Shiny = DX8 (Emphasis)

[SunshineRecorder]

I decided to post this as a new thread after contributing to other similar threads, because people seemed to miss my posts.

So maybe posting this as a separate thread will help avoid people's confusion over this.

Another user kindly posted some more examples on a separate thread on the HL2 part of the forum, but others dimissed them as not being clear enough.

As the title says, users complaining about the apparent overuse of specular highlights need to keep in mind that this is not a general CSS issue. It is a DirectX 8 issue. "Cliffe" from Valve already noted this, and I assume it will be addressed eventually.

As for the pictures, here they go.

office OIL PAINTED walls DX8

office OIL PAINTED wallls DX9

Havana floor bricks DX8

Havana floor bricks DX9

Havana floor tiles DX8

Havana floor tiles DX9

Office walls SHINY DX8

Office walls NOT SHINY DX9

 

[krameriffic]

I noticed that, but I don't really care.

 

[Neutrino]

Thanks for pointing that out. Atleast now people with DX9 can't say we DX8 people are crazy.

 

[Homer]

Tile really is that shiny, as is some cleaned stone. The walls in office are a little ugly, but its better than non-mapped textures.

Give it a few years and developers will realise that bump mapping should make things look real, not shiny. For now the new tech is so cool that they over use it a little bit.

 

[Neutrino]

Give it a few years and developers will realise that bump mapping should make things look real, not shiny. For now the new tech is so cool that they over use it a little bit.

It's actually specular mapping not bump mapping.

The specular map and bump map are two different files that do not affect each other and are applied seperately.

 

[LeXo5]

me happy me has DX9 card (ATI 9800 Pro 128mb)

 

[Homer]

I ment mapping in general. Normal mapping, bump mapping, specular mapping, etc.

 

[merc]

gladi have dx9

-merc

 

[UnmarkedOne]

Hey, great thread, Sunshine. Good idea making a new one, your very informative post at the bottom of the other thread was about four pages down, so I doubt many people got to read it.

Glad people are finally realizing, thanks to you, that this is a bug with Source and that the Valve team is working on a fix.

-UnmarkedOne

 

[Mr. Redundant]

Hey, great thread, Sunshine. Good idea making a new one, your very informative post at the bottom of the other thread was about four pages down, so I doubt many people got to read it.

Glad people are finally realizing, thanks to you, that this is a bug with Source and that the Valve team is working on a fix.

-UnmarkedOne

wow, now that is modesty.

 

[UnmarkedOne]

Two more examples to complement Sunshine's screenshots in the first post. The first shows a huge difference between DX8 and 9 on the Italy map. The second shows a strange shiny surface on the mossy/brick pillar (and the wall next to it appears quite a bit more wet, also).

Edit: Thanks to Redundant's tip about the console command to switch render modes without leaving the game (mat_dxlevel 90/mat_dxlevel 81), I was finally able to get some before/after type shots so it's far easier to compare.

-UnmarkedOne

 

[Mr. Redundant]

Two more examples to complement Sunshine's screenshots in the first post. The first shows a huge difference between DX8 and 9 on the Italy map. The second shows a strange shiny surface on the mossy/brick pillar (and the wall next to it appears quite a bit more wet, also).

best comparison shots thus far.

and in areas that really do show it. nice.

 

[Yellonet]

Good to know. I was under the impression that these effects were overdone... luckily I have a DX9 card

 

[lans]

Dx 9 = all effects look subtle.
Dx 8 - effects look overdone.

I play in dx 9 mode, but my friend plays it purposely on dx 8 - he loves shiny stuff.

 

[Gunner]

I play in dxlevel 9 but I have mat_specular 0 so

 

[Mr. Redundant]

Dx 9 = all effects look subtle.
Dx 8 - effects look overdone.

I play in dx 9 mode, but my friend plays it purposely on dx 8 - he loves shiny stuff.

funnily enough my brother does the same (plays in dx8) and he loves the shinyness too.

 

[Be-vishead]

I love the shiny, I never seen a game use dx 8 like that, i swore it was dx9 when i first saw it but i'm only on a geforce 4 ti 4200

 

[Icarusintel]

too bad my mobility 9000 isn't a DX9 card, can't wait til i get my other comp, the one listed in my sig, working, then i finally get DX9

 

[VodkA-HLC-]

I like the way it looks shiny in dx8. The walls look more real in dx8 in office than they do in dx9.

 

[Mujuro]

I honestly love specular lighting...