New RadeonHD 2.4 drivers from A-EON Technology

[amigakit]

If anyone has any specific questions relating to their existing RadeonHD licence, please pmail me and I can help out.

@Darrin

Look forward to your visit to our offices in January.

[Rob]

My question is simpler, what does Gallium/Warp3D will bring to the platform if we subtract old games, open source games and software and others candy effects?
Which lead to an another one which is related to the first, what are Amigans expecting in this area since they're "begging" for this feature?

Kamelito

There are a number of games for Warp3D, some old some fairly new but we are currently restricted to R100 and R200 hundred hardware which is a decade old or we have to rely on Wazp which will run some of the software made for Warp3D.

The R800 and R900 drivers will mean that users of machines with PCIe don't have to rely on workarounds and will bring significant speed increases.

Gallium will bring full OpenGl capability to AmigaOS allowing for much better graphics in ported and original software.
Gallium also makes it possible to use the UVD decoders on Radeon 4000 and onward video cards.  In theory UVD should allow 1080p video play back on on a Sam440 with even a Radeon 4350.

[amigadave]

There are a number of games for Warp3D, some old some fairly new but we are currently restricted to R100 and R200 hundred hardware which is a decade old or we have to rely on Wazp which will run some of the software made for Warp3D.

The R800 and R900 drivers will mean that users of machines with PCIe don't have to rely on workarounds and will bring significant speed increases.

Gallium will bring full OpenGl capability to AmigaOS allowing for much better graphics in ported and original software.
Gallium also makes it possible to use the UVD decoders on Radeon 4000 and onward video cards.  In theory UVD should allow 1080p video play back on on a Sam440 with even a Radeon 4350.

Thanks Rob & Hans for your explanations.  They cleared up most of my questions, but if you don't mind answering a few more, I would really appreciate knowing a bit more.

OpenGL support is rather old, at least from my limited understanding.  Aren't most 3D games now using DirectX for 3D features, and how does DirectX differ from OpenGL?  It seems to me that most modern 3D games require at least DirectX version 10 or 11 to work, so how far beyond OpenGL3.1 is DirectX v11?

It is unlikely that we are going to get any major software development companies to port any of their existing, or write any new, 3D games or software to AmigaOS4.x, or MorphOS3.x, or AROS, but we have always seen a handful of hardworking Amiga, MorphOS, and/or AROS developers, who port some software and games to our platforms, so if we can get some of the 3D features and functionality added to the infrastructure of one, or all three of our NG Amiga platforms, there is a good chance that we will see some developers attempting to give us better, more modern, ports.

One of my only reasons to own and use any Windows PC is so I can run my 2D/3D CAD software to draw Architectural Plans for others to supplement my retirement income, and to be able to play Guild Wars 2, a 3D MMO game that I enjoy occasionally.  How close are we to ever seeing OpenGL and/or DirectX support that will allow some of the 3D software and games to be ported to AmigaOS4.x?  Does the type of 3D support currently provided for MorphOS3.7 and Radeon R400 based video cards make it easier, or possible to port better, or more recent 3D software and games?  Do any of you know the current state of the AROS video card drivers and what kind of ports are capable for AROS users?  Will any of our NG Amiga platforms be able to get 3D games like Guild Wars 2 ported to them any time soon, or have new 3D games similar to that style, written for our NG platforms?

My understanding (and this is not a knock on any platform, or an advertisement for any of the 3 NG Amiga systems) is that AmigaOS4.x uses one method for faster graphics and some kind of (is simulated the right word) 3D features, while MorphOS provides a different type of 3D support in their drivers, which to some users and developers is considered better, or more complete than the 3D support in AmigaOS4.x at this time, while AROS has even more 3D support features or functions.  A short summary of all three and their differences would be helpful to users who wish to run more 3D software, or developers who want to write or port existing 3D software and games.

Please, no negative comments from anyone regarding the different NG platforms, and no bragging about which one is better or worse.

[Hans_]

OpenGL support is rather old, at least from my limited understanding.  Aren't most 3D games now using DirectX for 3D features, and how does DirectX differ from OpenGL?  It seems to me that most modern 3D games require at least DirectX version 10 or 11 to work, so how far beyond OpenGL3.1 is DirectX v11?

Microsoft would love you to believe that OpenGL is outdated, but the truth is that it is not. The latest OpenGL specification (v4.5) was released in August, just a few months ago. On Windows games tend to use DirectX. However, those same games use OpenGL on other platforms such as MacOS X.

BTW, Gallium3D also has a DirectX state tracker, although I don't know which version. Plus, Valve Software was kind enough to release the code to their DirectX to OpenGL translation layer.

How close are we to ever seeing OpenGL and/or DirectX support that will allow some of the 3D software and games to be ported to AmigaOS4.x?

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. Blender (3D modelling and rendering software) runs on AmigaOS 4.x today, as do various 3D games (e.g, Jedi Academy).

If you're asking about newer games that require shaders, then the answer is: when we have Mesa + Gallium3D.

Does the type of 3D support currently provided for MorphOS3.7 and Radeon R400 based video cards make it easier, or possible to port better, or more recent 3D software and games?

My understanding is that MorphOS' TinyGL and drivers are faster than MiniGL + Warp3D on OS4, but we're also talking about an OpenGL 1.5ish feature set. So, no shaders, and no newer games.

Do any of you know the current state of the AROS video card drivers and what kind of ports are capable for AROS users?

They have Gallium3D up and running. AFAIK, it's kind of bolted onto the system with a *nix compatibility layer, but you can't argue with the results.

Will any of our NG Amiga platforms be able to get 3D games like Guild Wars 2 ported to them any time soon, or have new 3D games similar to that style, written for our NG platforms?

I've never seen Guild Wars 2, so I can't answer this. Obviously, the whole point of integrating Gallium3D is to make porting/writing more modern games possible.

My understanding (and this is not a knock on any platform, or an advertisement for any of the 3 NG Amiga systems) is that AmigaOS4.x uses one method for faster graphics and some kind of (is simulated the right word) 3D features,...

Warp3D provides genuine 3D acceleration, so "simulated" is definitely the wrong word. It's just rather dated.

while MorphOS provides a different type of 3D support in their drivers, which to some users and developers is considered better, or more complete than the 3D support in AmigaOS4.x at this time,...

I don't know about "more complete," but their drivers are certainly faster. Do note that both use the 3D GPU onboard the card, so "different type" is probably the wrong term. I have no idea about their 3D system's internals, but their driver API design is probably newer than Warp3D.

while AROS has even more 3D support features or functions.

AROS has Gallium3D, which gives them a more modern version of OpenGL with shaders.

Hans