Devlog - Improved vertex cache optimization

February 08, 2008

Recent changes:

  • Dynamic irradiance environment maps for meshes, terrains and billboards (by means of a harmonics basis).
  • New vertex cache optimizator (processing time depends on mesh complexity linearly); it also reorders polygons for more optimal rendering (less overdraw).
  • Overlapping visualization for 3D meshes in ResourceEditor / Viewer.
  • Refactored plugins for 3D modeling packages, vertex cache optimization is always performed on export now.
  • Faster loading of large files in non-native formats into ResourceEditor.
  • Improved soft shadows.
  • Adjustable bias for translucence.
  • Hash can be stored in stack memory now.
  • Improved algorithm for instance rendering (no performance drop on non-instanced geometry).
  • Reflection masks (works the same way as light and collision masks).
  • New console variables: render_show_penumbra (shows penumbra in color) and render_show_splits (shows PSSM splits in color).
  • Added performance stress-tests.
  • Direct3D9 shaders have been switched to row-major order matrices.
  • Correct detection of ATI R600 cards.
  • Workaround for Direct3D9 / ATI2 textures crash bug.
  • Fixed shadow bilinear sampling on R600.
  • Multiple selection of nodes in UnigineEditor (for cloning, deletion, transformations and export).
  • Export of mesh data from UnigineEditor.
  • Support of images in ComboBox.
  • Updated installation script (no more problems with binary version).

No vertex cache optimization (overlapped regions are colored by red):
Non-optimized mesh
After optimization:
Optimized mesh
Thus we get less overdraw after optimization.

Now there are the following shader presets available:

Shaders presetFeatures
HighSoft shadows for all light sources
MediumNo soft shadows
Low No bilinear filtration of shadows on ATI cards; water has only 2 normalmaps instead of 4; no foam for water; no shadows for water; no volumetric interaction of particles; no shadows of particles; ambient occlusion shader makes 2 times less samples; no soft interaction of omni and projected volumetric objects

By the way, there is very bad situation with biases on R600 / Direct3D10, their values are abnormally low. We are waiting for a responce from AMD drivers team now, hope this bug being fixed very soon.

PS: Only 3 weeks left to license current version of Unigine at very low prices (before 29th February).