Unlimited Graphics Power

[zappaDPJ]

If you play computer games you are probably aware of the limitations imposed by polygon driven graphics. Even though every year graphics processing takes a 20% (approx) leap in power allowing objects to be covered with smaller polygons and more detail, the result is still very poor geometry.

Early this month I became aware of a company claiming to be able to deliver unlimited graphics power without polygons using current graphics hardware technology. For the technically minded they claim to be using a three dimensional point cloud search algorithm. I thought at the time it was an April fool and I'm still not entirely convinced it isn't. It also appears that one of the two big players in the graphics market have also dismissed it.

You can judge for yourself if you think it's for real but if it is it'll offer the computer graphics market a 1000%+ hike in graphics processing power using current technology.

http://unlimiteddetailtechnology.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THaam5mwIR8&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Sw3dnu8q8&feature=related

[Steve]

Well it's sort of plausible,would not be good news for graphic card manufacturers.

[D-Dan]

Who are they trying to kid - even employing the method that they claim (which is highly questionable in itself for several reasons) the most powerful computer and graphics chip in the world couldn't do what they claim.

Remember, the gfx chip would still have to render every pixel, so even if the theory was possible, unlimited is a word that simply cannot apply.

Steve

[zappaDPJ]

But that's surely the point, the graphics chip does only have to render every pixel which is something a 10 year old PC with the most basic graphics card can do with ease? My understanding of it is that the graphics processor does almost nothing at all, it effectively just pokes values at the screen map.

What they seem to be implying is that the CPU is doing all the work by pulling only the necessary data from a file using a search criteria. That part I can almost believe, what I find suspect about the whole thing are the two things that always create a bottleneck in any graphics rendering system, namely perspective and hidden surface removal.

[Rik]

Poor use of capitals and layout errors make me suspicious of this.

[Gary]

What about physics related to unlimited polygons and interaction that would take huge resources surely?

[Gary]

Poor use of capitals and layout errors make me suspicious of this.

I agree, Rik, this sentence is a good example "We are in the process of Negotiating to get the Commercial version of Unlimited Details SDK built"

[Rik]

That was the one that really caught my eye, Gary.

[Gary]

That was the one that really caught my eye, Gary.

If I was presenting a radical new technology, I sure as hell out get my sentence structure sorted out, Also as has been pointed out, there are no animations in the YouTube videos, which is a bit suspicious.

[Rik]

It doesn't 'feel' right, does it.

[Gary]

It doesn't 'feel' right, does it.

No it doesn't, Rik, it feels like a trick or a piece of personal sensationalism, because they would be snapped up very quickly by MS, Sony , etc and they said they may go as a software house if negotiations don't go the right way (something like that) which to me does not make sense if it was true.

[zappaDPJ]

It doesn't feel right at all which is why I've been trawling the net to try and find if it's a wind up or not.

There is some limited animation in one of the videos but it's not easy to spot. I don't see too much of a problem with some of the additional elements that make up a computer game, collision detection for instance should be easy and on a per pixel basis.

If this is possible at all the real issue would be at the opposite end of the equation when compared to polygon based graphics. Current methods and technology allow you to extrapolate quite a lot from very little, the process starts off in a minimal fashion but as it gets closer to the final output in the graphics card it becomes a massive drain on resources. This routine appears to put all the emphasis at the start of the process, massive amounts of data being searched moving towards minimal effort to display. You would need a huge amount of RAM or you would have a bottleneck caused by disk churning virtual memory.

I'll be keeping an eye on this one as it has intrigued me.

[Rik]

Let us know, Zap, would you.

[zappaDPJ]

I certainly will either way. The most disappointing thing would be if it just disappeared without trace which is probably the most likely scenario.

[Rik]

A bit like us all, Zap.

[zappaDPJ]

Indeed 

[Steve]

Polygons to polygons and chips to chips.

[Rik]

Did you have to mention food, Steve?

[Steve]

I am going to have some for tea

[Rik]

So am I as it happens. It was meant to be roast turkey, but Sue's got problems with her mum's health, so has been phoning doctors this afternoon (her mum lives in the Isle of Man and there's no family there anymore), so doesn't much feel like cooking. I did suggest a takeaway but got a straight no due to salt levels. Damn, I so nearly had my hands on a pepperoni passion there. 

[Steve]

I am still having the roast turkey

[Rik]

With chips? You must tell me how you manage to get that one past your wife.

[Steve]

We've both had a busy afternoon and something quick and easy required

[Rik]

That's why it's egg and chips here - a meal I am inordinately fond of...

[Steve]

I'd need something to sit the egg on