Review Link Feature: Lowdown on the Voodoo 5

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T-Buffer Cinematic Effects

Depth of Field Blur

Depth of Field blur is one of 3dfx's new tools for game developers, that will allow them to create more realistic, immersive environments. Although it could be rather difficult to implement, the principal behind this tool very simple. When considering depth, our eyes can only focus on one specific point, with all other points closer or farther away looking slightly blurry. Film producers have used this fact for decades to focus the audience's attention on the most important part of the movie, so it belongs in 3dfx's suite of 'Cinematic' tools. Developers will use this feature in the same context as their film counterparts; to focus attention on the most important part of the picture.

Motion Blur

Another so called cinematic effect is motion blur, which also had it's roots in the movies. On a TV camera, the shutter is exposed to light for a fraction of a second, thus capturing the motion during that time, resulting in a slightly blurred frame. These frames are then strung together, creating an illusion of continuous action. Computer graphics can not mimic this, because each frame is clearly rendered, with no blur at all. Motion blur remedies this by adding a slight blur to the edges of moving objects, thereby creating continuous, realistic animation. Motion blur can also exaggerate the blur at the edges of any object, to create the illusion that the object is moving very quickly.

Soft Shadows

Another cinematic effect implemented by 3dfx is the soft shadow tool, which allows game developers to create accurate, real world shadows, instead of the flat, sharp-edged facsimiles that have been used. If you look closely at the shadows all around you, you will notice that the edges are slightly blurred, especially on textured surfaces. When implemented properly, this tool will eliminate the crude shadows in modern games, and give them a whole new feeling of realism.

3dfx seems to believe that little touches here and there in the picture will usher in a whole new era of games, supporting the T-Buffer of course. Indeed, there is a general movement to improve the realism of current game environments. Who knows, maybe the T-Buffer is the very thing that the industry needs. Anyhow, if it is, I'm willing to bet that nVidia won't be too happy about it.

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