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0 pointsskohan4y ago0 comments

Yeah exactly. How else can you support the wide range of hardware features out there without being stuck with a lowest-common-denominator?

0 comments

7 comments · 2 top-level

pjmlp4y ago· 5 in thread

Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have such a hard time delivering high quality graphics with their proprietary APIs, pity them.

infogulch4y ago

"How do you support a wide variety of hardware with different features without API extensions?"

"Look at these companies that offer an API without extensions by not even trying to support hardware with different features."

pjmlp4y ago

PC, iOS and console AAA game studios are doing just fine with those APIs.

skohanOP4y ago

How does DX12 do feature discovery for things like ray tracing which are supported on only some hardware?

flohofwoe4y ago

Haven't checked DX12 yet, but both D3D11 and Metal have a small number of "tiers" with guaranteed feature sets, which basically correspond to GPU generations. Usually you pick the lowest tier you can afford and write your code against that feature set.

In D3D11, the "tier" is basically the minor version number (D3D11.1, .2, etc...), while in Metal you have this handy reference:

https://developer.apple.com/metal/Metal-Feature-Set-Tables.p...

Both solutions prevent the "combinatorial explosion" of OpenGL or Vulkan extensions.

1 more reply

pjmlp4y ago

By requiring DX12 Ultimate support, done.

2 more replies

ksec4y ago

I think what pjmlp is trying to suggest is the API or Khronos instead of allowing extensions where it has limitless possibility, it should be courting and doing what Metal and Direct X are doing setting tiers of GPU Level. You either support RayTracing + N other features and call yourself Vulkan 2.0 GPU or you get back to Vulkan 1.x

This is exactly how is has been working in the PC world, and is working quite well as far as I can tell.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

7 comments · 2 top-level

pjmlp4y ago· 5 in thread

Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have such a hard time delivering high quality graphics with their proprietary APIs, pity them.

infogulch4y ago

"How do you support a wide variety of hardware with different features without API extensions?"

"Look at these companies that offer an API without extensions by not even trying to support hardware with different features."

pjmlp4y ago

PC, iOS and console AAA game studios are doing just fine with those APIs.

skohanOP4y ago

How does DX12 do feature discovery for things like ray tracing which are supported on only some hardware?

flohofwoe4y ago

Haven't checked DX12 yet, but both D3D11 and Metal have a small number of "tiers" with guaranteed feature sets, which basically correspond to GPU generations. Usually you pick the lowest tier you can afford and write your code against that feature set.

In D3D11, the "tier" is basically the minor version number (D3D11.1, .2, etc...), while in Metal you have this handy reference:

https://developer.apple.com/metal/Metal-Feature-Set-Tables.p...

Both solutions prevent the "combinatorial explosion" of OpenGL or Vulkan extensions.

1 more reply

pjmlp4y ago

By requiring DX12 Ultimate support, done.

2 more replies

ksec4y ago

I think what pjmlp is trying to suggest is the API or Khronos instead of allowing extensions where it has limitless possibility, it should be courting and doing what Metal and Direct X are doing setting tiers of GPU Level. You either support RayTracing + N other features and call yourself Vulkan 2.0 GPU or you get back to Vulkan 1.x

This is exactly how is has been working in the PC world, and is working quite well as far as I can tell.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse