Life 2: EP1 or Half-Life 3: EP1...it doesn't matter

 

[Hyperion2010]

can you post a direct link to the page?

 

[bigburpco]

This means we'll probably see Episode 2 in early 08.

Seriously tho. Aftermath was supposed to come out last August.

Instead, it come out this June.....10 months late. So that Spring 2007 target for Episode 2 will probably turn into early 08.

What's the big deal with technical advances anyway? Save em for HL3 and just release the damn episodes now. Was it worth waiting an extra however many months just to have HDR in Episode 1? No. We'd all have been just as happy playing it 10 months ago with no HDR.

You sir, are a... wait for it... doofus.

 

[bbson john]

It will be wonderful if the water is different. Like if there are quiet water, wavy water and stormy water, that's gonna be great. And the shadows need further development.

 

[Cypher19]

Gabe confirmed that there was new lighting.

You sure that wasn't the "hero lighting" that took one man-day of work to put in?

Dynamic Lighting and Shadowing 2

A new dynamic lighting and shadowing system is being developed for Half-Life 2: Episode Two [1], replacing the existing system. Currently, all dynamic shadows in a map:

* Come from the same angle regardless of the area's light sources
* Cast through all objects save world geometry/BSP
* Only cast shadows on world geometry
* Do not blend with precompiled static shadows
* Do not self-shadow (i.e. a character's arm will not cast a shadow on its torso)

The new system appears to go some way towards unifying pre-compiled and dynamic shadowing, but little else is known.

According to http://www.hl2world.com/bbs/new-technology-for-ep2-vt44745.html Gabe has said that "that's new lighting". I looked at the trailer, and it is new lighting: a bit of a specular shine on the ministriders (it's not obvious in that screen, but if you pause in the shot where you see a group running by, you can see it) that doesn't seem that different from hero lighting. The shadows are still totally untouched, if the trailer is any indication.

 

[MultiVaC]

You sure that wasn't the "hero lighting" that took one man-day of work to put in?



According to http://www.hl2world.com/bbs/new-technology-for-ep2-vt44745.html Gabe has said that "that's new lighting". I looked at the trailer, and it is new lighting: a bit of a specular shine on the ministriders (it's not obvious in that screen, but if you pause in the shot where you see a group running by, you can see it) that doesn't seem that different from hero lighting. The shadows are still totally untouched, if the trailer is any indication.

So since the EP2 trailer indicates the shadows are untouched, I'm assuming you can provide us with screenshots from the trailer that show:

A) Shadows being cast at an incorrect angle relative to the light source
B) Shadows being cast through objects
C) Shadows not being cast on objects that aren't world geometry
D) Dynamic shadows not blending with precompiled static shadows
E) Models not self-shadowing

To prove that the shadows are apparently untouched you'll have to show us examples of all of these.

 

[99.vikram]

Was he looking at the same trailer?

 

[capteeni]

no idea.

 

[Cypher19]

So since the EP2 trailer indicates the shadows are untouched, I'm assuming you can provide us with screenshots from the trailer that show:

A) Shadows being cast at an incorrect angle relative to the light source
B) Shadows being cast through objects
C) Shadows not being cast on objects that aren't world geometry
D) Dynamic shadows not blending with precompiled static shadows
E) Models not self-shadowing

To prove that the shadows are apparently untouched you'll have to show us examples of all of these.

That's it? I thought you'd ask for something...well, DIFFICULT.

a)

b)

c)

(if you guys want a screencap of this shot where I haven't mucked it up, I can up that)

d) I guess you can refer to A, but this is almost redundant.

e) I can't get a good screen capture of it, but if you look at the part where Alyx is hanging from that piece of metal jutting out, one can easily say that her arms would be shadowing her body, or her head would be. That is not visible. C is also another example, but I didn't feel it was good enough to use as the sole example. Chances are, Alyx's head would be shadowing part of her body.


:naughty:

 

[^Ben]

I'm the guy they are referencing, and Gabe did not say "shadows" he said "light" those are 2 seperate things.

And now we know that static props are lit pervertex(probably could be done perpixel if need be)

And the main contention that I was getting at was how the shadow of the ministrider was filtered completly differntly than what the Source engine would do. Currently it looks like they are trying to get softshadowing working, as can be seen with the halo bug that is present next to the wall.

Don't worry Valve are working on all this nice new tech, they just aint gonna dump it on us at once so we all have to upgrade our PC's, they are much smarter than that and can keep it looking good without killing us.

 

[Cypher19]

And the main contention that I was getting at was how the shadow of the ministrider was filtered completly differntly than what the Source engine would do.

It's actually still the same filtering from what I can see, it's just that it's stretched out more than most of the shadows in the game are. If you made a map that had a really low sun or something, you'd see the same filtering.

 

[^Ben]

No you would not.

You can stretch it out even more and it does not filter like that.

 

[MorganFreeman911]

What's the spawn code for the Hunter again?