SH5 supporting PhysX
 

So I'm looking through my collection of computer parts I have from doing constant upgrades to my systems and I notice I have another nVidia card, an 8800GTX. I remember nVidia touting something about PhysX. So I do a Google search and start researching it. Well from what nVidia says, I can add this 8800GTX to my system and dedicate it to do nothing but physics calculations offloading that from my GTX 280 and the CPU. So now I'm wondering, is SH 5 going to support this? It says the game has to support this in order for it to happen. If SH5 does support it, we should have MUCH better waves and fluid flow and other items. Is it really as simple as I'm reading? I'm looking into this more.

I have always loved this idea, one minute you needed a extra card then the next it was being added to a chip on the one card, then it was being dropped. Remember someone was going to make a card just for it.

Physics either is done well or is a joke in games. The new BF3 game is said to be pushing the boat out Physics wise. I hate when things float or drop wrong or just don’t move right. I expect them to do this well on SH5 or they would be better just not doing it.

I believe the 8800 will slow down the other card... I beleive I read that, I had been planning the same thing awhile ago...

Firstly, it certainly isn't impossible, but I have my doubts:

1.) Would PhysX really help with this. Most of the demos have cloth tearing or stuff falling. Do they have fluid flows/can it be done at a decent FPS.

2.) PhysX modeling is expensive and requires lots of effort. If it can be done like it was in the past, they will probably choose that.

3.) The real kicker, Thanks to NVidia's stubbornness, PhysX is a NVidia only Physics API. Thus, if they made it required or a major part of their game, half the customer's wouldn't get the benefits, which would not be a good thing.

DirectX 11's DirectCompute API would be a more viable choice than PhysX because it isn't card specific and it is included with Windows 7 (which everyone is going to buy).

IMAGINE SAILING THROUGH AN ATLANTIC STORM WITH REALISTICLY SIMULATED OCEAN WATER!!! :o

Psyh_o_X, is a major part of game :fff:
I think the GF8800GTX generation is history :yep:

in first person on the bridge!!!!

...and cold wind and splash ocean water from my monitor!

Not sure how it could be used within a subsim though, i have physx enabled on my desktop pc, so far the only game ive found that uses it is batman:aa and all it does there is add a few more physics enabled objects rattling round the environments.

I guess it would be cool to have stuff rolling around the interior of the boat in heavy seas, cupboards opening and spilling their contents etc... but frankly that could be done easily enough with good old havok, no need for and fancy hardware solutions.

list of games using PhysX ( current and upcoming games )
http://uk.nzone.com/object/nzone_phy...s_home_uk.html

Something odd about that list, theres a couple of console only titles on there, since neither the ps3 or 360 has physx hardware (ie nVidia 8800 or higher) does this mean it can be run as software too??

Anyway im straying off topic here, id still like to see a euphoria like physics animation for the crew, where they fall/stagger around in rough seas etc...

PhysX is not dependent on an nVidia graphics card, there are even user modified drivers for ATI cards. Nvidia has offered AMD(ATI) to assist in the implementation process for official drivers but AMD(ATI) however have denied.

Also on consoles, nVidia has signed a license agreement with Sony to provide PhysX technology for the PS3
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10198809-64.html

the same for the Wii from Nintendo, nVidia is now the official tool solution provider, registered Wii developers can now use the PhysX SDK libraries for Wii development.

and yes it can be run on CPU instead of GPU, but you lose the acceleration factor.

Absolute yes.:yeah: