Nvidia shows off game physics GPU software

[pym]

This demo from NVidia should be quite interesting.
It will try to show off a physics effect on a PC using NVidia's GPUs.

It simulates "the interactions of thousands of colliding rigid bodies" and computes friction, collisions, gravity mass and velocity, which Nvidia says "form the basis of rigid body physics". It supports shader model 3.0, and so Geforce 6s and 7s will work with it.

Read more... (http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30413)

[Bio-Hazard]

Here's another link with just a bit more info............... :wink:

"Havok FX ties leverages the GPU using Shader Model 3.0 rendering instructions, so it's as applicable to ATI's latest GPUs as it is to Nvidia's, of course. That didn't stop Nvidia saying how well the code works on its GeForce 6- and 7-series GPUs, even in SLI mode."

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/20/nvidia_havok_gpu_physics/

[Bio-Hazard]

The [H] has posted up a complete preview artical on the Physics Tech.

"NVIDIA SLI Physics Tech Preview
Today NVIDIA is announcing some very exciting technology for gamers that is poised to improve your gaming experience in a very real way. Our preview of the technology will tell you what you need to know from the gamer’s perspective."



http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTAwNSwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

[digitalwanderer]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this, I'm hoping it actually comes into mainstream use. (From both nVidia & ATi, ATi is working on it too)

[Bio-Hazard]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this, I'm hoping it actually comes into mainstream use. (From both nVidia & ATi, ATi is working on it too)

I hope both companies (Nvidia and ATI) release something soon......... :wink: The more companies offering the tech, the better the prices for us all.

I read somewhere that BFG already had a card ready to go to market, but were holding off till there were a few games that took advantage of it. I'll have to see if I can find the link again.

[digitalwanderer]

I read somewhere that BFG already had a card ready to go to market, but were holding off till there were a few games that took advantage of it. I'll have to see if I can find the link again.
You're talking about the Aegia PPU? Yeah, I heard that rumor too and it makes sense to me. The PPU was supposed to be launched last year, but no real games support it yet so what would be the point?

Talk about a PR department's worst nightmare, how do you sell a product that can't be used yet? :?

[Bio-Hazard]

Sort of like the new HD DVD's where the movie companies are behind in getting the movise out........(I think)

[Bio-Hazard]

Here's a bit more on the SLI Physics topic from 2 other web sites........... :wink:

"ATI’s Contribution

It should be noted that though NVIDIA is the first to make a business partnership in order to get physics on the GPU rolling, they weren’t the first to talk publicly about a way to compete against AGEIA with graphics cards. During the X1800 and X1900 launches, ATI demonstrated physics calculations being done on their GPUs and even had a researcher from Stanford coming to talk about the GPGPU era (general purpose graphics processing unit)."


http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=222&type=expert&pid=3

and the next:

"SLI And Physics???

Just when you thought NVIDIA has reached the limit in the features they can cram into their GPUs, they come up with a new trick up their sleeves - SLI Physics!

Yes, believe it or not, NVIDIA intends to have physics processing offloaded from the CPU to their GPUs. This will increase the work being done by their top GPUs which are already CPU-limited and reduce their performance dependency on the CPU."


http://www.rojakpot.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=303&pgno=0

[Bio-Hazard]

Here's a bit more from PC Perspective on the AGEIA PhysX from today.

"Introduction and AGEIA

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) differs from other shows that you might have heard of in that nearly all of the attendees are active gaming industry personnel. There is still a good amount of sales and marketing in full force at GDC, but without giving the public access, the show floor is easier to navigate and the industry insiders are more willing to discuss their technologies. This was my first trip out to San Jose for GDC and I found the expo to be fairly informative even in a time when it seems like I have seen everything before.

We stopped by booths and showcases from AGEIA, Havok, NVIDIA, ATI and Intel to see what we could find out about the future of the gaming world that we are all so entrenched with in the enthusiast community. "


http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=228