Originally Posted by JordanW

It's easy sometimes to be like "Why doesn't this just work" but it really is a deep problem.

I totally agree but I feel like I would personally rather see a new engine that deals with this deep issue rather than adding features like tessellation or fancy dof and particle effects.

It's not like noone is trying to solve the issue - there has been a huge amout of research both academically and industrially to find a neat solution to the problem. The caveat is that to date, noone has really found a particularly viable solution suitable for use in a game - although people are getting close (but their techniques often have flaws).

Wait, I was under the impression that DX11 had extra setting for Trans, or was I mistaken?

Originally Posted by Xoliul

Well any chance for that new order-independant translucency that AMD presented a year or two ago ? AMD DX11 Demo - Mecha in HD @ OCWORKBENCH - YouTube

Usually these single feature demos show off something that is absolutely only viable with the current hardware at the time. Which means while it's great research doesn't always fit within a full rendering package(performance wise).

I also should make it clear that I'm not saying this problem won't be solved or become better, I just wanted to shed some light on how complex of a problem translucency is.

I think the change to full C++ coding does quite make sense, isn't C++ the industry standard (or at least was)? I know recently it's starting to change but I guess nearly all coders in the gaming industry have some experience with it.

Originally Posted by Leodido

I think the change to full C++ coding does quite make sense, isn't C++ the industry standard (or at least was)? I know recently it's starting to change but I guess nearly all coders in the gaming industry have some experience with it.

It is, but it's far from being the industry standard when it comes to gameplay programming.

Yes, but it being in C++ means that there's nothing stopping a studio from implementing whichever scritping language they prefer on top of it without much difficulty

Originally Posted by eld

It is, but it's far from being the industry standard when it comes to gameplay programming.

Ok. What is industruy standard when it come to >>gameplay<< programming ?
Lua, Python, C#, Java, Perl ?

Guys. You should realize that language itself is mererly a bunch of words that have meaning defined by compiler.
What makes or don't languague approperiate for coding gameplay is framework around it. In this case UE4 librariers build around it.

C++ will prove much better. For everyone in long run.

It's good they abandoned Unreal Script. Now they can focus on developing more engine focused tools. Yes. Even for programmers around industry standard.
Yeah I'd like they would choose D for example as I like it semantics better than C++, but you can't have everything.

So with dynamic lighting no more 2nd UV channel for light map is needed? J

Also, is it going to be for all? Or for big developers only?

If I am reading this right, you can edit c++ code, not recompile, and have it work in game? What is this sorcery?

It's been possible for years. You have always been able to fiddle values in memory while applications have been running - there is also the concept of 'just in time' compilation

I've been doing a bit of research into Realtime Global Illumination. It's Kinda a hobby of mine, reading various white papers and watching tech demos even if I can't really understand too much of the technical programming aspects. (Maybe someday!)

I got a feeling that UE4 is using Geomeric's Enlighten for their realtime radiosity lighting based on a lot of their GDC 2012 videos using UDK and their deep integration into the engine. Although I guess Autodesk/Illuminate-Labs Beast is the same way, but those guys aren't dooing the same thing, e.g. realtime/runtime GI.


Anyway, if it is Enlighten or something similar, I hope it doesn't take as much manual setup and preprocessing as their 'Maya plugin workflow' video suggests. I guess it still produces better results than Cry3's LPVs, and is faster and more realistically achievable than voxel cone tracing, even in it's current form.

I am hoping that UE4 will be able to get some sharper/higher-res GI than the really low-frequency broad GI that Enlighten appears to produce in realtime, or that they at least couple it with some good Screen Space Directional Occlusion to fill in those details:

Enlighten Realtime Preview GI:


VS.

Baked GI (Also done with Enlighten!):

Either way, I CANT WAIT to get my hands on some Real-time GI tech. Crysis 2's was fun to play with to say the least.

That baked GI looks nice, you can easily see why AO is needed in textures when comparing those screen shots. I'll be nice when we can just let the lighting do all the work.

You can have broad wash of low-frequency GI pass and use SSAO for contact shadows, no need to spend computing power on very accurate GI solution which will be lost in dirt and grime anyways

There's a reason they decided to go with this wide open desert scene. Try this with an indoor scene and you will see why you also need the high and medium frequency GI. BF3 didn't really sell me on the indoor environments because of this.

I also wish they had glossy reflections and indirect specular.

Compare this to the video I posted earlier with voxel cone tracing and prepare to have your jaw drop.

Yeah I checked that voxel cone tracing vid. Looks impressive on sponza atrium , but does not hold up at all on last (complex) scene. Result seems to be rather splotchy, unpredictable and full of artifacts.

That's why I'd rather have simple, approximated color bleeding that I can use as a tool instead of half-working GI solution that tries to take over everything and leaves me with artifacts to deal with.

It's true that interior scenes are lot trickier and subtler, but nothing couple of carefully placed additional lights can't deal with. You can't expect to place only window light and have clean, aesthetically pleasing lighting solution at a fraction of second anyways.

Originally Posted by Computron

There's a reason they decided to go with this wide open desert scene. Try this with an indoor scene and you will see why you also need the high and medium frequency GI. BF3 didn't really sell me on the indoor environments because of this.

I also wish they had glossy reflections and indirect specular.

Compare this to the video I posted earlier with voxel cone tracing and prepare to have your jaw drop.

On other hand I didn't haave time to watch every corner while shooting people ;p.
It's still good trade off compilation vs real-time.

Originally Posted by Sandro

You can't expect to place only window light and have clean, aesthetically pleasing lighting solution at a fraction of second anyways.

hmm, why not? ive been expecting this for a while.

It looks that Spike TV will premiere engine during E3 (pic is for Eastern time).

Originally Posted by Money

It looks that Spike TV will premiere engine during E3 (pic is for Eastern time).

Seems kinda weird for it to be at 1 AM eastern.

So E3 is is now called 'Engine' or something, I think this is about the 5th time I hear a company has nothing to show 'new' to the crowd, but has a surprise for game development.

It's almost as if GD's don't want to make games and are release tools so everyone else does the job for them...

Originally Posted by StaticTheFox

Seems kinda weird for it to be at 1 AM eastern.

I think that's the standard time slot for gametrailers episode on Spike TV. Not sure if there's a live stream on Gametrailers site too, but they always post full episodes few hours later anyway.

Some info about the episode:

Q: Are we going to see a full reveal of Unreal Engine 4?

Geoff: Yes, we will be unveiling Unreal Engine 4 during E3 week on Spike. I went down to Epic and filmed with Cliff, Tim Sweeney and the whole crew. Full half-hour special on the engine and tech.

Q: F-yes. Hopefully it will be a treat for people more into the development side and the gritty details, not just the "Those graphics are so graphic!". But I guess all that info will come out sooner rather than later anyway.

Geoff: For sure, we are showing off the editor and a lot of the tech. Very in depth, glad to hear you are excited!

And new logo:

Originally Posted by Money

And new logo:

beautiful!

Originally Posted by Sandro

You can have broad wash of low-frequency GI pass and use SSAO for contact shadows, no need to spend computing power on very accurate GI solution which will be lost in dirt and grime anyways

The current implementation of SSAO in games bugs me. It shows up in direct lighting when it should only show up in shadows/overcast areas, but nothing that involves direct lighting. That and it can make uses of low polycounts and transparent planes look bad. Every glass clump in skyrim gets a black shadow under it with SSAO turned on, I'm sure there's probably a way to fix it, but that really annoys me XD building look a lot better, but it doesn't help too much with the landscape.

Originally Posted by ZacD

The current implementation of SSAO in games bugs me. It shows up in direct lighting when it should only show up in shadows/overcast areas, but nothing that involves direct lighting.

Actually plenty of games have that implemented in their SSAO.