KDFW: New design technique #1

[virtuali]

We would like to present a very early glimpse of what we are doing for KDFW.

This is an entirely new ground rendering method, which hasn't been used by anyone else before, and allows for much better graphic quality, without any of the compromises we had to do in the past, due to the use of FS8 legacy code in FSX, to create fully custom ground.

We are using a combination of Shaders technology, with support from our Addon Manager/Couatl, in order to do what is normally not possible using just the FSX SDK:

• Fully custom ground
• Advanced Materials
• 100% native FSX code
• DX10 Compatibilty

Please note, this is an early video (a couple of months old), it doesn't reflect our current developement status, but it has been made just to show the basic technology. We progressed much further, in the meantime.

Please, check you are watching it in HD (enlarge the YouTube screen), otherwise you wouldn't get the whole effect.

Note that, this is just ONE of the "exciting new features" that will debut in KDFW, which covers ground rendering. There will be others, that will be presented in due time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDvcTHhswNQ&hd=1

[waleed]

Youtube is out here until they fix the underwater cable that connects with Europe.  

I hope to check this out in about three days.  I am sure I will be impressed.

[PUP4ORD]

Very nice none the less Umberto.

[Ray]

Very nice to see an update here. Thank you Umberto!

These all new effects look great! About the wet surfaces effects, I think it would be cool if the besides mirroring effect, it would also darken the colors of the surface textures. You know, wet materials appear generally considerably darker than dry ones. Just a suggestion, probably you already thought about it.

Thanks for the heads-up!

[Silverbird]

Thank you for posting some news and the video for us Umberto, its looking really great! and it is in extremely interesting tech. hope everything goes well with the progress. can you comment on the difference in frame rate? I know it is still work in progress.

[alptosun]

Wow! that's look stunning. I have one questions, do these improvements will be included in FS9 version or you are making it using the old methods. Thanks

Alp

[virtuali]

None of this can be done in FS9, since there's no support in its graphic engine for Shaders and advanced materials. The FS9 version will look just like any other scenery we did so far.

[bkircher]

Very nice!!!!! Thanks for the update aswell!

[yankeesji]

A great step forward! 

[chucky]

That looks very interesting.  Can this tech be easily applied to the sceneries you've already released, or is it too involved to do that?

[Lindbergh72]

Awesome  But how about the FPS? 

[virtuali]

Can this tech be easily applied to the sceneries you've already released, or is it too involved to do that?

No, they need to be basically remade from scratch, at least the ground part, which is the most time consuming one.

[sjt375]

AWESOME!!! Can't wait for this!!!

Spencer-Touch and Go Films

[JamesChams]

Virtuali,

We would like to present a very early glimpse of what we are doing for KDFW. ...

Very Interesting; SOLD! 

Please tell me your at least going to do this for the remaining Hawaiian Airports, if not for PHNL as well?

[JFKpilot]

The bumps/ speculars look great. This is going to be well worth the wait.
What does dumping the fs8 ground mean in terms of performance? Perhaps the performance advantage (if any) is negated by the bumps/ speculars? Just curious.