SM2 support being removed next UDK build

[LennardF1989]

Do people have problems with this?

SM2 stands for Shader Model 2.0 which is used by older videocards, whereas most modern videocards support SM3 or even SM4. So it does remove some sort of legacy support.

I don't really mind though, spares like 1/3 of the shader recompiling time... :P

EDIT:
You can check if you're videocard support SM3 by looking for the specification "Pixel Shader" and see if it is at least 3.0

[Succubus Dryad Of The Undying Comet]

I do have a prob. Mah 7900gs won't be able to manage. SM3 is too heavy :/
And no, I can't get a better one, I'm saving monies.

[LennardF1989]

Ah yes, I forgot to tell videocards don't actually call it Shader Model in the specifications, you have to look for "Pixel Shader". The 7900GS support Pixel Shader 3.0, thus SM3 :)

Geforce 7900GS Chipset Features

Full MicrosoftÃ,® DirectXÃ,® 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 Support
The standard for today's PCs and next generation consoles enables stunning and complex effects for cinematic realism.

Also, I never said PS actually runs fine on SM 2.0 :P Technical answer being: SM2 only support 64 instructions per material (a collection of textures), whereas SM3 128 and SM4 even more. We will have to provide special SM2 shaders for a lot of props, also the spy material (which is 100 instructions). Hence I rather see it go than come. It also limits Epic implementing new high rendering techniques because rendering SM2 material is slightly different.

Do more people have problems with SM2 getting removed? Note that I haven't found a way yet to force using a specific Shader Model. If your videocard supports SM3, it will use SM3, you can't force it to use SM2. SM4 is automatically used when DX10 mode is enabled, only by disabling that you can use SM3 (again never SM2, not because you don't support it, but because the game automatically picks the highest usable SM).

Materials rendered in DX10 mode (thus SM4) look fucking awesome btw :P

[Succubus Dryad Of The Undying Comet]

Oh. So I'm stuck with SM3 anyway. Too bad.

[LennardF1989]

Oh. So I'm stuck with SM3 anyway. Too bad.

I will ask Epic about this. Note that textures are only a small portion of the resource usage. Even when having textures render in 1x1 mode (so one big pixel, basically), you only gain like 2 FPS.

[unskilled]

I guess it's fine...but i hope i will run PS with ~150+ fps on highest details  :P
I guess you don't forgot about system req and optimalization :D ( not only graphic but netcode too )

[frvge]

I don't get 150 fps on PS and my PC is fairly up to date.

[MulleDK19]

I don't get 150 fps on PS and my PC is fairly up to date.

I get averagely 60 on my old GeForce 8800 GTS 512.

About the SM... My video card supports both SM3 and SM4.

[LennardF1989]

I guess it's fine...but i hope i will run PS with ~150+ fps on highest details  :P
I guess you don't forgot about system req and optimalization :D ( not only graphic but netcode too )

Graphic-wise there is not much to optimalize, we have to life with whatever Epic provides us (and can nag them when it's not how it should be). Thinks we can consider to speed things up is not using big while/for loops that run every frame, but there are cases that it is needed.

Other than that, we plan on adding a mix of time nudging and interpolation as netcode, replacing Epic's default movement netcode.

EDIT:
Here's an example of the technique for Q3: http://www.ra.is/unlagged/

[unskilled]

I don't get 150 fps on PS and my PC is fairly up to date.

I get averagely 60 on my old GeForce 8800 GTS 512.

About the SM... My video card supports both SM3 and SM4.

Good to hear, that 150fps is hmm affectation but i hope i will be able to get highest fps as possible  :D
Btw. PS will use 4cores?


@Lennard1989
Thanks for informations. I don't know how such things works so i ask  :P

[Succubus Dryad Of The Undying Comet]

Well, I'd be happy with graphics comparable to kkrieger,
and performance along the lines of Quake 3 on a modern machine.
Yes.

[MulleDK19]

Btw. PS will use 4cores?

The engine supports at least 2 cores.

I don't know about 4.

[MR.Mic]

SM3 is actually 512 instructions, lennard.

Plus, you can buy a 9800GT for under 100 US dollars, which will perform better than my 8800GT from 2006 (which runs PS just fine, btw).
I don't even think you can buy a non SM3 gfx card anymore from most places.

[Farley4Fan]

Plus, you can buy a 9800GT for under 100 US dollars, which will perform better than my 8800GT from 2006 (which runs PS just fine, btw).

Yay... Good news.  And I can't believe my GT is that old already.  4 years old?  I mean I got it about 2 years ago but the technology is old already.  I can't keep up with this stuff.  Call me casual I don't care lol

[ChaosTroll]

So basically SM2 support is just a waste of memory, if we want low graphics project stealth just include a SM1, 3, and 4? (well.. you might not need 4) Personally I don't care one way or another, size, shader model, graphics. Just happy to see this well under development to the point where you have to ask these questions. I have pixel shader 4.0 on my graphics card, so honestly this thread shouldn't concern me...