Gorgon
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WIDESCREEN pic
What shadowing algorithm does the engine use? What kind of lighting equation?
It's not really easy to spot the type of shadow algorithm we use in this screenshot but we are using filtered shadow maps with bleeding removal. They look significantly softer than SC1 shadows. Hard shadows (stencil or shadow maps) are very problematic from an artistic standpoint when they hard cut per pixel lit surfaces. The whole artistic concept of the renderer was to be contrasted but smooth unlike SC1 which was contrasted and sharp/edgy.
Since the screenshot is taken using a SM1.1 renderer, can you tell me what improvements we'll see when using SM2.x and SM3.0 renderers instead of a SM1.1 renderer? Also, what difference will we see between SM2.x and SM3.0?
The SM 2.0/3.0 version is in development at the moment but we aren't ready to talk about its advantages (beside removing gradients/banding) yet. As always, the improvement in quality we will get is dependent upon the amount of assets redesigned to take full advantage of SM 2.0/3.0 shaders. That said, some of the art in the game is going to look significantly better without having to restart from scratch.
http://www.beyond3d.com/index.php#news17002
What shadowing algorithm does the engine use? What kind of lighting equation?
It's not really easy to spot the type of shadow algorithm we use in this screenshot but we are using filtered shadow maps with bleeding removal. They look significantly softer than SC1 shadows. Hard shadows (stencil or shadow maps) are very problematic from an artistic standpoint when they hard cut per pixel lit surfaces. The whole artistic concept of the renderer was to be contrasted but smooth unlike SC1 which was contrasted and sharp/edgy.
Since the screenshot is taken using a SM1.1 renderer, can you tell me what improvements we'll see when using SM2.x and SM3.0 renderers instead of a SM1.1 renderer? Also, what difference will we see between SM2.x and SM3.0?
The SM 2.0/3.0 version is in development at the moment but we aren't ready to talk about its advantages (beside removing gradients/banding) yet. As always, the improvement in quality we will get is dependent upon the amount of assets redesigned to take full advantage of SM 2.0/3.0 shaders. That said, some of the art in the game is going to look significantly better without having to restart from scratch.
http://www.beyond3d.com/index.php#news17002
