[Tech Showoff] Different Water, Vertex Shading

[schlumpf]

As seen in this video: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FjuEPnuKtU]YouTube - World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Zone Creation Video[/ame] (from 2:35 on I think), there are "new" technologies that make the World of Warcraft even moooooooooar beautiful ("paintfully look of WoW" x4). One of them is:

"A technique called 'vertex shading'" that enables us to paint an additional layer on the tilesets so they differ a bit and look better (like some parts being brighter etc.). This is in WoW since 3.*.

To get an impression of what it's able to do:


This shows that you're able to "tint" the terrain however you want to. You can even make it completely black.

The other biiiiig thing is:

Neeeeeeew water! (applause). Its so freaking new that its not even possible in WotLK.

Wat? There are testing files in the current version. They have been in since 3.0. Well, at least they don't let people pay for the new expansion.

Wait..


Oh and btw: 4.* will require even more reworking on tools that are related to terrain etc. The filestructure of ADTs will change a bit.

(And yes, I know: Its not the saaaame awesome water as seen in the cataclysm trailers. That maaay be a side effect of me having tried to get those new effects in within a timespan of about 10 minutes. I did NOT use files I made myself. Its all what WoW provides.)

[Zing!]

You're always so secretive shclumpf.

Do you live inside a volcano too?

[schlumpf]

I do NOT live inside a volcano. Sadly. I'm not secretive. I document everything I find to the public. If you don't know where to search (I post the links often enough), I can't help.

[Turael]

Hey schlumpf,nice work.you are the best ))

[emosaurusrex]

oooo sounds exciting. Thanks for the info

[Xel]

Amazed.. Huh.

[~sInX]

Wow. So i suppose the structure of world building will be rearranged quite a lot when 4.x is released :O. Nice post schlumpf.

[Zing!]

So, how do you enable the newish water then?

[Canbus]

So, I guess alot of people will need to upgrade their computers, huh?

[schlumpf]

Well, at least what you can see in the screenshots is running without performance loss on a NV 6600 GT. There is also a switch to reduce the level of detail of the water. You can disable the reflections etc.

[Zing!]

So, how would one go about enabling said shiny water?

PS. +Rep btw, as if you need it.

[TheTripper]

I would +Rep if I could. This is amazing.

[MoD]

lol

Remembering @ this discution we had about it

Feucking great job

[Clain]

Thats pretty interesting :P

[I Hypnotoad I]

I can't wait to say to those people who judge WoW because their game has higher detail / graphics to SUCK IT.

I love the new water, and the vertex shading adds alot more realism to the game..
I'm hoping that Private Servers will be able to keep up with the new expansion (Thank god it did for WOTLK) as well as model-editing..

I would LOVE to modify the new Battleground in Gilneas that's coming out.