GamePhys

Intel Ivy Bridge Havok Physics Destruction and Cloth Demos

Mark — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:02:30 +0000

This is old now but I never got around to posting about it back during CES 2012. During the CES 2012 Intel press conference, they showed a lot of information about the upcoming Ivy Bridge Ultrabook processor including a DX11 graphics demo showing off different games that the DX11 capable Ivy Bridge processor will be capable of. They also showed several Havok Physics demos running on Ivy bridge. Intel showed the Havok Cloth Demo and the destructible bridge demo at new angles we have not seen before. The destructible bridge demo shown in the demo is very cool, it shows the presenter destroying the bridge as the train crosses and having it break into countless physics objects that get simulated in real-time. The presenter than points out how after the bridge is destroyed the CPU is still working to process each individual piece, not something that happens with the scripted destruction nonsense we see in many games today. This is another demo that I wish would be released to play around with. Check out the videos below.

Intel Ivy Bridge Direct X11 Havok Demo at CES 2012

CES 2012: Intel Ultrabook Graphics Demo

New Apex PhysX Art Gallery Destruction Video

Mark — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:07:10 +0000

The NvidiaApexDeveloper YouTube page has uploaded a new video from the Art Gallery demo showing off some awesome Apex physics and destruction. Check it out below. For more footage of this demo in action check out the original Art Gallery Destruction Demo in UE3 using APEX Destruction with GRB’s video. Hopefully this demo becomes available for download soon, maybe with the release of Kepler? I still don’t know why NVIDIA does not release these cools demos for people to play with.

From the official NVIDIA Apex Destruction page:

Everything in the Art Gallery demo is destructible, the drywalls, beams, ceilings even the wooden floors. The demo is using GPU rigid bodies (GRBs) to ensure that up to 10,000 rigid bodies can be simulated at the same time, which enables a massive degree of destruction unseen before in a game. This demo was was the work of one artist and was done in less than two weeks. It provides a excellent example of how APEX authoring tools allows artists to quickly generate destructible worlds.

Source [NVIDIA]

Rumor: NVIDIA Kepler/GK104 to Have Dedicated PhysX Hardware

Mark — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:45:48 +0000

Charlie over at SemiAccurate has posted an interesting rumor that the upcoming NVIDIA Kepler, GK104 GPU will have optimizations for physics calculations in the form of dedicated PhysX hardware described as a “PhysX block.” It is unclear whether these optimizations will be actual dedicated PhysX hardware or just more shaders and other PhysX optimizations but SeimAccurate claims to have been told that the “Kepler/GK104 will be marketed as having a dedicated block.” The rumor goes on to discuss that the GK104 will be faster in games that use PhysX. Overall this is a great article covering the current state of PhysX, check it out here. This will be interesting to see if this is true or not.

From Physics hardware makes Kepler/GK104 fast:

Sources tell SemiAccurate that the ‘big secret’ lurking in the Kepler chips are optimisations for physics calculations. Some are calling this PhysX block a dedicated chunk of hardware, but more sources have been saying that it is simply shaders, optimisations, and likely a dedicated few new ops. In short, marketing may say it is, but under the heat spreader, it is simply shaders and optimisations.

With this new bit of information, one big question is answered, but specific hardware implementations details are a bit murky. Is the ‘hardware block’ dedicated to physics calculations when there are some being issued, or is it a AMD/GCN like multiple instruction issue? Is it just shaders with an added op or two that speed up math routines heavily used by physics simulations? How much die area is spent on this functionality? This isn’t very clear, and given the marketing materials Semiaccurate has seen, explanations will only serve to impede the impending hype.

Source [SemiAccurate]

New Havok Physics Destruction Video Shows off Completely Destructible Buildings

Mark — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:27:27 +0000

A new Havok Physics Destruction video has been uploaded to the official Havok YouTube channel. This new video shows off how Havok Destruction can be implemented into games with the Vision Engine. This video is similar to the Havok Destruction: Farmhouse Demo that we posted about a few years ago which shows a farmhouse that is completely destructible being destroyed by a tank. This new video shows off several buildings that are completely destructible and are destroyed with a tank. As the tank fires the buildings breaks apart into countless physics objects and begins to crumble based upon physics. Like the farmhouse demo, the tank can also destroy the building just by driving into it with force. The video also briefly shows off object deformation by having the tank run over metal barrels. Check out the video below.

Now this is the future and I can’t wait to see this implemented into games and no more of the scripted destruction nonsense we have in BFBC2, Red Faction Guerrilla, and BF3! Just imagine someday when physics and destruction like this is implemented into games!

Rumor: New GPU PhysX Game Running on Kepler, GK104 to be shown at PDXLAN 2012

Mark — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:32:29 +0000

A very excited rumor has surfaced from VR-Zone that this Friday at PDXLAN 2012, NVIDIA, EVGA, and Gearbox Software will be showing off a new GPU PhysX game running on the upcoming NVIDIA Kepler, GK104 GPU. According to VR-Zone “Over the course of weekend, EVGA plans to showing the next generation “Kepler” running PhysX demo of a new game from Gearbox Software.” The official PDXLAN website posted topday that “NVIDIA and Gearbox are bringing something really special to PDXLAN 19. Attendees are in for an exclusive treat from one of the year’s hottest games that will blow your mind!! Hopefully this rumor turns out to be true or at least we will learn some official news about Kepler and whether the rumor that it will have special dedicated PhysX hardware is true or not. PDXLAN Starts this Friday and runs Feb 16-20 so stay tuned for more news about this as I will be following it closely!.

Source [VR-Zone]
[PDXLAN]

New Unreal 1 PhysX Mod Video

Mark — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:39:54 +0000

Almost two years ago we posted about an interesting project with Nvidia PhysX Being Modded into Unreal And Unreal Tournament(99). Now Shivaxi who was working on this mod is still working on it and has made an updated video showing off the PhysX being modded into it. Check it out below. Just seeing a video of Unreal 1 brings back memories of the good old days.

Showing off PhysX in Unreal 1 (227h):

OpenC1 – A Carmageddon remake with PhysX

Mark — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:56:37 +0000

Now this is interesting, 1amstudios is working on an open-source remake of the classic Carmageddon game titled OpenC1. This remake is using XNA for the graphics engine and PhysX for the physics. Check out the video below showing off the game with PhysX and be sure to check out the 1amstudios OpenC1 page for download links and more information on the project.

From the OpenC1 page:

OpenC1 is an open-source remake of Carmageddon. It uses XNA for the graphics and Nvidia PhysX for the physics. It implements almost all features of the original game, including vehicles, tracks, vehicle damage, pedestrians, opponents, checkpoints, UI, breakable, bendable track objects, animations. It does not currently implement powerups or network play.

As of version 1.4, OpenC1 can download the free Carmageddon demo content (artwork, models, etc) so you can experience OpenC1 without having to own the full original game.

Source [1amstudios]

6 Top Gaming Engines Face Off With PhysX and Havok as top Middleware

Some Cool UDK PhysX/Physics Videos 2/4/2012

Mark — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:53:17 +0000

These are some cool UDK vidoes showing off Apex PhysX and fracture meshes I want to post about We have UDK Fracture Mesh Core – Part 1 by JoshWinkler3D, Physx/udk test by MrTricks47, and Journeyman Research – Nvidia Apex Destruction Test in UDK 2011 by StripySniper. Check them out below.

UDK Fracture Mesh Core – Part 1:

Physx/udk test:

Journeyman Research – Nvidia Apex Destruction Test in UDK 2011:

Physics Engine Primer by Havok Physics

Mark — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:09:17 +0000

The HavokEnthusiast YouTube channel has uploaded a series of videos that describes how to get started using Havok’s free PcXs SDK which includes Animation and Physics. One of the videos titled Dynamics Basics I – Physics Primer is a game physics engine overview that goes over what a game physics engine is, the services it provides to a game and how a game physics engine works. The video goes pretty in depth on things like the collision detection algorithms. After watching this video you should have a good basic understanding of what exactly physics engines do for games. Check it out below. And check out the other videos here.

Dynamics Basics I – Physics Primer:

Source [HavokEnthusiast YouTube Channel]

Alan Wake PC: Better Graphics and a Dedicated Thread for Havok Physics Processing

Mark — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:10:43 +0000

PC Games Hardware has done a nice technical interview with Markus Mäki, Chief Technical Officer at Remedy about the upcoming PC version of Alan Wake. The interview covers the details about the Alan Wake engine and how a lot of the settings can be turned up for the PC version. What is interesting to us is when Markus is asked about the physics used in the game. Alan Wake will be using a dedicated Thread for Havok Physics and had some very interesting things to say about GPU Accelerated physics such as PhysX. According to Markus “GPU accelerated physics can be great for special effects, but it’s harder to make these physics objects have an impact to the game world – it’s mainly a visual benefit.” Read the rest of the interview here.

From Alan Wake PC: Better graphics compared to 360, looks great at 60 fps:

PCGH: The Physics in the games is based on the popular Havok middleware, is that correct? Does Havok use a dedicated CPU core or is physics calculation done via multithreading? What is your personal option about GPU accelerated physics effects like Nvidias PhysX in case e.g. Batman Arkham City or even accelerated gameplay physics via GPU?

Markus Mäki, Remedy: Yes, Alan Wake uses Havok Physics and Animation to great effect. Havok uses dedicated thread fort he physics processing.

I think GPU accelerated physics can be great for special effects, but it’s harder to make these physics objects have an impact to the game world – it’s mainly a visual benefit. Whereas the CPU physics are integral part of the players’ interaction in the world.

Source [PC Games Hardware]