DCS World 2.0 and New Maps Discussion Thread

[VincentLaw]

EDIT: I ticked on that one: "7- Option to project map on globe surface."

Does that mean our map will be curved instead of the actual planar map?

It means that EDGE supports this feature optionally, which means it is entirely up to the map maker instead of being stuck one way or another.

 

Personally - purely from the logic of the language - I would take from the fact that the quote is "7- Option to project map on globe surface" not "Map projected on global surface" that the option is there, but not currently implemented in whatever map(s) E.D. might chose to release first.

This assumption does not follow logically. It purely means that it is possible, but not necessary for maps to be projected onto a globe. Which maps will or will not be projected onto a globe cannot be known until an official statement by the devs about that particular map (or by testing it after release). For example, it has been stated by the map dev for DCS:WWII that the Normandy map will not be on a globe. I don't know if a statement has been made either way about Nevada, but in July Wags said they were rebuilding it with the new map tools, so this may actually be the third iteration of Nevada.

 

In any case, a map SDK will be available, so even if ED (or partners) never made a map on a globe, the possibility that it can be done means we may see a community made global map at some point. It could start out as a really simple, low fidelity globe with maybe one airport, and slowly have more detailed areas added here or there.

6- World can be as large as the designer wishes them to be, it is more of a question of development time / map detail.

I also assume this statement means we should not run into a problem for trying to detail too many areas of the globe map. If I remember correctly, Georgia, for example, was limited in potential size/detail by RAM because of the way the map was loaded.
Edited October 10, 2013 by VincentLaw

[VanjaB]

Finally some info on EDGE, really worthwhile stuff too. Must mean that its close!! Yay. Anyway Im soooo glad I was wrong about the clouds, the cloud cover looks fantastic in EDGE.

[Aginor]

lets drop the subject of trees already.

 

Why? I like trees!

And better talk about trees and how we can collide with them as soon as we have the EDGE SDK to build our own maps, instead of shouting at each other because of topics like bullets flipping tanks, bars blocking your gun sight, stealth that may or may not be useless, or whether Russian planes are "better" than the US ones.

We all like trees, we all know trees from personal experience, and we are all excited about the fact that EDGE will probably make trees (among other things) look better and stuff. :)

[MemphisBelle]

Now that we are getting very close to integrating EDGE into DCS, I can share a few more details.

[...]

6- World can be as large as the designer wishes them to be, it is more of a question of development time / map detail.

 

 

So to be clear...does it mean that (basically theoratically of course) devloping the entire world is possible?

[zaelu]

I hope so... even if it will take a lot of time.

[Aginor]

Possible: yes, it sounds like that.

But of course that depends on the details. There are surely limits like

- number of objects on one map

- RAM usage

 

But being able to make a map spherical is an important point. As soon as the SDK is out someone will try to make a water world with 6371km radius and one island with an airbase on it and we'll see where we can get from there. :)

EDIT: Screw that island, place a carrier and take off :D

[Flagrum]

So to be clear...does it mean that (basically theoratically of course) devloping the entire world is possible?

?

 

What else would you interprete in what he said?

[Rotorhead]

lets drop the subject of trees already.

 

Well, since trees made of smoke are one of the biggest DCS' flaws, I don't think we can just drop it... However, I'm not sure if this is the right place to discuss it.

 

Finally some info on EDGE, really worthwhile stuff too. Must mean that its close!!

 

More than that, we're even VERY close. Now let's wait till we are VERY VERY VERY close, and then the F5 time will begin! :D

[KennethBF]

EDGE and Nevada update

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1900652#post1900652

 

In addition to the ground, they sky is of course another important element of the visual world. EDGE provides several new cloud options that we think are a nice improvement.

 

Now that we are getting very close to integrating EDGE into DCS, I can share a few more details.

 

1- DirectX 11 / DirectX 11 Windows 8 based.

2- Can support up to four GPU (either SLI or CF).

3- Uses clip maps.

4- Two cloud layers can be created with options for none, cumulous, cumulous nimbus, and stratus.

5- Terrain shadow projection is supported.

6- World can be as large as the designer wishes them to be, it is more of a question of development time / map detail.

7- Option to project map on globe surface.

 

Good news, good news.... :pilotfly:

 

EDGE before christmas? :santa:

Edited October 10, 2013 by KennethBF

[Dudester22]

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1900652#post1900652

 

 

 

 

 

Good news, good news.... :pilotfly:

 

EDGE before christmas? :santa:

 

Lets hope so, I have stopped playing DCS until this map is released. I couldn't get used to seeing all the submerged building and that, I like my sims to look the part and I just found it very off putting. I love the game though and will be back to learn some more when this map is available.

[Rangi]

Any ideas on what "uses clip maps" means?

[Python]

Lets hope so, I have stopped playing DCS until this map is released. I couldn't get used to seeing all the submerged building and that, I like my sims to look the part and I just found it very off putting. I love the game though and will be back to learn some more when this map is available.

 

Is it really that bad at the moment? Sure we are all looking forward to a revamp and it clearly isn't the best terrain around (orbx puts it to shame) But given how wonderful the DCS aircraft are, you'll not find anything close military wise, I think it is worth putting up with until the new look comes along. It is certainly good enough to have fun over for now I'd say.

 

All that said... roll on EDGE ;)

[SkateZilla]

Any ideas on what "uses clip maps" means?

 

Enjoy:

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/hoppe/geomclipmap.pdf

[sobek]

Any ideas on what "uses clip maps" means?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipmap

 

It's a technique to save vRAM.

[Rangi]

Enjoy:

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/hoppe/geomclipmap.pdf

 

mmm, that pdf is a 4 yr university course above my level of understanding, thanks anyway:smartass:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipmap

 

It's a technique to save vRAM.

 

Thanks, I get the gist of that one.:book:

[Mike Busutil]

1- DirectX 11 / DirectX 11 Windows 8 based.

 

Does that mean there are features that can only be taken advantage of while running Windows 8 vs. Windows 7?

 

 

 

Dx 11.1 (Windows 8 ) supports WDDM 1.2 for increased performance, features improved integration of Direct2D, Direct3D, and DirectCompute, and includes DirectXMath, XAudio2, and XInput libraries from the XNA framework. It also features stereoscopic 3D support for gaming and video.

(Source Wikipedia)

 

So, It increases the FPS (if the game take advantage of this feature in the code) and add native stereoscopic support.

 

EDIT: I ticked on that one: "7- Option to project map on globe surface."

Does that mean our map will be curved instead of the actual planar map?

 

 

Thank you, So are we calling this an official answer or is this still a best guess? I would assume since Wags said in his post that it is compatible with Dx 11.1 that it will take advantage of the increased FPS...

Edited October 10, 2013 by Mike Busutil

[EtherealN]

mmm, that pdf is a 4 yr university course above my level of understanding, thanks anyway:smartass:

 

No need to read it to get the general idea.

 

See the left image on the first page. Note how the polygons, as viewed on the 2D field of view, roughly maintain size as terrain recedes. (Effectively, a LODing of the mesh, perhaps you can think of it as a sort of "tesselation".)

 

Basically, it allows use of high-grade terrain mesh without killing your GPU and vRAM.

[Hunden Ynk]

mmm, that pdf is a 4 yr university course above my level of understanding, thanks anyway:smartass:

Glad I'm not the only one. ;) I can understand this picture:

 

 

Having mesh resolution being adaptive to camera distance should improve performance in general no, not just GPU-memory consumption?

Edit: Thanks EtherealN and SkateZilla

Edited October 10, 2013 by Hunden Ynk

[luckybob9]

Thank you, So are we calling this an official answer or is this still a best guess? I would assume since Wags said in his post that it is compatible with Dx 11.1 that it will take advantage of the increased FPS...

 

Unless anything comes from a Dev or ED staff member, I would never consider it official. Too many times people get confused by absolute statements by regular forum members.

 

I would call that statement the most logical best guess given the context.

[SkateZilla]

Glad I'm not the only one. ;) I can understand this picture:

 

 

Having mesh resolution being adaptive to camera distance should improve performance in general no, not just GPU-memory consumption?

 

Less polys/triangles being rendered in the distance, and more up close, so yeah.

[ff4life4]

Is there a verdict regarding performance. Will we expect similar or slight increase in performance on our existing machines? Or will we need to upgrade.

[NineLine]

Is there a verdict regarding performance. Will we expect similar or slight increase in performance on our existing machines? Or will we need to upgrade.

 

 

And ED can answer that based on all our systems are pretty much created equal? :P

[ff4life4]

Well maybe just a general rule of thumb, if we have a machine that can run DCS world well right now.

 

edit: I'm hoping they can release some kind of minimum/recommended system specs

[Silver_Dragon]

Black sea map need rebuild to use EDGE (was build with the Legacy engine).

[sobek]

Do we know if Black Sea map will work on EDGE. As tired as I am of it I don't just want Nevada... Sorry if this has been asked numerous times...thanks.

 

Either that or it will remain to run on the old engine (which i find unlikely, though). In any case, it will remain playable.