Graphical limitations for Cube engine?
#1
So, i was thinking the other day about AC's engine. Cube!
We all know it has low graphics because its an old engine, but who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks?

how much can the cube engine handle before it just stops working alltogether?
Would it be possible to change all the current textures to higher res ones to make the graphics look better? (Eg, These)

Changing player models to md5 instead of md3, to introduce player physics? (Eg, ragdoll)
And if cube cant handle these things, what would but stopping devs simply adding all the current textures, models, etc to Cube2 engine, to give all these proccesses some breathing space? know what i mean?

..Discuss.
Thanks given by:
#2
Why would ac need shiny new graphics and better physics?
Thanks given by:
#3
Somebody tried AC:Cube 2 edition.
Project died before it could even begin...
Thanks given by:
#4
All of these changes are possible, yet not feasible.

As to switching to Cube2, the main problem is with the code. If you look at Sauer, there is no crouching. The ammo and gun system works fundamentally different than AC. This is just a couple of changes that would need to happen. There is plenty that would need to be changed to make AC:Cube2
Thanks given by:
#5
That depends on various factors, mainly, what are the target specs of the machine you plan to perform the stress test?

Yes it's possible to use hi-res textures and do other fancy things like bump mapping, provided you do the necessary changes in source code (i.e. changing/adding specific opengl extensions according what you want to do)

There are various skeletal formats for animation, being MD5 probably the best known since Doom3, but there are also others like collada which are open source too (granted, the parsing would be a pain in the ass, duh!). In MD5 format you can attach various vertices to one bone, so for animation you need to weight calculations...which means very intensive CPU/GPU matrix calculations per bone (child/parent), now adding ragdoll...means more physics calculations = more CPU/GPU usage = AC no longer with low specs, also MD5 format uses albedo + specular + bumpmapping materials, AC can only handle diffuse textures right now. MD3 would be the option (IMO), at least for the animation part, if any, someone (lol) should start to port AC to Cube 2 engine, but this would kill (IMHO) one of the reasons AC exists, it (almost) can run on a toaster (1999 GPU tech).

But not all is lost, there are plenty of areas of optimization for the Cube engine, being one of the first to come to my mind, the replacement of specific mapmodels which not contribute significatively to the scene, like the cigarretes, bullets, soda cans, bushes, etc, which only occupy barely the 5% of screen space when in player frustum, and are a waste of CPU cycles (which could be of better use in other crucial areas), when they must be some sort of decal or a simple bilboard (where applicable).

Shinny/stunning graphics would undoubtely attract people, but as I see it AC, should focus on gameplay rather than graphics(provided the devs have the know-how).

Edit: LOL! AC using the infamous inverse square root algorithm ^^ that was a good one!!!
Thanks given by:
#6
It would be great if ac got some hi-res textures made, I remember MakKE was working on some before going mia.
Thanks given by:
#7
Just a heads up.

I simply asking and wandering about CUBE's limitations. i'm not saying AC needs these to continue.
But so far it sounds interesting.
Thanks given by:
#8
This is the part, where I mention I think there could be a CUBE3 in the works. I'd wait for that before any rash decisions are made :P
Thanks given by:
#9
implementing MD5 wouldn't be a big deal (accordi.g to eihrul), making use of it is another story ...
Thanks given by:
#10
Offtopic: for those interested in what the future of the cube engine may look like look up 'Tesseract' which has the aim of improving the graphics of the current cube2 engine.
Thanks given by:
#11
(19 Dec 12, 01:05PM)RandumKiwi Wrote: This is the part, where I mention I think there could be a CUBE3 in the works. I'd wait for that before any rash decisions are made :P

proof?!
:o
:o
:o
Thanks given by:
#12
(19 Dec 12, 01:26PM)XFA Wrote: Offtopic: for those interested in what the future of the cube engine may look like look up 'Tesseract' which has the aim of improving the graphics of the current cube2 engine.

this? http://code.google.com/p/tesseract-ocr/
Thanks given by:
#13
This would be cool if we could make AC have fancy graphics.

WE could make it so u could use fancy graphics (I would cause i got my new build :D)

or players can go to settings and choose low graphics settings for those with the old PCs
Thanks given by:
#14
Implementing and maintaining two separate rendering pipelines. Devs would love you so much ;)

RandumKiwi Wrote:This is the part, where I mention I think there could be a CUBE3 in the works. I'd wait for that before any rash decisions are made :P
baaahahaha...
Thanks given by:
#15
AC on Cube2 engine would become a huge game if devs do it well.
Thanks given by:
#16
I thought the cube3 thing was an april fool's joke? Anyway, would be cool to have all hi-res textures and stuff..... I wouldn't use them, but it would be cool to have the option.
Thanks given by:
#17
(19 Dec 12, 01:05PM)RandumKiwi Wrote: This is the part, where I mention I think there could be a CUBE3 in the works. I'd wait for that before any rash decisions are made :P

I'm quite sure you are wrong. Within the last 6 months I've heard either Aardappel or Eihrul say they wouldn't work on Cube 3 until they had a new idea to implement that would make it stand out.

Cube 1 has the cube system, Cube 2 has the octree system. Tesseract is more like a Cube 2.5, as it is the Cube 2 engine, but focused on trying to implement state of the art rendering techniques. Tesseract still follows Cube2 development, but has its own as well.
Thanks given by:
#18
Fancy graphics? Don't all the "elite" do texreduce/ related functions anyway? :DDD
Thanks given by:
#19
(19 Dec 12, 09:33PM)Ronald_Reagan Wrote:
(19 Dec 12, 01:05PM)RandumKiwi Wrote: This is the part, where I mention I think there could be a CUBE3 in the works. I'd wait for that before any rash decisions are made :P

I'm quite sure you are wrong. Within the last 6 months I've heard either Aardappel or Eihrul say they wouldn't work on Cube 3 until they had a new idea to implement that would make it stand out.

Cube 1 has the cube system, Cube 2 has the octree system. Tesseract is more like a Cube 2.5, as it is the Cube 2 engine, but focused on trying to implement state of the art rendering techniques. Tesseract still follows Cube2 development, but has its own as well.

AC 2.5 gogogo.
Thanks given by:
#20
AC on Cube2 would be badass!
Thanks given by:
#21
I think the devs should think of releasing the new AC version and when that's done move on to something different or we will have to wait another year...
Thanks given by:
#22
(19 Dec 12, 11:46PM)Skaelos Wrote: I think the devs should think of releasing the new AC version and when that's done move on to something different or we will have to wait another year...

What do you mean by something different?
Thanks given by:
#23
Be able to move cubes horizontally... That would be a significant improvement.
Thanks given by:
#24
(20 Dec 12, 07:01AM)DES|Cleaner Wrote: Be able to move cubes horizontally... That would be a significant improvement.

The amount of new and different styles of maps that could be made T_T
Thanks given by:
#25
(20 Dec 12, 07:01AM)DES|Cleaner Wrote: Be able to move cubes horizontally... That would be a significant improvement.

Couldn't you rescale the box model and maybe, just maybe include it in the official package as it's own model? Maybe name it CUBE... :D

Just a suggestion.
Thanks given by:
#26
(20 Dec 12, 08:02AM).45|D3M0NW0LF Wrote: Couldn't you rescale the box model and maybe, just maybe include it in the official package as it's own model? Maybe name it CUBE... :D

haha xD perfect idea xD this i call cheating engine xD
Thanks given by:
#27
(20 Dec 12, 08:49AM)Alien Wrote:
(20 Dec 12, 08:02AM).45|D3M0NW0LF Wrote: Couldn't you rescale the box model and maybe, just maybe include it in the official package as it's own model? Maybe name it CUBE... :D

haha xD perfect idea xD this i call cheating engine xD

Rofl, how so? I don't see how this isn't a bad idea. O.o

EDIT: Oh I see how that came across... I mean rescale the box as a different model, calling it a cube or something... not rescale the original box model...
Thanks given by:
#28
(19 Dec 12, 09:53PM)Felix-The-Ghost Wrote: Fancy graphics? Don't all the "elite" do texreduce/ related functions anyway? :DDD

so they are not the elite
Thanks given by:
#29
The idea of making a cube mapmodel was already suggested but it is not a good thing, sure it could make some nice mapping effects but it would be a pain in the neck to build a map cube by cube and it also mean you will have a considerable amount of mapmodels causing lag.
Thanks given by:
#30
(20 Dec 12, 07:57AM)Takkunen Wrote:
(20 Dec 12, 07:01AM)DES|Cleaner Wrote: Be able to move cubes horizontally... That would be a significant improvement.

The amount of new and different styles of maps that could be made T_T

There is already some maps (art) that are using platforms and mapmodels to make the "horizontally cube move" work, but this is would change the mapping editor forever, instead of changing flyspeed value and other basic values and gameplays in editing to confuse mappers, devs should think about it. :p

@Cleaner: Cube mapmodel will cause light problem for sure.
Thanks given by: