Pixel Shaders for DirectX games
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White_Knight




Posts: 132

PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 04:17    Post subject: Pixel Shaders for DirectX games
Not sure if this is the proper forum but I was wondering if anyone can enlighten me on this topic.

I was wondering if certain pixel shader effects can be applied to directx games if the effect is not actually in the game options for the game?? Like is there a 3rd party app or something that can be used to apply a certain shader effect (e.g. bloom, blur, etc) to a directx game? Also, is there a way to apply post-processing effects like depth of field to a game if its not in the game options?

If you need clarification, please let me know.

Thanks for any and all feedback!!
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psychoace
VIP Member



Posts: 656

PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 04:20    Post subject:
no it needs to be in the game engine in the first place or else there is no way of implementing it. Because all game engines arn't alike it would be impossible to add such effects.


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White_Knight




Posts: 132

PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 04:27    Post subject:
so there's no way to add post-processing effects to a game with a util, possibly via the vid card drivers, if the game doesnt have the effect in the game options?? FOr certain games I can force AA even though the game doesnt contain an option for AA...i thought there were programs that allowed one to apply a pixel shader effect to a game, even thoguh the game didnt have such an option...even my vid card driver has a black & white pixel shader which can be turned on to change the game to black and white...
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hroo772




Posts: 27

PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 04:50    Post subject:
Forcing AA is way different then a shader. AA is part of how the card renders the graphics with the shaders applied. If the shaders aren't there you cant add them. The only way that would be possible is if you had access to the source code of the engine such as doom or quake 1/2/3. Since their code was released people have added in newer technologies like bumpmapping to the old engines. It can be done but you have to have the full source code to do it. No easy way of doing it with some utility. Sorry bro.
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nerrd




Posts: 3607
Location: Poland / USA
PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 05:43    Post subject:
So what the is the Smartshader in Catalyst Control Center? Isn't that some global pixel shader that can be run on any D3D/OGL app?
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Cyp




Posts: 285

PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 06:08    Post subject:
nerrd wrote:
So what the is the Smartshader in Catalyst Control Center? Isn't that some global pixel shader that can be run on any D3D/OGL app?



http://www.ati.com/companyinfo/glossary/includes/list.html
its not some shader thing.... it helps with applying the right shaders to the right places...
this is rather dev tool than end user option

Code:
A new technology developed by ATI, represents a new generation of visual effects for your personal computer.
With SmartShaderâ„¢, game developers will be able to create immersive, life-like worlds by modelling the surface and material qualities of 3D objects with an unparalleled level of realism.


all can be foiund here >>> http://www.ati.com/companyinfo/glossary/includes/list.html#smartshader


as for adding new effects and shaders for games unless the engine supports the feature or coded for that matter u cant add it unless either you edit the code yourself


I teleported home one night
With Ron and Sid and Meg.
Ron stole Meggie's heart away
And i got Sidneys leg.
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Lord_Oven




Posts: 21

PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 11:49    Post subject:
Yes it is possible, and even quite easy. Such mod has been made for Operation Flashpoint for example.
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crossmr




Posts: 2966
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 15:11    Post subject:
Lord_Oven wrote:
Yes it is possible, and even quite easy. Such mod has been made for Operation Flashpoint for example.


Thats a mod for a game that enables that function. This guy is talking about a generic ability to apply it to any game any time.
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Lord_Oven




Posts: 21

PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 15:33    Post subject:
crossmr wrote:

Thats a mod for a game that enables that function. This guy is talking about a generic ability to apply it to any game any time.


Obviously it would not be possible to do for any game, but the same method would work with any game that uses the same major Direct3D version.
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White_Knight




Posts: 132

PostPosted: Wed, 14th Dec 2005 16:11    Post subject:
Lord_Oven wrote:
crossmr wrote:

Thats a mod for a game that enables that function. This guy is talking about a generic ability to apply it to any game any time.


Obviously it would not be possible to do for any game, but the same method would work with any game that uses the same major Direct3D version.


What do you mean by "the same major Direct3D version"??

Also, dont consoles like PS2 apply post-processing effects like depth of field to each game and such? If it's possible for console, should be possible for PC
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nightlith




Posts: 744
Location: Land of Bagged Milk
PostPosted: Thu, 15th Dec 2005 01:54    Post subject:
If the game is programmed to use HLSL (High Level Shader Language, go look it up on MSDN) you can modify the shader effects used in the *.fx scripts with the game. But adding effects to a game, much like everyone else here has said, is impossible without changing the original sourcecode. But that's dependant on the game.

For example, in DS2, they use plaintext files to tell the engine how to render water (called Techniques). In that game, you can change the file so that it points to a different technique that you have coded into the .fx script.

Of course, if you don't know anything about matrices, vertices, normals, dot products, bump mapping, you're up shits creek without a paddle.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/dx9_graphics_reference_hlsl.asp


i can has computar?!
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tRanSwarP




Posts: 202
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Thu, 15th Dec 2005 02:52    Post subject:
postprocessing to realtime redered graphics (namely shaders in D3D), is one of our research topics at university.
Actually it is possible, quite a haggle with the gfx pipeline, but it is.
It involves Driver Development and (ab)using the hardware to its limits.
And until now its only possible on gfx cards by nVidia > GF 6600 (special pipline structure).

Unfortunately its really killing performance Sad ... so its until now no real option.
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psychoace
VIP Member



Posts: 656

PostPosted: Thu, 15th Dec 2005 04:11    Post subject:
White_Knight wrote:
Lord_Oven wrote:
crossmr wrote:

Thats a mod for a game that enables that function. This guy is talking about a generic ability to apply it to any game any time.


Obviously it would not be possible to do for any game, but the same method would work with any game that uses the same major Direct3D version.


What do you mean by "the same major Direct3D version"??

Also, dont consoles like PS2 apply post-processing effects like depth of field to each game and such? If it's possible for console, should be possible for PC


The ps2 games that have such post processing effects applied means the engine to make that game already had coding for such an effect. If there is no code for the effect it will be very unoptimised to try and get it to work and will take a lot of hacking to get it to even function with tons and tons of bugs. Remember every game is made with a different code and to have one universial thing to be able to decipher each individual engine and setup is near impossible to do.
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Kamikaze666




Posts: 3550

PostPosted: Thu, 15th Dec 2005 16:46    Post subject:
tRanSwarP wrote:
postprocessing to realtime redered graphics (namely shaders in D3D), is one of our research topics at university.
Actually it is possible, quite a haggle with the gfx pipeline, but it is.
It involves Driver Development and (ab)using the hardware to its limits.
And until now its only possible on gfx cards by nVidia > GF 6600 (special pipline structure).

Unfortunately its really killing performance Sad ... so its until now no real option.


yea it kills performance, we noticed with call of duty 2
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