GLideN64 blog

[Gonetz]

Hello,

I'll post details about my new project here: GLideN64 blog
The blog is just started. New chapters will be added later.


Demo video:

 

[DETOMINE]

Very interesting.

 

[Toasty]

Awesome progress for such a new project, and also very neat that you're posting your insights as you go. Thanks for sharing!

 

[V1del]

Yay for linux port as one of the goals Can't wait to see the progress on this, thanks for sharing and the best of luck with this new project

 

[Gonetz]

Thanks for your interest

 

[Fanatic 64]

Wow, looks awesome!

A tip about working with OpenGL; try not to exceed the OpenGL 3.0/3.1 specification, since that's what most current computers support (in my experience).

 

[olivieryuyu]

First HLE plugin emulating dithering noise

Awesome!!

 

[Fanatic 64]

First plugin emulating noise

Awesome!!

Actually, glN64/Direct64 and Glide64 had at least partial noise support.

But in none of the cases showed in the blog.

 

[mrmudlord]

Yes, Direct64 already used HLSL for noise, since HLSL has a noise() instrinsic.

Lemme guess, OGL 3.0 with FBOs for HWFBE?

 

[Gonetz]

Actually, glN64/Direct64 and Glide64 had at least partial noise support.

But in none of the cases showed in the blog.

Why should it be? Overview of other plugins is not my goal. I compare my current work mostly with my previous work.
Glide API has an extension, which helped me to emulate alpha dither in Glide64. Color noise input was not emulated.

Lemme guess, OGL 3.0 with FBOs for HWFBE?

Anything from the current glext.h. Yes, FBO for HWFBE.

Sorry, I'm very busy atm, can't answer quickly.

 

[mrmudlord]

Nah its cool, I'm just glad you got in the mood to do something that I myself was working on ages ago (the plugin is still super incomplete, but uses OGL3 so it requires DX10 level video card support).

 

[uyjulian]

Woah, this is really cool!
Are you planning to support HLE and LLE, or just one of them?

 

[Fanatic 64]

Why should it be? Overview of other plugins is not my goal. I compare my current work mostly with my previous work.
Glide API has an extension, which helped me to emulate alpha dither in Glide64. Color noise input was not emulated.

Uh, I was actually just addressing olivieryuyu, who said that no plugin prior to this one emulated noise at all, which was technically incorrect.

Sorry if I pissed you :ermm:

 

[Toasty]

I think it's just a misunderstanding over wording. Gonetz thought you were pointing out that those other plugins weren't shown in the blog, when you were actually pointing out that the other plugins fail to emulate noise correctly in the areas showcased on the blog.

 

[oddMLan]

Oh, so Gonetz is back in action!
The Mario Tennis demo looks pretty good, first HLE Gfx plugin that emulates the tennis ball trail correctly
Also, the automatic translation of the combine modes sounds very interesting! Thank you for all your work!

 

[Bighead]

Great to see you back in action Gonetz! Glide64 far surpassed every other graphics plugin so I'm definitely looking forward to this. I already bookmarked your blog because anything from you is a good read. :happy: I'll be sure to check it periodically from time to time to see how progress is going. That Mario Tennis video got me all excited. It's awesome to see the correct tennis ball effects in an HLE plugin for the first time (outside of the VC version on Dolphin that is). Heck it's also awesome to see the noise effects in those screenshots. Any step that gets us closer to the original experience is a huge win, especially in HLE!

I do have one question, and I apologize if it is too early to ask. Quoting your 10th anniversary release notes:

Besides, we failed to fully implement texture depth buffer functionality in the wrapper, so Lens of Truth in Zelda MM still works 100% correct only on Voodoos. My Voodoo 5 is still the best video card for N64 emulation

Do you think it will be possible to fully emulate all the frame buffer effects with this new plugin in the cases that Glide64 could not? (Referring to the depth issues and occasional missing effects). Obviously this info isn't that useful to me, again I'm just curious because it seemed most issues lied in the wrapper as opposed to OGL. Some games I'm referring to is Beetle Adventure Racing, Derby Stallion 64, Donkey Kong 64, Mario Golf, etc..

 

[Fanatic 64]

I think it's just a misunderstanding over wording. Gonetz thought you were pointing out that those other plugins weren't shown in the blog, when you were actually pointing out that the other plugins fail to emulate noise correctly in the areas showcased on the blog.

Aah yeah, I guessed there was a misunderstanding somewhere, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Well, yeah, what Toasty said.

I do have one question, and I apologize if it is too early to ask. Quoting your 10th anniversary release notes:

Besides, we failed to fully implement texture depth buffer functionality in the wrapper, so Lens of Truth in Zelda MM still works 100% correct only on Voodoos. My Voodoo 5 is still the best video card for N64 emulation

Do you think it will be possible to fully emulate all the frame buffer effects with this new plugin in the cases that Glide64 could not? (Referring to the depth issues and occasional missing effects). Obviously this info isn't that useful to me, again I'm just curious because it seemed most issues lied in the wrapper as opposed to OGL. Some games I'm referring to is Beetle Adventure Racing, Derby Stallion 64, Donkey Kong 64, Mario Golf, etc..

Well, while I don't develop plugins, I think what happens here is that a 3Dfx Voodoo 5 is designed in such a way that is very close (or even matches) to what the Nintendo 64 can do graphically, while even modern DirectX/OpenGL cards are designed in such a way that can't properly replicate some of the effects the N64 can do.

In theory, this also means that a Glide HLE graphics plugin has the potential to be more accurate than a DirectX or OpenGL HLE graphics plugin.

Unless the information is outdated or inaccurate :whistling

 

[Gonetz]

Woah, this is really cool!
Are you planning to support HLE and LLE, or just one of them?

Only HLE. I want to see it running on my Android devices someday. Mobile devices are not powerful enough yet to run LLE.
Most of my work can be ported to LLE as well.

Do you think it will be possible to fully emulate all the frame buffer effects with this new plugin in the cases that Glide64 could not? (Referring to the depth issues and occasional missing effects). Obviously this info isn't that useful to me, again I'm just curious because it seemed most issues lied in the wrapper as opposed to OGL. Some games I'm referring to is Beetle Adventure Racing, Derby Stallion 64, Donkey Kong 64, Mario Golf, etc..

Yes, it's the plan. I want to emulate everything related to color/depth buffers usage.

Well, while I don't develop plugins, I think what happens here is that a 3Dfx Voodoo 5 is designed in such a way that is very close (or even matches) to what the Nintendo 64 can do graphically, while even modern DirectX/OpenGL cards are designed in such a way that can't properly replicate some of the effects the N64 can do.

In theory, this also means that a Glide HLE graphics plugin has the potential to be more accurate than a DirectX or OpenGL HLE graphics plugin.

Unless the information is outdated or inaccurate :whistling

3dfx hardware was an usual PC video card. Thus it is as far-close to N64 hardware, as any other PC card of its time.
However, Glide3x texture frame buffer extension was exactly what I needed to emulate N64 manipulations with color and depth buffers.
OpenGL Frame Buffer Object is very powerful tool, but it does not allow to emulate that Glide3x extension 100% correct, "so Lens of Truth in Zelda MM still works 100% correct only on Voodoos"
In the new plugin I use new approach to frame buffer emulation, and I hope that this time everything will be emulated.
LoT in Zelda MM does not work yet

 

[Salvy]

Glad to see you back Gonetz
I would highly recommend to use glfw to create your OGL context window (very light and cross platform library, it even supports GLES)

 

[Fanatic 64]

3dfx hardware was an usual PC video card. Thus it is as far-close to N64 hardware, as any other PC card of its time.
However, Glide3x texture frame buffer extension was exactly what I needed to emulate N64 manipulations with color and depth buffers.
OpenGL Frame Buffer Object is very powerful tool, but it does not allow to emulate that Glide3x extension 100% correct, "so Lens of Truth in Zelda MM still works 100% correct only on Voodoos"
In the new plugin I use new approach to frame buffer emulation, and I hope that this time everything will be emulated.
LoT in Zelda MM does not work yet

Well, I get it now. Sounds promising, keep up the great work!

Glad to see you back Gonetz
I would highly recommend to use glfw to create your OGL context window (very light and cross platform library, it even supports GLES)

GLFW is not very fit for working with "complex" 3D, as far as I've heard.

Just my $0.02 USD.