rec.autos.simulators

Can someone tell me, if n4 is not 3dfx, wouldn't the other graphics modes
have increased CPU useage?

Doesn't 3dfx put useage onto the 3dfx card and take it from the cpu? and
isn't that better?

If so what are papy doing??

Thanks for any insight i might get from this of how gfx engine's/cards work.
:-)

--
Thanks,

  Tim Wheatley.

http://www.racesimcentral.net/***.com
www.the-mighty-8th.com www.elite-4.com

The other 3D API's don't have increased CPU usage.  The only reason Glide is
faster than D3D or OpenGL on a 3dfx card is that Glide was designed for 3dfx
cards and vice-versa.  So Glide is better optimized towards the strengths of
3dfx cards.  The CPU usage is more or less the same.
Also Glide doesn't support 32 or 24-bit colour rendering, and it doesn't
support Hardware T&L, which is the one thing which can free up CPU cycles.
Nascar 4 not using Glide is not a big deal.  Theres a small loss in image
quality and performance, but the game should still look excellent.

It is certainly not outdated as in useless. Yes it is old and a far
more efficient and faster API than DirectX/Direct3D. The reason
that most game Mfr.'s are going away from glide is to cut the
development costs to implement it.

--

Glide is old and outdated, with new new D3d cards coming out (from nvidia)
grpahic quality should exceed glide

thus spoke:

Is this my cue? Meow. :-)
Greg is right, it's all about money and cutting corners.
But, if developers start supporting T&L now then it can outweigh the
benefit of glide anyway, if done right. Will N4 support T&L?

--
Nos

I would think that Papyrus currently is not implanting the T&L technology by
nvidia for a couple reasons, no major use of lighting effects accept on car
and shadow realy, and two, the higher use of direct x.  I think direct x 8
suppose to support, dunno about direct x 7.
Though, if NASCAR 4 falls in the catagorie of low frame rates, well, then we
might see it change into the t&a technology move with great fps.  But will
they, i have no clue on the outcome

On Sat, 13 May 2000 15:56:31 -0400, "Mark F."

DX7 supports T&L, it also would speed up the game by processing
polygons (not just dynamic lighting) and/or would allow them to use
even more polygons. But, the T&L engine on the current Geforce may not
be powerful enough to provide those benefits (not sure). The
flight-sim Commanche/Hokum would suggest this from posts I have read.
--
Nos

  Well, fwiw, I think the fact that N4 won't support 3dfx/glide, etc.
is ridiculous, VERY ridiculous.

  Harks back to the days when only the Sierra Rendition cards would
support 3d.

  I sure hope they come out with a patch for 3dfx(assuming the game is
released as advertised, which hardly ever occurs).

  The thought of having to get another type of card to run the game well
(which will probably be the case; nvidia, etc. will be needed for fps),
instead of supporting one of the industry standards is a***in the
face, not a slap :)

  I know; kind of silly whining about a game that isn't even close to
being released, but this initial news is inexcusable, IMO.

  Just my .02 :)

-John

Sent via Deja.com http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Before you buy.

It was never stated that N4 would not support 3dfx cards.  It will use
DirectX (Direct3D) which 3dfx cards support just fine.

This is a good thing in the long run.  By moving to a 3D standard
which encompasses more than one brand of video card, we will no longer
be tied to one manufacturer as was the case in the past with Rendition
and then 3dfx.

Although I have a 3dfx card right now, I want the ability to choose a
video card based on more than whether or not it works well with Papy's
sims.

And on a semi-related note (I'm about to rant a little [a lot
actually] because of some things people have been posting)... Will
supporting DirectX instead of Glide mean a small performance hit?
Most likely.  Will this mean someone with say a 550Mhz processor will
suffer sub-optimal performance when it might have been fine if they
used Glide?  I have no idea.  I'm not a beta tester, so I don't even
know what the recommended specs will be.  I'm sure those people on the
line between good performance and bad performance will come posting
here ***ing when it is released though.

So what am I rambling on about?  Well, after GPL was released all
anyone talked about was how good the Nascar series would be with that
engine.  A teaser video was released that seemed to suggest it would
use the next generation physics engine.

And then N3 was released.  And post after post after post after post
flamed it because it was N2 with a little eye candy added (and
rightfully so.. it was quite a disappointment).

Now it finally looks like we are going to get what we wanted.  A
Nascar sim with realistic physics, realistic graphics, etc.

And already people are ***ing about how powerful a computer is going
to be required to run it.

Well, boo hoo.  TANSTAAFL.  That stands for There Ain't No Such Thing
As A Free Lunch.  You just aren't going to get incredibly details
graphics and incredibly detailed realtime accurate physics for 43 cars
on yesterday's processors and video cards.  Hell, you might not even
get it on today's processors and video cards.  It might take a short
while for the cpu/video side to catch up with the sim.

Papy, if you're listening, please don't compromise the realism for a
few fps.  I know I will probably need to upgrade to run N4 like I want
to.  But no matter what I will spend to do so, it will still be less
than what it would cost to buy an actual Winston Cup Stock Car.

Whew, I'm done now.

-Eddie