4D Graphics: A Reality Only For PlayStation 3
- Posted August 24th, 2007 at 06:14 EDT by
- 54 Comments
We all know what 3D graphics are - length, width & depth, but how many know what 4D graphics are? If you are one of the millions of people thinking 'What the %&$* are 4D graphics?', don't be alarmed. You've already seen them. Shocking isn't it? We all remember Kutaragi proclaiming not too long ago that PS3 would utilize 4D graphics, but what exactly did he mean?
4D, from a developer’s point of view, is is the progression of Life in time. It is where every tangible object in your game is living and constantly changing. As a result, change becomes an integral part of 4D graphics.
But how does all of this become possible? The answer is the dynamic rendering of procedural textures. Sounds complicated, but it's not. Let me explain; Procedural textures are textures which are linked to an algorithm. Instead of the texture being drawn pixel by pixel, you define the way these pixels have to be lit to produce the texture you want.
When the procedural texture is placed somewhere, you utilize an engine for actually generating these bitmap textures. They have life. They can change in a way you define them, especially through time. In a lot of the current games, the randomized textures method is used. Developers use one bitmap and just map it on randomly in the environment to create the design for that specific area. Every texture is not defined or unique. So, the method to create procedural textures allows for more control.
Allegorithmic is a utility set which allows an extensive realization of procedural textures. With it you define the procedures way using MaPZone, and then use ProFX to rasterize the images, producing the final result to be displayed by a renderer or a game engine.
Observe the following example:
HD Version (Right Click-Save As)
If you look closely at the calm boat dock scene above, the docks are being splattered by rain. The wood is literally degrading with every drop that hits it. The light poles are rusting with every second. The light bulbs are degrading with every photon of light they are emitting. The wooden cabin is degrading, while the grassland outside is rotting slowly. These all fit into the core realization of 4D graphics.
Now, let’s fix a common misconception. These 4D renders can be processed on the Xbox 360 with an average mean time of 10-12 seconds. Yes. The renders are possible, but the dynamic realization of procedural texture streaming is not. The dynamic renders with characters in the scene, with progression of life through the time continuum, are not possible with the 360 system. It would take days to produce dynamic renders on the 360 in the fullest definition of 4D graphics--this with the software already optimized for it.
All the videos on this page can be run perfectly and efficiently, without taking days to render, currently only on two specific platforms. Upscale PC’s and the PlayStation 3. Procedural techniques are demanding in terms of power, so the more power you get: the easier it is to render these 4D graphics dynamically. Programming for the PS3's eight Synergistic Processing Units (SPUs) can be a challenge sometimes, but there is definitely a lot to gain from the architecture, and the dynamic renders can be processed on the fly with the PlayStation 3.
HD Version (Right Click-Save As)
The 4D graphics above, centralizing on the dynamic renders of procedural textures, show a distinguished change of the bathroom scene as time progresses. The scene starts with a very nice bath tub. Probably one that we would love to take a bubble bath in. But, as time progresses, the bathroom rusts. The tiles shatter, the mold grows, and Mr.Clean won’t work here anymore.
The scene then changes to that of an overhead of a bathroom sink next to a metal core. The metal rusts, the sink degrades in texture, and the mirror shatters. The scene quickly changes to normal, all to show a mirror in the next one.
Now, this mirror is a prime example of 4D graphics made from a core factor of dynamically rendered procedural textures. The mirror shatters while falling, and then slowly ... (continued on next page)
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Comments
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Dogswithguns |
Dogswithguns- 6:36am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 3
Yeah, but I'd like to see it in the game play. I'd like to see how much the 4D doing the difference than the 3D.
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chelseapaul |
ChelseaPaul- 7:09am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 4
looks awsome. cant wait to sit and play in these envoiroments :P
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Alpha2
- 8:35am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 8
The real question is how does this make better games? If you can fake this effect by switching textures between two or three states, then whats the benfit of the playstation method? Is the effect easier to achieve? does it cut down on development time? Find a way to make this a quantifiable bonus before celebrating it.
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Perfect Sin |
PerfectSin- 8:39am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 9
These dynamics would be great in a Silent Hill game or another horror genre type. Imagine walking into what looks like a seemingly normal house, and then suddenly everything starts degrading fast. Walls will brown, tiles crack, windows break and then suddenly here comes Pyramid Head...well you get the point...that would be f***ing freaky.
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Playstation_3 |
U83R_1337- 9:21am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 12
Looks average. has anyone seen shrek 4D @ universal,i have several times now thats the bees!
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Supra2JZGTE
- 9:47am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 14
Please! Stop showing demos of the hardware capability and actually release a game!!!
-dad
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k_nice_66_11_77 |
k_nice_617- 10:52am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 18
very good read. aye, whoever is putting thumbs down on this article............ get the fÚcK off psu.com !!!!!
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m9105826
- 10:59am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 19
The first video was incredible. a littlve over 300kb for that whole scene is remarkable. However, I honestly fail to see how the giraffe eating couldn't be done anywheer else. It's just a two second animation that even I could pop out in 5 or 10 minutes with my limited 3Ds Max knowledge. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Sony boy, I just think you're focusing on the wrong highlights.
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gamewaffle
- 11:15am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 20
this would be most effective in gta 4
or OBLIVION
or [insert any ps3 game here]
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HalfLifeDev
- 11:35am BST - August 24th, 2007
- 21
"that even I could pop out in 5 or 10 minutes with my limited 3Ds Max knowledge." I'm a game developer first and foremost, and can tell you that you can and will not definitely be popping that out in 5 or 10 minutes with 3D Studio Max. As 3DStudio Max can't support procedural textures. If you don't see how that's so complex, animation is certainly not your thing.
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Streeks1984 |
Streeks1984- 1:30pm BST - August 24th, 2007
- 24
it almost looks surreal. I would love to see a resident evil or a silent hill in this setting.
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m9105826
- 2:43pm BST - August 24th, 2007
- 29
Really, the only thing that this corrects that can't be done with bit-mapped textures is size. And that's a good thing. That means more content. I downloaded the program used to make these textures (it's free, so I'd recommend that anyone interested does the same), and It's very similar to using photoshop. I can't wait for this to start being used in games.
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rivel
- 2:51pm BST - August 24th, 2007
- 30
hmm im surprized they call it "4D" the idea of the 4th dimension being duration is still being debated and differs in meaning from a geometerical stand point and a temperial one. Well if they are going w/ this meaning of 4D then 6D would make for some fun games (actually it would be a 5D game w/ a 6D engine), if 4D is time, then 5D would be all the possible other time lines orginating from any single point in time, cool concept but really useless in games w/o using 6D as well. 6D would be the ability to change from one time line to another allowing the player to change the out come or avoiding things all together. They really shouldnt say these games are in 4D, if they were truly 4D then you would see all of the timeline in one "snake like" object w/ one end being the beginning and other being the end. These games are really 3D games interacting w/ a 4D engine.
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tabular
- 7:00pm BST - August 24th, 2007
- 32
"Find a way to make this a quantifiable bonus before celebrating it." Ok, lets all celebrate by playing some Motorstorm. Seriously though, graphics are needed to convey information to the gamer, such as 'how much traction do I have here.' Without the ability to depict changing conditions such as this, you limit your gameplay a great deal. I'm sure we will see the best examples come later in the systems life.
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jackprkins |
TheKingpin- 9:04pm BST - August 24th, 2007
- 33
i think i can love now ^_^ lmao thats how this article made me feel
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mystik4l06 |
mystikal06- 4:38am BST - August 25th, 2007
- 34
Alpha2, In some points your right. The goal sony is trying to acheive is making games more realistic. Think about it we have gone a long way since atari. From your point of view yes i would rather play 5hitty graphic games but if they are fun then its the best. Indeed, Your right. Not everyone thinks like you do, I personally want a more realistic picture but at the same time a fun game. It makes better games by giving it a sexy look. Many games MIGHT be fun but, I bet you have turned many of them down because they look hideous. So yea the point is, Graphics for OUR generation the year 2007! ARE a big deal.
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redki
- 9:51pm BST - August 25th, 2007
- 36
The 360 & ps3 share the same dna but the diference is that the 360 has 6 conventional threads and the ps3 has 1 conventional + risc 6 threads.
Basicly the ps3 can do 4d and so could 360 but the 360 real capabilitys that outshine the ps3 is the intelligence and the iteractivity of the cpu itself with game.
x360 = strong multiple AI and personalitys , 3.5d graphics and interactive background.
PS3 = interactive personalities and AI and 4d graphics.
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SilverSl33K
- 10:20am BST - August 26th, 2007
- 38
Alpha2 hes not being a prick your just being stupid the article wasn't about watch 4d graphics revelutionize gameplay it was about how new technology and how it's cool...
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reccodog |
reccodog- 10:56pm BST - August 26th, 2007
- 40
That is amazing! Envoiroments that live, breath, and as time passes changes by it's self! Only the Playstation 3 is able to do this! I have invested my money into something worth investing in! The Xbox 360 just isn't as powerfull as the Playstation 3. The Xbox 360 has had it's days and the Playstation 3 has finaly been realized to be A Very Powerfull piece of technoligy! The future of The Playstation 3 is looking very good and the spectrum of games for the Playstation 3 is extremly wide.
~SONY RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To join a clan for RSV (Rainbow Six Vegas, PS3 ver.)->click here Message from {SFC} (Special Fighters Clan) ITS FREE! SO JOIN TODAY!
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westworldviewer
- 4:33am BST - August 28th, 2007
- 45
the ps3 only has 7 psu - 1 is switched off during manufacturing to increase chip yield and decrease costs per cell processor. blade systems with fully enabled cell processors cost about twice as much as a ps3... still, even 7 psu are a lot of horsepower...
in regards to procedural textures: i can only recommend to have a look around www.scene.org and especially take a very close look at the 64kb and less demo sections. there is some real eye candy on display, amazing animations, sound and textures and that all written in 64kb of code (or less). these guys from the pc demo scene really know how to program ultra-efficient algorithms and how to squeez every last drop of juice out of the available hardware - how i wish that sony would donate some dev-kits to these people...
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True Shinobi
- 4:08pm BST - August 31st, 2007
- 48
that what im talking about i new ps3 can go beyond any other console ,,,,,,,,, Playbeyond
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Break
- 3:18pm BST - September 4th, 2007
- 50
@ HalfLifeDev
Not sure where to begin...........should I call BS on the fact you say you're a game developer, you know 3DS Max, or that 3DS Max can't support procedural textures. I've been using Max on a daily basis for like 6 years so I know what it can and can't do......and 3DS Max most certainly supports procedural textures you idiot! So if you're full of cr@p about knowing Max, I'm pretty sure your full of crap about being a game dev. Oh and If you do actually use Max, go into the Tutorial files....they have a nice one on doing procedural textures, but that can't be right.......because you claim it can't be done in Max.........Freakin Poser
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