Will HDR (DX9 FX) be in the final game?

I have a feeling that the high-end things that Source can do, like HDR, will not be in HL2. That one video that we all saw was more like an ad for the engine and not the game. I just think if all that pretty stuff was actually in the game content we would've have seen it by now. Why would they keep it a secret? It's obviously not plot-related and it would be a major selling-point. This surprise business is crap. It would not be a good way to sell a product.
 
Gossoon said:
I have a feeling that the high-end things that Source can do, like HDR, will not be in HL2. That one video that we all saw was more like an ad for the engine and not the game. I just think if all that pretty stuff was actually in the game content we would've have seen it by now. Why would they keep it a secret? It's obviously not plot-related and it would be a major selling-point. This surprise business is crap. It would not be a good way to sell a product.
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I agree with you. But, when you have 40 million dollars of your own (and spent it on making a game), you can do whatever you want. In this case, I am sure he has his own agenda.
 
HDR is a confirmed feature. They've even shown it in different versions of the e3 videos that they showed at the ATI shader day.

Why wouldn't they be in? They were in as of last year, and graphics tech has only gotten better since then.
 
TheWart said:
One would think so, but many people are making the argument that Valve wanted to show off more of the capabilities of the engine, as Valve is not only selling a game, but an engine as well.
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Exactly. If you remember the HDR Bink Video wasn't named like the others (ie Traptown, Bugbait) it was more of a Source tech demo.

I've emailed Gabe about this last week and he hasn't replied. :frown:
 
Oh come ON guys, there is a movie out specifically DEDICATED to HDR in HL2...

IT IS A CONFIRMED FEATURE.

*Sees Apos post*

well...some people are dense, so I'll say it again anyway. :D
 
A2597 said:
Oh come ON guys, there is a movie out specifically DEDICATED to HDR in HL2...

IT IS A CONFIRMED FEATURE.

*Sees Apos post*

well...some people are dense, so I'll say it again anyway. :D
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Where? Confirmed feature as in the actual game content will look like that Source demo video?? I just don't believe it. Why in the hell would we have not seen screenshots of that? It would make us all faint. I don't know, maybe Gabe's just trying to protect our health. But I'd take the risk...
 
I can't confirm this about HDR but some visuals in these newer games don't capture in games because it's applied after the info is grabed from the frame buffer. The SS is taken from the frame buffer.
 
why is there even conversation if it'll be featured?

Do people think valve are that stupid, to create a feature especially for their new engine, and NOT include it in the final game?

What kind of decision would that be? Gabe Newell: Yeah guys, we just did HDR but... i don't think i want it in HL2 because, i dunno, i just had a strange change of heart that i can't explain... so take it out now please!

I think the delay has made people go ****ing insane! :|
 
Because valve confirmed it in the valve info thread, and because the source vid stated "To show off HDR as seen in HL2"
 
Where? Confirmed feature as in the actual game content will look like that Source demo video??
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Yes. If you have hardware that can run it. HDR is a significant performance cost, and requires a DX9 level card with some real firepower.

I just don't believe it. Why in the hell would we have not seen screenshots of that?
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First, they seem want to let the Binks do the job most companies would do with screenshots: they seem to release very few screenshots.
Second, given that HDR is a high-end feature, most players won't be able to see it. So featuring it in every screenshot would be a bit false advertising for many players: they want shots and movies that show the full range of what is possible.
 
OK, well I'll submit to everyone elses' stance on this, since I don't have any evidence to the contrary, save for the lack of screenshots. I guess we'll find out one of these days. I do, however, maintain that it is possible that the engine is capable of it and it still not being in HL2, just because of the lack of widespread support for the tech at this time. Anyway...
 
They say that they are planning on supporting hardware that NO ONE has yet: so why wouldn't they include a feature that many people can use?
 
Apos said:
They say that they are planning on supporting hardware that NO ONE has yet: so why wouldn't they include a feature that many people can use?
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I don't know!! Christ, I said I surrendered! I can't argue without all the facts, which to be fair, I don't think you have completely either. So, we'll see...
 
Apos said:
They say that they are planning on supporting hardware that NO ONE has yet: so why wouldn't they include a feature that many people can use?
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Because of psychology. Try telling the owner of a Radeon 9800 Pro/XT and tell them that they won't be able to run a game on high. It will make them angry.

I have a 9600 Pro, not the best card in the world, but it is very respectable in games right now. Lets assume that HL2 has all these whiz-bang features. As a result, I have to run my setting at low. Even though the graphics would be the same if HDR and DX9 effects weren't included, I would feel upset. This is because I think my graphics card should be able to play at a setting higher than what the games says it is playing at. This is regardless of actual graphics quality.
 
I don't know!! Christ, I said I surrendered!
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NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!!! KILL HIM!!!!!

I have a 9600 Pro, not the best card in the world, but it is very respectable in games right now. Lets assume that HL2 has all these whiz-bang features. As a result, I have to run my setting at low.
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As of the latest benchmarks, you can run at near highest settings, including HDR, as long as you have decent memory and CPU.
 
I know, I was giving an example. My dream is to run HL2 at 1024*768 with high detail and 4AA on my current rig.

~~~

But, that will happen if you start throwing in an obscene amounts of shaders and parallax maps like you want.
 
:naughty:

Of course, tis all in good fun ;)

Your mother has nothing to worry about. Except maybe your health when halflife2 comes out... A good chunk of the worlds population is going to be staying up late and eating badly when this game comes out!
 
HDR WILL be in hl2...it was in the beta.

if it wasnt i would be pissed cuz i own a 9800 pro.

owning a 9800 pro makes you GOD.
 
Gossoon said:
it was in the beta? er... i don't remember that.
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i remember reading on one of the hl2 forums that you could enable it in the beta and everything.. but you had to have a radeon 9600+ or something
 
Just to throw my 2 cents in (probably been said, but hey I flipped here from page 1 :p), we can be assured it will be in there. Changing graphics stuff is evil (or at least, from what little I've seen of graphics, it looks evil), plus on the benchmarks they showed the scores with the DX9 settings and they wouldn't back down from there (lest they look like complete jerks in the industry). They also told tales of how they "created" a DX8.1/9 hybrid for the NVidia cards to use because their DX9 handling isn't up to snuff :/
 
So, DX9 stuff is synonymous with HDR and whatnot? Yes, I'm half-dumb.
 
Yes. If you have hardware that can run it. HDR is a significant performance cost, and requires a DX9 level card with some real firepower.
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As in Radeon 9800 pro?
 
HDR is a DirectX9 feature. A radeon Pro 9800 would be ideal for a card with HDR effects.
 
HDR is all the effects that were in the HDR video right? the normal maps on all the surfaces and the reflecting light and all?
 
No. Those were, well, normal maps, and reflection effects. The HDR was how the light from outside the attic seemed so incredibly bright when it was seen from a dark room.
 
aah ok, i haven't seen that in any game so far, except maybe Splinter Cell 1/2
 
Neither of those games used HDR :)
 
Sparta said:
Ok well it still looked like it was the same effect.
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But it wasn't HDR, because HDR requires floating point numbers for great precision on light values and DX9 is the first to work with floating point numbers, so it couldn't possibly be in the DX8 based Unreal engine on which SC runs.
 
PvtRyan said:
But it wasn't HDR, because HDR requires floating point numbers for great precision on light values and DX9 is the first to work with floating point numbers, so it couldn't possibly be in the DX8 based Unreal engine on which SC runs.
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It's people getting confused and thinking any instance of glare, bloom or flare must mean HDR. Meh its a mute point anyway, it'll be overused in a year or so and as cliche as lens flares are. I'm sure we'll be getting games soon with Chromatic Aberration effects (lens warping). But again, just like glare, bloom and flare its an error caused by a lens that most people in other area's do their best to minimise, except CG guys, who do their best to make it happen, funny old world.
 
What does lens warping look like?


Apos:that link to msdn was a good read.
 
Is Lense Warping like that Fish-Eye effect? Or is it where the colours at the edges of a lense start to separate out into a spectrum? My glasses do the last one... they're really thick...
 
HDR is going to be in the final version (YES), basicaly its not the only technology we are looking for in HL2's world.
 
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