Now this here demo has got some of the slickest graphics I have seen in a while. Its not quite even a game yet, its just a small tech demo I found on the internet. However it displays some amazing use of next-gen shaders with weather effects that are damn near photo-real. Much of the awe is due to advanced blurring and other animation techniques that can only be appreciated when seen in motion. If you have a nice high-end video card, this is one demo that is worth checking out.

Keep in mind this was produced by just one programmer in his spare time and honestly looks better than any previous attempts I’ve seen at simulating a storm. Theres not much of a game (yet), but you can at least walk around and drool and the pretty graphics. As a fun little bonus, the demo supports native stereoscopic rendering so it can be viewed on a variety of 3D displays (or even with anaglyph glasses if you’re still using 2D ).

link: Le Cauchemar [ProgrammerArt]

Tags: Graphics, Stereo 3D by cybereality
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Intel has partnered with Dreamworks, providing technology capable of meeting the needs of stereoscopic 3D rendering. Dreamwork’s latest 3D film, Monsters vs. Aliens, is said to be powered by Intel’s next-generation chipsets. The Larrabee architecture houses multiple cores (16 or more) and, if Intel is right, could be a revolution in computer graphics. By using the latest in Intel technology, Dreamworks hopes to get an edge in the market. The CEO of DreamWorks Animation, Jeffrey Katzenberg, is an avid proponent of 3D film-making:

“Technology plays a significant role in enabling our artists to tell great stories. By utilizing Intel’s industry-leading computing products, we will create a new and innovative way for moviegoers to experience our films in 3-D.”

This new Larrabee technology should be available publicly in late ‘08, early ‘09. Intel has plans to use stereo 3d not only for digital cinema, but also home theater, PC gaming, and beyond. There’s a very real possibility that Intel could use this to gain support from a market AMD and ATI seem to be ignoring. I had some initial doubts about Intel’s foray into the GPU market, but this news clearly shows that Intel means business.

link: DreamWorks To Create 3D Movies With Intel’s ‘Larrabee’ [TomsHardware]

Tags: Graphics, Hardware, Stereo 3D by cybereality
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The new defacto standard in 3d benchmarking has released by Futuremark. Dubbed Vantage, this new 3DMark benchmark utility will push your DirectX10 card further than thought possible. Keep in mind Vista and a modern Dx10 video card are required to run the program. I would write a review (and post the score), but unfortunately my rig is not yet up to snuff, so I have yet to see the demos in real-time. I’ll revisit this topic once my new rig is complete, but damn do those screen-shots look pretty.

If anyone happens to own the Zalman Trimon 3D monitor, please post a comment and let me know how it runs with stereo 3d.

link: 3DMark Vantage

Tags: Graphics by cybereality
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Although I’ve been programming for almost 15 years now, for some reason I was always afraid of fractals. Something about their sheer magnificence told me that I needed to be some sort of theoretical physicist just understand what was going on. The other night, however, I was checking up on the developments in the ds homebrew scene and I stumbled upon this contest for algorithm optimization. Although I don’t plan to enter the contest, it did lead me to some interesting tidbits on fractal generation. Once I got a sample of the algorithm, I decided to have a go at it using Flash and Actionscript 3.0. The image above (click it for a larger view) is what I have come up with after only a few hours.

Complete source code and tutorial after the jump…

[Read more →]

Tags: Actionscript, Graphics, Programming, Tutorials by cybereality
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