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Outerra Tech Demo download. Help with graphics driver issues

Author Topic: Virtual Texturing?  (Read 4196 times)

Freeman

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Virtual Texturing?
« on: April 09, 2013, 11:42:50 pm »

Just read a blog post about Virtual Texturing using on planet texturing: http://www.mavorsrants.com/2013/02/planetary-annihilation-engine.html

And Infinity's planets/terrain texturing method: http://www.infinity-universe.com/Infinity/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=75&topic=7598.0.html

I'm wondering what texturing method that Outerra using to achieve such a level of detail? What's difference between PA, Infinity and Outerra's terrain texturing method?
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cameni

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Re: Virtual Texturing?
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2013, 06:07:28 am »

I initially thought I'd say that OT's system is closer to Infinity's, but reading it more attentively I see that theirs is a lot simpler and limiting (but it's an ancient text, here's a recent update about Infinity's planetary engine enhancements).
So actually it would be better to take the PA's virtual texturing as the basis for explanation.

In OT the similarities are that there's something like a "resolver" that determines what LOD is needed where for terrain tiles. Technically it does the same thing: computes what texture resolution is needed for terrain chunks, based on an indirect screen-space metrics. Missing tile textures are the generated dynamically from terrain data - well, actually the terrain data are generated first, since these are procedural too. The texturizer arose from a system similar to Infinity's, taking altitude and slope into the account. Nowadays it's taking a lot more parameters into the decision process:  latitude, filtered terrain curvature and slope, additional fractal channels, data from the vector overlay etc. Biomes will expand it a bit too.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2013, 03:04:00 am by cameni »
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