rec.autos.simulators

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

Tom Pabs

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by Tom Pabs » Wed, 24 Jan 2001 08:22:30

Hi guys....

I haven't seen this done very often (posting screenshots of new video card graphics)........wished I had seen this before buying a V5 card.

I have been working on the Laguna (ICR2 converted) track graphics for the NARRT project launch (still a week or so away)....and thought you guys might like to see some screenshots?

These are not so "interesting" so much because of the track....but because they show what GPL "can" be like in high-res graphics.  The 3dfx cards can't run textures over 256x256 (pixels)...and the GF2 just laughs and takes a break while handling 512x512 with no problems (it seems like at least).......  Take a look at "the future" sim racing most of you will be doing.......soon!  (Some of you are doing it now!)

Note:  A dashboard that you can actually read the numbers on the gauges....and the "on/off" on the engine start toggle......driver hands that look like hands......a steering wheel with see-through spokes and colored emblems and almost no "jagged edge" starring you in the face.....armco with enough resolution to write names on it......and actually see a "sponsor logo" instead of a colored "blur".......this is what GPL "can" look like!  And, keep in mind....these ss are sized down....and compressed into jpegs.  You should see this at 1280 pix in bitmap....or from the***pit on a 21" monitor.......it will almost suck the breath out of your lungs!

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

By the way, the Laguna NARRT track is still in beta.....as are some of the***pit graphics (these***pits will be released...or made available along with...... the NARRT tracks)....the "gloved" hands, for example, are only half done...but you can get the idea.

Regards,

Tom

Special Note:  This Laguna track is a "beta" and has not been released except to a few people who have agreed to help me test it for online racing (FPS) ......and I am grateful for their help.  There are several people whose work is included....or was part of the "base" track I started with who will be acknowledged in the NARRT "readme" file included with this track...and all of the NARRT tracks for that matter.  And, they need to give me permission before the track is "released" as well.....to include their work....even if it was just "base files!"   I have not sought that yet....and won't do it until the track "testing" is completed.  So, if you see something you've created....or worked on.....don't get in a fit over it.  I will get your permission before the track is released publicly.  There's about 15 people whose work is in the "base track" that I started with for this Laguna ICR2 - NARRT track.  I have done all the graphics (rework, re-color, re-size and so forth) and 3do position-editing.....at this point.  There is "help" needed with a few things.....but that can be done after the track is released (if I can't get to it before hand).  In particular, I would like to thank the guys who did the new Bugatti track....Greger Huttu and Roland Ehnstrom.  I truly marveled at the signage on that track when I first installed it.  In my opinion....you guys have done the best  job of creating realistic and gorgeous "race track signage" for any track ever produced for GPL.  You set a new "standard".....at least you did for me.  Your signs are a "work of art."  I used your "Shell banner".....resized, re-colorized and re-textured slightly.......on the Laguna armco in a few places.  The coloring for this banner was just perfect......for the Laguna armco.....and it was a great looking sign.  I will seek your permission to have this "sign" in the Laguna track before it's released......and I hope you don't mind it being in a couple of these "screen shots" above.

George M. Smile

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by George M. Smile » Wed, 24 Jan 2001 09:35:35


> The 3dfx cards can't run textures over 256x256 (pixels)...and
> the GF2 just laughs and takes a break while handling 512x512
> with no problems (it seems like at least).......

Correction, Glide doesn't support textures over the resolution of
256 x 256.  The V5 under DirectX supports them just fine.

There is an upper bound to all of this, namely the available
texture memory on any given card.  For example the Honda
available from Bruce Johnson is weighing in at over 6Mb of
textures.  If every car in GPL followed this trend one would
need 42Mb of texture memory just for the cars alone.  GPL
wouldn't even load on a 16Mb or 32Mb card.

Factor in the textures for a track, frame buffers, a Z buffer,
and auxiliary buffers for FSAA and one might even render
GPL unplayable on a 64Mb card.

[...] gplss1-hr.jpg, gplss2-hr.jpg, gplss3-hr.jpg

Nice jaggies!

 - George

Tom Pabs

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by Tom Pabs » Wed, 24 Jan 2001 09:49:38

Thanks George.........

The only "512 textures" I had were in GPL tracks.....and it wouldn't run
them at all (get the famous "Can't Load Track" green box).....I never tried
to run those tracks in D3D with the V5....it was so crappy.  I assumed it
was a V5 issue....not a "glide" issue.  Don't get me wrong....I would have
loved to have the 3dfx...and V5 card be "great".....I've had nothing but
3dfx cards in my racing computers for 3 years or more!   And, I'd just
bought the V5 card a week or so before the "announcement of death"......
However, that card was coming out of my system whether the "demise" of 3dfx
had happened or not.  It was a worthless piece of equipment for sim
racing.....might have been great for playing Quake....or Tanks....but not
for sim racing!  And, for GPL....the V5 worked "ok" ....if I turned off one
of the 32 meg chips!  That was great...you buy a 64 meg video card.....it
works better if you use only 32 megs of its OB memory!  I have no clue what
I was supposed to do with their FSAA feature......use it for toilet
paper,maybe?  .......lol..

I loved 3dfx.....I was a "***" supporter and customer....and even owned
some of their stock (along with over 20 of their cards in our sim rental
fleet).  But, I bet you my experience with their V5 card....was just a "bell
weather" of what probably brought on their demise.  I'm a little pissed at
3dfx Interactive.....can you tell?

"Rendition and Glide"....may they "rest in peace."

Tom




> > The 3dfx cards can't run textures over 256x256 (pixels)...and
> > the GF2 just laughs and takes a break while handling 512x512
> > with no problems (it seems like at least).......

> Correction, Glide doesn't support textures over the resolution of
> 256 x 256.  The V5 under DirectX supports them just fine.

> > Take a look at "the future" sim racing most of you will be doing.
> > soon!  (Some of you are doing it now!)

> There is an upper bound to all of this, namely the available
> texture memory on any given card.  For example the Honda
> available from Bruce Johnson is weighing in at over 6Mb of
> textures.  If every car in GPL followed this trend one would
> need 42Mb of texture memory just for the cars alone.  GPL
> wouldn't even load on a 16Mb or 32Mb card.

> Factor in the textures for a track, frame buffers, a Z buffer,
> and auxiliary buffers for FSAA and one might even render
> GPL unplayable on a 64Mb card.

> [...] gplss1-hr.jpg, gplss2-hr.jpg, gplss3-hr.jpg

> Nice jaggies!

>  - George

Dominic Da Silv

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by Dominic Da Silv » Wed, 24 Jan 2001 10:02:33

Tom I think you have not properly configured your V5.
You need to install the D3D patch and run GPL in D3D mode with your V5.
Next you need to download the high res***pits, car updates and tire
updates.
Then turn FSAA ON and see what you get!!!!

image is BEAUTIFUL.
I tried those crappy geforce cards and the image sucked, jaggies gallore,
and
FSAA was worse than the V5.
I have my honda with see-through rims like you speak of and the image
quality is exceptional.
I think you need to really read up on your V5 and test it out more before
you post
screenshots that look worse than V5 screenshots with FSAA.
Sorry, but you have not impressed us with what you have posted.

-Dominic.


> Thanks George.........

> The only "512 textures" I had were in GPL tracks.....and it wouldn't run
> them at all (get the famous "Can't Load Track" green box).....I never
tried
> to run those tracks in D3D with the V5....it was so crappy.  I assumed it
> was a V5 issue....not a "glide" issue.  Don't get me wrong....I would have
> loved to have the 3dfx...and V5 card be "great".....I've had nothing but
> 3dfx cards in my racing computers for 3 years or more!   And, I'd just
> bought the V5 card a week or so before the "announcement of death"......
> However, that card was coming out of my system whether the "demise" of
3dfx
> had happened or not.  It was a worthless piece of equipment for sim
> racing.....might have been great for playing Quake....or Tanks....but not
> for sim racing!  And, for GPL....the V5 worked "ok" ....if I turned off
one
> of the 32 meg chips!  That was great...you buy a 64 meg video card.....it
> works better if you use only 32 megs of its OB memory!  I have no clue
what
> I was supposed to do with their FSAA feature......use it for toilet
> paper,maybe?  .......lol..

> I loved 3dfx.....I was a "***" supporter and customer....and even
owned
> some of their stock (along with over 20 of their cards in our sim rental
> fleet).  But, I bet you my experience with their V5 card....was just a
"bell
> weather" of what probably brought on their demise.  I'm a little pissed at
> 3dfx Interactive.....can you tell?

> "Rendition and Glide"....may they "rest in peace."

> Tom




> > > The 3dfx cards can't run textures over 256x256 (pixels)...and
> > > the GF2 just laughs and takes a break while handling 512x512
> > > with no problems (it seems like at least).......

> > Correction, Glide doesn't support textures over the resolution of
> > 256 x 256.  The V5 under DirectX supports them just fine.

> > > Take a look at "the future" sim racing most of you will be doing.
> > > soon!  (Some of you are doing it now!)

> > There is an upper bound to all of this, namely the available
> > texture memory on any given card.  For example the Honda
> > available from Bruce Johnson is weighing in at over 6Mb of
> > textures.  If every car in GPL followed this trend one would
> > need 42Mb of texture memory just for the cars alone.  GPL
> > wouldn't even load on a 16Mb or 32Mb card.

> > Factor in the textures for a track, frame buffers, a Z buffer,
> > and auxiliary buffers for FSAA and one might even render
> > GPL unplayable on a 64Mb card.

> > [...] gplss1-hr.jpg, gplss2-hr.jpg, gplss3-hr.jpg

> > Nice jaggies!

> >  - George

George M. Smile

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by George M. Smile » Wed, 24 Jan 2001 11:32:33


> It was a worthless piece of equipment for sim racing.

Not my experience at all, been playing GPL, MBTR, GP500,
SBK 2001, NH and the N4 demo as they became available
for quite a while now.

If touting your own lack of knowledge is funny, then yeah,
LOL.

 - George

Dave Henri

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by Dave Henri » Wed, 24 Jan 2001 12:18:55

  Tom,  have you updated the last turn?  I seem to remember Seca went thru
several track alterations...after ICR2 was coded.
dave henrie
Tom Quic

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by Tom Quic » Thu, 25 Jan 2001 22:59:56

Tom,

Where is the Sound patch you were working on for all the Sound Blaster Live
users running Nascar Heat???


> Thanks George.........

> The only "512 textures" I had were in GPL tracks.....and it wouldn't run
> them at all (get the famous "Can't Load Track" green box).....I never
tried
> to run those tracks in D3D with the V5....it was so crappy.  I assumed it
> was a V5 issue....not a "glide" issue.  Don't get me wrong....I would have
> loved to have the 3dfx...and V5 card be "great".....I've had nothing but
> 3dfx cards in my racing computers for 3 years or more!   And, I'd just
> bought the V5 card a week or so before the "announcement of death"......
> However, that card was coming out of my system whether the "demise" of
3dfx
> had happened or not.  It was a worthless piece of equipment for sim
> racing.....might have been great for playing Quake....or Tanks....but not
> for sim racing!  And, for GPL....the V5 worked "ok" ....if I turned off
one
> of the 32 meg chips!  That was great...you buy a 64 meg video card.....it
> works better if you use only 32 megs of its OB memory!  I have no clue
what
> I was supposed to do with their FSAA feature......use it for toilet
> paper,maybe?  .......lol..

> I loved 3dfx.....I was a "***" supporter and customer....and even
owned
> some of their stock (along with over 20 of their cards in our sim rental
> fleet).  But, I bet you my experience with their V5 card....was just a
"bell
> weather" of what probably brought on their demise.  I'm a little pissed at
> 3dfx Interactive.....can you tell?

> "Rendition and Glide"....may they "rest in peace."

> Tom




> > > The 3dfx cards can't run textures over 256x256 (pixels)...and
> > > the GF2 just laughs and takes a break while handling 512x512
> > > with no problems (it seems like at least).......

> > Correction, Glide doesn't support textures over the resolution of
> > 256 x 256.  The V5 under DirectX supports them just fine.

> > > Take a look at "the future" sim racing most of you will be doing.
> > > soon!  (Some of you are doing it now!)

> > There is an upper bound to all of this, namely the available
> > texture memory on any given card.  For example the Honda
> > available from Bruce Johnson is weighing in at over 6Mb of
> > textures.  If every car in GPL followed this trend one would
> > need 42Mb of texture memory just for the cars alone.  GPL
> > wouldn't even load on a 16Mb or 32Mb card.

> > Factor in the textures for a track, frame buffers, a Z buffer,
> > and auxiliary buffers for FSAA and one might even render
> > GPL unplayable on a 64Mb card.

> > [...] gplss1-hr.jpg, gplss2-hr.jpg, gplss3-hr.jpg

> > Nice jaggies!

> >  - George

themightyp..

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by themightyp.. » Fri, 26 Jan 2001 10:37:25

My V5 works great at 8x6x4aa (running at 183) . Looks fabulous. Never
liked the d3d though. the v5's lousy texture filtering and lodbias
really stands out. Still with an old tweaked glide V5 rules. Mind you
if anyone wants to trade for a gf2u i'm all ears :-)

Chris Hansen

Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/

jo..

GF 2 ULTRA - High Res Capability Is A Big Bonus!

by jo.. » Mon, 29 Jan 2001 04:16:48


> And, keep in mind....these ss are sized
> down....and compressed into jpegs.  You should see this at 1280 pix in

  > bitmap....> .

Why don't you post them that way on your web site?


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