APEX Vegetation - Nvidia
APEX Vegetation - Nvidia
APEX Vegetation - Nvidia
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Creating Immersive<br />
Environments with<br />
NVIDIA <strong>APEX</strong><br />
Michael Sechrest (IDV), Bryan Galdrikian,<br />
Gavin Kistner, Monier Maher
Agenda<br />
Introduction to <strong>APEX</strong><br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Destruction Module<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Clothing Module<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong> Module<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Particle and Turbulence Module
Scalable Dynamics Content<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Destruction<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Clothing<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Turbulence<br />
© 2008 NVIDIA<br />
Corporation.
What is <strong>APEX</strong>?<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> is a “Scalable Dynamics Framework”<br />
Scalable: Content adapts to different hardware capabilities<br />
Dynamics: The way things move and interact<br />
Framework: A structured environment<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> consists of two major components:<br />
Authoring:<br />
High-level authoring of dynamic systems<br />
DCC plugins, standalone tools, and game engine plugins<br />
Runtime:<br />
A modular SDK – minimal integration into game engine<br />
Leverages PhysX for simulations
<strong>APEX</strong> Architecture<br />
Authoring<br />
DCC<br />
Plug-In<br />
Destruction<br />
Renderer<br />
Consoles<br />
Clothing<br />
Standalone<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Tools<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Core<br />
……<br />
PhysX SDK<br />
PC PC +GPU<br />
Run-time
<strong>APEX</strong> is Artist Focused<br />
• Artist level abstractions of dynamic systems<br />
• “Destructible bunker” vs. “collection of bricks”<br />
• Intuitive and easy to use<br />
© 2008 NVIDIA<br />
Corporation.
<strong>APEX</strong> Destruction Module
Authoring Pipeline<br />
OBJ FBX BMP<br />
Mesh data & Fracture Map<br />
APX<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> asset file<br />
USER<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Destruction Tool<br />
Destruction<br />
Renderer<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Core<br />
PhysX SDK
Destruction Authoring Tool
Authoring – Chippable Destruction<br />
Textured Mesh (input)<br />
Fracture Map (input)<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Destruction Tool<br />
APX<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> asset file
Run-Time Pipeline<br />
APX<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> asset file<br />
OBJ<br />
FBX<br />
Graphics mesh, textures<br />
Destruction<br />
Renderer<br />
Game Engine<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Core<br />
PhysX SDK
<strong>APEX</strong> Destruction - Runtime<br />
© 2008 NVIDIA<br />
Corporation.
Test Level – Concrete Walls
Scalability<br />
Low Setting High Setting<br />
© 2008 NVIDIA<br />
Corporation.
<strong>APEX</strong> Clothing Module
Authoring Pipeline<br />
MB MAX FBX<br />
Mesh data & Animation<br />
APX<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> asset file<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Clothing Tool<br />
Renderer<br />
Clothing<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Core<br />
PhysX SDK
Run-Time Pipeline<br />
APX<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> asset file<br />
FBX<br />
Graphics mesh, textures<br />
Renderer<br />
Game Engine<br />
Clothing<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Core<br />
PhysX SDK
Motion Radius<br />
Allows the artist to constrain the simulation
A – Collision<br />
Use animation mesh as a collision mesh
Clothing Authoring Tool<br />
Clothing Assets © OptiTex Limited
<strong>APEX</strong> Clothing
Soft Body Characters
<strong>APEX</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong> Module
SpeedTree and <strong>APEX</strong><br />
Dynamics directly integrated<br />
into SpeedTree modeling tool<br />
Compiler tool creates all<br />
required <strong>APEX</strong> assets<br />
Seamless, comprehensive path to dynamic trees
Authoring Pipeline<br />
TGA PNG OBJ STM<br />
Images, meshes<br />
SpeedTree v5.0 Modeler<br />
SPM<br />
Procedural Files<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Renderer<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Core<br />
PhysX SDK<br />
The Modeler interacts with<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> and PhysX to provide<br />
an exact preview of in-game<br />
behavior.
Compilation Pipeline<br />
These are the files that house<br />
the artist tuned physics data<br />
Users compile single or<br />
multiple tree models for<br />
use in real-time rendering.<br />
TGA SPM<br />
PNG SPM OBJ SPM STM SPM<br />
Images, meshes<br />
SPM<br />
Procedural files<br />
SpeedTree v5.0 Compiler<br />
These assets are ready to be<br />
loaded by the game engine<br />
SRT SPM<br />
SRT SPM SRT SPM<br />
Run-time tree files<br />
DDS SPM<br />
TGA SPM<br />
Texture atlases, billboard atlases<br />
APX SPM<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> asset files
Run-Time Pipeline<br />
These are the assets created<br />
by the SpeedTree Compiler<br />
SRT SPM<br />
SRT SPM SRT SPM<br />
Run-time tree files<br />
DDS SPM<br />
TGA SPM<br />
Texture atlases, billboard atlases<br />
ATA SPM<br />
VSA SPM<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> vegetation assets<br />
SpeedTree SDK <strong>APEX</strong> uses the SpeedTree SDK to<br />
manage large groups of trees and<br />
abstracts which are physical and<br />
which are not. <strong>APEX</strong> acts as the<br />
common render interface.<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Renderer<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>APEX</strong> Core<br />
PhysX SDK<br />
Game Engine
SpeedTree Authoring Tool
<strong>APEX</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong> – Sample Applications
<strong>APEX</strong> Particle and<br />
Turbulence Module
Particle Game Examples<br />
Sacred 2<br />
Darkest of Days<br />
Terminator Salvation - PhysX
<strong>APEX</strong> Turbulence
<strong>APEX</strong> Summary<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> is a Scalable Dynamics Framework<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> is artist focused<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> is easy to use<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> is modular<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> solves problems<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> is easy to integrate<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> is already used to create AAA content<br />
Start using <strong>APEX</strong> now:<br />
Sign up tonight for the Beta program<br />
Email us: devrel@nvidia.com
Backup Slides
<strong>APEX</strong> Solves Problems<br />
• Requirement for significant programmer involvement limits<br />
artists’ productivity<br />
• <strong>APEX</strong> Solution: Provide a “high-level” interface to artists<br />
which allows for turnkey content creation<br />
• Customizing content to different platforms is expensive<br />
• <strong>APEX</strong> Solution: All modules provide built-in content scaling<br />
• Cross-functional issues can severely limit the amount of<br />
dynamic content<br />
• <strong>APEX</strong> Solution: Framework provides rendering “fast path”<br />
and manages complex dynamic content<br />
© 2008 NVIDIA<br />
Corporation.
<strong>APEX</strong> Turbulence<br />
High definition Turbulence<br />
Residual dust from destruction<br />
Smoke Grenades and other weapon effects<br />
Supernatural effects – e.g. ghost like<br />
Snow storms or snow trails<br />
Exhaust smoke from car or spinning/braking tires
Scalability<br />
Number of physically simulated characters<br />
Number of simulated verts
<strong>APEX</strong> is easy to integrate<br />
Already integrated into leading game engines<br />
UE3, Gamebryo, Hero Engine, …<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> modules are Plug & Play<br />
Destruction, Clothing, <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
More modules in development<br />
<strong>APEX</strong> is already used for AAA content<br />
Licensed by major publishers<br />
NVIDIA developed <strong>APEX</strong> modules are free for PhysX<br />
developers<br />
© 2008 NVIDIA<br />
Corporation.
Massive Amounts of Rigid Bodies
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