Lost Coast HDR Overview

[CSN NewsBot]

The folks over at bit-tech have put together a four page, detailed article on the science behind high-dynamic range lighting in the Lost Coast. There is also a small bit about the potential release date range for the free level.

On the release date, right now we're looking at some time in July. The only reason for the change in date was internal development - no external factors.



Meanwhile, this will run on the X800 as well as the 6800 line of cards, as well as the coming highest-end products from both ATI & NVIDIA - it was shown on dual 6800s at E3.

So, if you're still a little confused on what to expect in the Lost Coast, be sure and read this simple to understand guide.

[washuplushie]

all this news over 1 prettier HL2 level with 'effects' that started in Socom 2 (coming into a dark room and your eyes adjust)...whoopie

[Gpig]

Socom 2 does not use HDR and the PS2 could not handle it.

[washuplushie]

I didn't mean HDR, I meant the 'eyes adjusting' and the details being different in the dark vs light. PS2 ... not even the Xbox can handle anything close to the quality of HL2 but alot of the effects have been mimicked in the past

[wolf8218]

you have no idea what this is about, just quit please.



on the other hand im pretty glad theyre going to release this soon.

[Pan the Goat God]

Not too many people really give a damn. Why hype up a level that is mainly about soft glowy lights?



The shit better be fun, thats all I care about.

[Zips]

Edited by [user="151473"] @ [time="1118992358"]

Pan the Goat God wrote..

Not too many people really give a damn. Why hype up a level that is mainly about soft glowy lights?



The shit better be fun, thats all I care about.

The people that care are the people who buy the latest hardware and want to get their money's worth. I don't even have the latest everything and I care. Why? It's a step beyond the typical graphics seen in games. More and more games are going to use HDR, I guess it's time we need to get used to it.



EDIT: And thanks to whomever submitted this news twice since it was posted here...

[-:Nighthawk:-]

If they get this right, it could be a huge deal. Lighting is still an area where even modern computer games come out sorely lacking. It doesn't matter how many polys you slam into a scene... generally speaking it still doesn't look like an actual photograph, even when it's quite detailed and pretty. Get that lighting just so, however, and we could be looking at rendered stuff that looks like TV or movie footage, and that would be a huge step forward. I doubt they'll get it near that point yet with this, as much as I'd like them to, but we'll be that much closer, and that's a good thing.



So yes, HDR rendering is a big deal to some of us. :) Nice article, btw.

[Spliffmonkey]

Good name, The Lost Coast.. now I know why it's been lost.



We've been waiting for the realese of The Lost Character Models level for CSS, they have been lost for ages. :S

[hugo-rj]

There are 2 types of people who can read: the type that can read and understand sentences and texts and the type that can see the letters, words and so on but cannot get the information.



'washuplushie' seems to fit on the second category.



HDRI is insane. And it's just the beggining.

[Shadow]

-:Nighthawk:- wrote..

So yes, HDR rendering is a big deal to some of us. :) Nice article, btw.

Yeah, but this specific chapter of HL2 isn't even a real level. It's a proof of concept thing that will only matter in a year when the lighting presented here really gets implemented in games. I doubt this will even be any fun.