Plan to use PhysX?

**BakaLyte** · 05-11-2009, 05:23 PM

nVidia's newest Graphics Cards, as well as their 8 Series cards, are boasting a new firmware processor thing called PhysX. From what I'm understanding of it, it uses the GPU on the video card to process Physics information and displays, thus relieving some strain from the CPU and FPP.

I'm wondering if Unknown/Lux Tenebras plans to make use of this technology? Potentionally, it has the ability to render some magnificent scenes, physics displays, and real-time particle effects.

At the same time, it will also limit the game to only people with nVidia video cards supporting PhysX. Unless, of course, it also came with the option to disable PhysX Acceleration.

I wonder if ATI has a simiular accelerator?

Anyways, also for those interested, is the PhysX Developer's Page, for the free SDK and other information.

**Thomas** · 05-11-2009, 06:08 PM

Newton also have some upcoming features that will make it support hardware accelerations.

Up til now we have not considered using PhysX since it does not support Mac or Linux.

**WindexGlow** · 05-12-2009, 12:59 AM

I understand this is a tad offtopic, but I always thought that PhysX stuff was a gimmick. "Oh yeah, well does that card support PhysX? Well?!"

**BakaLyte** · 05-12-2009, 05:37 AM

(05-11-2009, 06:08 PM)Thomas Wrote: Newton also have some upcoming features that will make it support hardware accelerations.

Up til now we have not considered using PhysX since it does not support Mac or Linux.

"Up til now?" Does that mean the decision has been changed or altered? Really, I'm just curious...

(05-12-2009, 12:59 AM)WindexGlow Wrote: I understand this is a tad offtopic, but I always thought that PhysX stuff was a gimmick. "Oh yeah, well does that card support PhysX? Well?!"

It's not terribly off-topic. Perhaps PhysX is a gimmick, but irregardless, anything that relieves strain from the CPU must improve gameplay.

**Thomas** · 05-12-2009, 08:38 AM

Quote:"Up til now?" Does that mean the decision has been changed or altered? Really, I'm just curious...

I might have formulated that a bit bad Smile

What I meant is that with the new project it is still an open question if consoles should be support and in which case PhysX might be an alternative. Not saying that we will release to consoles, just that we are considering.

**Nemoder** · 05-12-2009, 10:24 AM

OpenCL looks like it will be a better solution for cross platform physics.

**Thomas** · 05-12-2009, 11:24 AM

(05-12-2009, 10:24 AM)Nemoder Wrote: OpenCL looks like it will be a better solution for cross platform physics.

And I think Newton is perhaps going to use that. Or CUDA. Not sure.

**Yuhaney** · 05-21-2009, 08:08 PM

Hopefully you don't use PhysX, since ATI's card work lot weaker when there's PhysX...
For example: Mirror's Edge.
Works perfectly on NVIDIA's card with everything maxed out but when you put even more powerful ATI's graphics card than NVIDIA's is, it stops working so good and frame rate drops a lot, since ATI doesn't support PhysX.

**eliasfrost** · 05-22-2009, 02:09 PM

I'm pretty sure it's because the new Nvidia cards has PhysX cards integrated? but ATI does not? that might be your problem? ^^

**Yuhaney** · 05-22-2009, 02:33 PM

I know that. And I said ATI doesn't support it... Wink

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