Wednesday, April 6, 2011

To HDR or not to HDR

One of the benefits of the new renderer used in Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the ability to use High Dynamic Range (HDR) internally - basically work much better with light in the scene.

We are still learning how to use this new technical feature for the right artistic effect, but the early results are promising. Just check out this screenshot comparison - it's the same scene, once taken with forward renderer with the old light method, and once taken in the new deferred renderer with HDR enabled. We still keep the functionality in the engine to switch between the various methods simply by changing a variable value, so it's very easy to do performance and visual quality comparisons.






The new method screenshot may be a bit over-saturated, but it's still work in progress, we keep tweaking the parameters. The promising thing is that we'll be able to portray the "mood" of the weather and time of day much better - to use high contrast on a sunny noon versus soft shadows in the evening etc. So the world should feel far more vibrant and alive through the day and night cycle than with the relatively flat colors range that we were limited to with our older games.

46 comments:

  1. there are a big difference good work scs ^.^

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  2. MULTIPLAYER OPTION ETS2 PLEASE

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  3. Huge difference, I think it is a big step in the right direction. It will make the game look more realistic

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  4. Good job, but please, carefully with HDR. I still remember pain in my eyes when I played NFS Most Wanted. Those overreached HDR effect made that game unplayable for me. If it would work only in decent way, then okay. ;-)

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  5. The way this is written makes it seem like the bottom image is using the new effect and if so it looks much worse :<

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  6. if it still rained a bowl

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  7. Love the road, love the shadows, love the ammount of bushes and trees, love the cruves...

    Nice job, well done, great bloom effects

    At least nothing will shine grey anymore like in the older games.

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  8. we want the trucks do not lift more than 90 km/h

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  9. @anonymous (last one) I personally I want to run at 140 km/h and earn tickets it's my problem..If you don't want set the cruise-control to 90 km/h.

    The pic is PERFECTTT!!!

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  10. This looks great. Keep up the great work. It's so realistic. Also, good luck during the Transport 2011 Show. SCS Software ROCKS!!!

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  11. /!\
    ___
    The lower screenshot is much better. Look at this picture is much nicer, and his eyes feel komfrtnee. If you want to improve graphics, move in the direction of the game Test Drive Unlimited 2 - there are very nice graphics and perfectly realized weather.

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  12. Hmm, yes, lower picture is more comfortable for eyes (I suppose missing shadows is only mistake and they normally works with or withour HDR).

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  13. Where are the shadows on 2nd picture?

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  14. Hey SCS, put this same code from Extreme Trucker

    we need the 'g_time warp'

    thank you :)

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  15. HDR is better than don't use HDR

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  16. Top picture is the one with HDR effect, just to let you guys know. They said they have oversaturated the colors a bit, but they will fix that.

    The second picture looks very grey and dead like in older scs games.

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  17. I hope they'll fix it. Because first picture looks like colouring book. If there would be option in game settings to turn HDR on/off, it would be best solution for everybody.

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  18. Very nice work SCS!

    Multiplayer option you ask in vain, it is simply impossible.

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  19. ady is right. there should be multiplayer. One map with everyone on it. It would be so much more fun. But i can understand it being a very hard thing to pull off. But it wud be AWESOMEEEEEE

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  20. Scs

    Awesome job! The virtual world is very close to reality. Light system is perfect. Simply amazing.

    Can not wait to buy the game!

    Greetings
    Rafael Brusque Toporowicz
    São Mateus do Sul - Paraná - Brasil

    www.amocaminhoes.com

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  21. Last night, I had a dream. I was sheriff on wild west and I shot every bandito who strained "multiplayer"
    through his teeth.

    But seriously: can you name one thing which will make multiplayer so funny in THIS type of game? Is it really
    so enjoyable to meet other real driver in upstream? Is it really so enjoyable to make crashes? Or what else
    so funny you want to do in multiplayer and I don't see it? If you mean some kind of competition (more
    delivers, more money earned etc), online statistics would be absolutely enough.

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  22. Multiplayer on ETS2 plus the HDR looks awesome looks real close to real

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  23. Looks great! Keep up the good work!

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  24. Multiplayer would be great however I can forsee a small issue.
    That is the idiots who slam into you just because they think it's clever. TDU2s a great example i'm not very far into it at the moment have only got a Lancia Delta i have been run off the road on more that one occasion. TDU2 i'll normally just get back on the road and continue what i'm doing but in ETS2 it would cause you to loose (virtual) money. If there was a way to combat this issue, which will inevitably happen. For example having to use maybe a forum login to get into the session. At least then the forum moderators could deal with the cretins who only want to ruin other people enjoymwent. Probably not do-able but it'd be good.

    ETS 2 is looking amazing by the way SCS This is the game i'm looking forward to most in 2011

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  25. Really nice scs team

    http://www.americantrucksimulator.com/

    new project?????

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  26. ets 2 How many countries have

    Ets 2 Turkey countries ??????

    I love you scsteam

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  27. Beautiful! Please make sure that the HDR option can be enabled / disabled from the menu ;)

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  28. American truck sim: Just parked domain, but anyway, nice find, thanks. Great to see they even thinking about next game on american continent. But we can't make premature conclusions!

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  29. All the progress being made for ETS2 is looking very good. I'm hopeful that all the tweaks will work on either graphics card (nVidia, ATI). Can't wait to try the game, and may also get Trucks and Trailers when it comes out. Keep up the great work, SCS. :-)

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  30. BTW I've just read on polish ETS2 blog that Pavel Sebor is proud daddy from last week! Hope that this is true information and if so, congratulations and best wishes to you and your family, Pavel!

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  31. HDR look really good. Better lights system equal better game.
    Great works SCS really like what your doing.
    Greetings from Quebec!!!

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  32. Wonderful screenshot.
    For me, Trucks & Trailers and Euro Truck Simulator 2 are the most anticipated games of 2011. I will be buying both definitely.
    Keep up the amazing work SCS Software team.

    I would also like to congratulate Mr. Pavel Sebor.
    Best wishes to you and your family Sir.

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  33. MULTIPLAYER OPTION PLEASE :D otherwise i wont buy your game :D

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  34. The top picture looks better in terms of contrast and brightness and with the presence of shadows. The colors seem a little over-burned (especially the flowers on the right side), but I'm sure that can be fixed. The bottom picture looks like ets 1.
    I am really pleased to see great improvement on the trees (more than 2 visible flat sides at ninety degrees). The environment looks so serene I almost dream of building a small wood cottage in the shadows of those trees and start raising goats! :D

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  35. Well, a picture with HDR is better, yes it little oversaturated, but I guess saturaction filter are in progress)))
    By the way, play on tree leavs contrast, reduce it for little, 'couse leavs lookin' litle bit loopy. Another good idea will be upgrating trees shading, right now it's hard to define where is a shading side and where is a sunny side.
    One more, realy-realy good idea been, integrate GI. For sure it's not "cheap" tecnology to use it in the scene everywhere, but guess it's possible to use it in the cab of a truck. Cab- it's a place, what most of gamers see around 90% of gameplay time, so GI+good rt+shadows(you allready got) inside cab will create more realistic atmosphere.
    Please use more decals like: cracks on asphalt; garbage; water pools; oil leaks; ect. And it's beeg great when decal materials will be interactive. For examle when vehicle moves throw the water pool, player can hear sound of that, wheels activating particles, and when wheels leave a pool and reach a dry suface, wheels starting droping wet track after.
    Another good thing wich will creare amazing atmosphere it's upgreating glass shader: make rain drops refracting; make glass sweating and condencate blobs or freazing, when wet or cold wether conditions.
    Soundning inside a cab is to impertent thing- plese work on it if you can.
    And not forget a physics, it's not got to be compromised))))
    For sure all thouse ideas are not new, and not cheap, but I wonna belive in better, what is not alway- reality))))
    Good financing, goood producer, gooood health ang goooood luck to you SCS team!

    P.S. to all other. Multiplayer=lot of working time= lot of money))))
    Thx and sorry for my english!)))

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  36. multiplayer if u can and fix thatproblem with the severely UNDERSTEERING at trucks. nice work SCS SOFTWARE are THE BEST

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  37. Moving shadow.
    Morning:
    http://kephost.hu/image-DC65_4D9CC496.jpg
    Noonday:
    http://kephost.hu/image-EFB0_4D9CC496.jpg
    Evening:
    http://kephost.hu/image-608D_4D9CC496.jpg

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  38. Great job SCS!!! Please show us more parts for tuning trucks...!!!

    Kostas from Greece

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  39. Nice screen SCS :) Yes, use HDR in Euro Truc kSimulator 2 :)

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  40. would be nice to have for the station and talk to others on the road, weather, police and be as real
    Please we need station to talk.....

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  41. Would be nice with a playstation 3 version of euro truck 2 ;)

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  42. very very good graphics!

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  43. the trees on the right need work. Please post all pictures with HDR lighting enabled, because they look so much better.

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  44. HDR OK! Pour les manoeuvres aux rétroviseurs mettre Lumière feu de recul ??????

    http://truckingpassion.xooit.fr

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