Outerra forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Download Outerra Tech Demo. Unofficial Outerra Discord server, MicroProse Discord server for OWS.

Author Topic: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid  (Read 16984 times)

angrypig

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 454
New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« on: May 12, 2012, 02:53:03 pm »
Last night i looked at the grass anti-aliasing/shimmering issue. Grass is too noisy because the FXAA algorithm has no sub-pixel information. One way to improve the quality with a small sacrifice in performance is to use of MSAA2x, which renders two samples per screen pixel and then run FXAA on the result. The MSAA 2x rendering is very efficient, and more importantly, it provides a much better base for the FXAA. The result is that grass now looks more dense and the shimmering is supressed but not eliminated. The result is comparable to MSAA 4x, in some situations is better in some not but it is faster and less memory consuming. MSAA4x is able to completely eliminate shimmering but it doesn't provide AA filtering in some situations like a sharp texture patterns. It is more GPU and memory demanding, and its demands for more GPU power and memory disqualify it for deferred rendering in future.

I have to tune FXAA parameters for MSAA 2x/FXAA combination because in this case FXAA doesn't have to be that strong...

I prepared a few HD images for comparison. (click for full image...)
 
no AA

FXAA

MSAA 2x

MSAA 2x + FXAA

MSAA 4x

Logged

pico

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 223
    • http://
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2012, 04:10:04 pm »
...nice. Is that Terrain self-shadowing in the Background?  ;)
« Last Edit: May 12, 2012, 04:14:18 pm by pico »
Logged

angrypig

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 454
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2012, 04:26:00 pm »
Hmm it looks like terrain shadows, i didn't know it is in repository :)
Logged

Jagerbomber

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1564
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2012, 06:22:33 pm »
There's the dark blades I'm talking about. (When you click on one of the images)
« Last Edit: May 12, 2012, 08:14:36 pm by Jagerbomber »
Logged
"Perhaps this speaks to some larger trend within society today...  A prevailing desire on the part of indie developers to recreate the entire world into one where you can charge more than $15 for your game design degree coursework." - Yahtzee ;) :P

Spudly

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 70
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2012, 07:26:13 pm »
Did you guys just decide not to sleep this week or something?? You're on a roll with these updates...
Logged

ZeosPantera

  • ||>>-Z-<<||
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2520
  • #1 Outerra Fan Boy
    • My Youtube
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2012, 02:49:32 am »
A drastic improvement. I wonder what sort of hit my poor 4890 is going to take.
Logged
"Fear accompanies the possibility of death, Calm shepherds its certainty" - General Ka Dargo

Tottel

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 55
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2012, 04:24:59 am »
It's so.. Beautiful. :')
Logged

Bartolomeus

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 288
    • VirtualTechArt Design
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2012, 11:33:19 am »
That's impressive, great improvement.
Logged

KelvinNZ

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 509
  • A clock that doesn't work still works twice a day!
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2012, 05:24:54 am »
Quote from: angrypig on May 12, 2012, 04:26:00 pm
Hmm it looks like terrain shadows, i didn't know it is in repository :)

Will there be a function to increase the distance for showing the grass rather than drawing it a few meters away?
Logged
If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky?

Morcrist

  • Jr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 10
  • newbie
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2012, 09:44:05 pm »
I second that request. Please make sure we have a setting where we can adjust how far away it draws grass. I understand that in the few vids I've seen so far things are just getting up and running grass-wise, but already to me the grass isn't being drawn far enough away. Just a personal pet pieve. I always hate how you can see this large radius of grass popping into existence as you run.

Looking really cool though!

Take care.
Logged

KelvinNZ

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 509
  • A clock that doesn't work still works twice a day!
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2012, 12:55:02 am »
Am looking forward to testing this with the GTX  680  8)
Logged
If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky?

RaikoRaufoss

  • Blood may move the wheels of history, but only our cunning keeps the wheels oiled.
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 374
    • http://www.sabaton.net/
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2012, 10:22:55 pm »
Logged
Far from the fame
Far away from the fame
But we still remember your name
Karel JanouĊĦek
We mourn the day that you died
So be our guide
CZECHOSLOVAKIA'S PRIDE!!!!!!

Abyssus Games

  • Jr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 35
  • newbie
Re: New AA filter MSAA2 / FXAA hybrid
« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2012, 08:39:58 am »
That is looking brilliant, It would be nice to be able to change the draw distance depending on your needs.
Logged