10-04-2017, 03:11 PM
Smartshader has been created to provide developers with advanced pixel shading and vertex shader capabilities that they can program by themselves. The goal, said ATI, is to create the most realistic and detailed 3D graphic images they can. The technology is based on Microsoft Corp. specifications for its DirectX 8.1 application programming interface (API), but ATI has also created Smartshader extensions for OpenGL, the 3D API that Apple prefers to support on Mac OS.
Toshi Okumura, ATI senior product manager, explained that 3D application developers have always had a hard time creating realistic, computer generated characters, objects and environments. The problem, said Okumura, is a combination of limited processing capabilities and restricted flexibility in the graphics hardware itself.
"By combining the speed and optimizations of a dedicated graphics processor with the flexibility and programmability of a CPU, Smartshader technology provides a virtually unlimited range of visual effects at interactive frame rates," Okumura said.
Smartshader supports the ability to apply up to six textures in a single rendering pass using pixel shaders. This results in better rendering performance by reducing memory bandwidth restrictions on the graphics processor. The end result is the ability to produce more complex effects and more accurate models of organic materials and surfaces such as skin, hair, wood, water and more.
