do nvidia's and ati's AA methods help with pixel popping?

[ElFenix]

3dfx's did, but i'm pretty sure the single-frame super sampling that nvidia did back in the day did nothing for pixel popping. do their AA algorithms now deal with pixel popping?

 

[ElFenix]

i guess no one knows the answer to this

 

[BenSkywalker]

The SuperSampling modes should, providing the pixel popping is due to a rendering issue and not board level(GPU/RAM- whatever).

There was no reason why nVidia's SS AA wouldn't help eliminate pixel popping from a technological POV- if one pixel pops you may have a brigher spot- but it should be weighted in with the other samples(same as 3dfx). With the current driver situation- I'm not sure which boards support what AA modes at the moment- nV parts have supported xS all along which should help with pixel popping- and they have their new 'SLI' mode out with ATi's Crossfire modes coming around also. How effective they will be I can't say- I'm stuck on a POS MSAA only board ATM- but they should reduce pixel popping.

Of course- this comes at a massive performance hit and you need some monster power to make it viable.

 

[xtknight]

Specifically, what do you mean by "pixel popping"? Transitions of mipmap levels? I was under the impression that AF fixed that, not AA. Or am I speaking of something else?

Edit: never mind.

 

[BenSkywalker]

When you get a single pixel that flashes white- tends to happen on polygon seems most frequently.

Edit- There can be dozens or more on screen at once- just indicating they are rather isolated and not an issue of texture corruption etc.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: BenSkywalker
When you get a single pixel that flashes white- tends to happen on polygon seems most frequently.

Ohh, ok. Someone else here the other day was describing it has textures getting sharper as you go closer to them. Must have been a mix-up of terms.

Yeah I notice that a lot in Quake 3 levels (especially with patches (curved brushes)). Isn't it just errors from rounding off math?

 

[BenSkywalker]

Someone else here the other day was describing it has textures getting sharper as you go closer to them.

That is from mip mapping- actually to be more accurate textures getting less sharp as they are further away from you is from mip mapping.

Elfenix has been around for a long time even if he doesn't come into Vid much, I know what he's talking about(not sure what the guy the other day was talking about).

Yeah I notice that a lot in my Quake 3 levels. Isn't it just errors from rounding off math?

It is an error- it can occur for a number of different reasons. The less optimized a driver/piece of hardware is, however, the less common it is(this goes for ATi and nV). 3dfx's old jittered grid SSAA worked quite well it making it virtually disappear(it was still there, but you wouldn't catch it as the pixels were ~75% accurate color instead of bright white).

 

[Insomniak]

Not really. ATi and NV are using the same AA method these days anyway. The algorithms are basically identical.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
3dfx's did, but i'm pretty sure the single-frame super sampling that nvidia did back in the day did nothing for pixel popping. do their AA algorithms now deal with pixel popping?

Wow I haven't seen this term since the days of old, but I'm not noticing and pixel popping lately either.

Good question

 

[ElFenix]

pixel popping and shimmering, the other two things (besides jaggies) that SSAA was supposed to conquer.

now that you mention it, BenSkywalker, i guess if it were just 1 pixel popping at 1600x1200 or whatever resolution the gfx card was actually rendering at before downsampling, it would get averaged in with a couple of its neighbors before making its way to the screen. for some reason i was left with the distinct impression back in the GTS/V5000 days that 3dfx's scheme fixed it while nvidia's didn't do much for it.

i asked because this guy's problem kinda sounded to me like pixel popping and shimmering.

 

[Lonyo]

I think the horse shader demo thing in 3D Mark 01 shows off pixel popping quite well, if I am not mistaken (I might be), I find it usually has a lot of white pixels all over the place on it.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
I think the horse shader demo thing in 3D Mark 01 shows off pixel popping quite well, if I am not mistaken (I might be), I find it usually has a lot of white pixels all over the place on it.

Can I be the next official member of the Harry Potter Haters?

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Lonyo
I think the horse shader demo thing in 3D Mark 01 shows off pixel popping quite well, if I am not mistaken (I might be), I find it usually has a lot of white pixels all over the place on it.

Can I be the next official member of the Harry Potter Haters?

Deffo.
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