Spider-Man’s Windows Are Amazing

9 responses to “Spider-Man’s Windows Are Amazing”

1. 

   deek

   September 12, 2018 at 4:24 pm

   It does look quite impressive, but it has to be said: wouldn’t this be more graphically intensive than rendering a large puddle?

   May puddlegate never die.

   Reply
   1. 

      nicktofficial

      September 12, 2018 at 5:36 pm

      Rendering flat textures or even basic 3D models with low resolution textures in an area that isn’t under scrutiny and they can get away with it is definitely not more intensive than real time reflections and water physics.

      But sure, continue talking like you know what you’re on about whilst taking the piss out of the people on the receiving end of your argument.

      Reply
      1. 

         nicktofficial

         September 12, 2018 at 5:39 pm

         That’s not even mentioning the fact that none of the aforementioned materials inside the buildings if they can’t be reached won’t have physicality attached to them, which generally is one of the more intensive aspects of a game, just go back to 360 and PS3 games and see how clunky all of the hitboxes on objects are and you’ll see.

         Think like a, chain link fence, right, basically a fence originally back in early 3D days would have been just one big chunk of model and hit box, but as we’ve gotten better hardware we’ve been able to render it properly with hitbox gaps appropriately matching the holes in the linked chains.

         If you’ve ever seen a WatchDogs video that goes over bugs and issues it has, especially in regards to downgrading, it may have touched into that.

         So yeah, not having to render the physicality of the rooms would make it an easier venture.

         Reply
      2. 

         deek

         September 12, 2018 at 6:22 pm

         Well, I did pose this as a question, so that people who did know more could answer.

         The thing is, the windows appear to have a real-time reflection to them. Hard to tell, of course, since I can’t switch the view 180deg. So these window reflections appear to be doing everything that a puddle reflection does, and they also have to render multiple rooms inside a building on top of that. I’m assuming that mip mapping and LOD techniques are in play, so that all reflections effectively use low resolution textures and basic models.

         Anyway, my post was me reflecting (‘scuse the pun) on this, and wondering about the possible reason.

         I reserve the right to take the piss out of anyone, and everyone. Including myself. Because I enjoy talking like I know what I’m on about.

         Reply
         1. 

            bangers

            September 12, 2018 at 7:33 pm

            The thing is, the windows appear to have a real-time reflection to them.

            They do not. Every window has the same generic cube-map reflected in it. Well, one of four generic cube-maps depending upon what altitude you are at. When you look around the reflections do not at all match what should be reflected. They look fine when you’re swinging past them at high speeds and only fail when you slow down and examine them.

            This is part of the reason why puddlegate was a thing. That early demo had it’s own plotted out cube-map for that small area so that reflections actually resembled the area they were in. The release version had a generic cube-map instead though, probably because creating accurate cube-maps for every reflective surface in the game would be too labour intensive. Having large puddles with mismatched reflections would look worse than the smaller puddles with “generic construction site interior reflections” in the finished game.

            Source on all this is the Digital Foundry analysis.

            Reply
            1. 

               deek

               September 13, 2018 at 1:58 pm

               Thanks for the info. Of course Digital Foundry have come up with the goods! I just watched through their video now.

               Seems that the windowed interiors are just textured cubes, so very simple to render. Though I have to say, it was quite effective. I guess there’s a lot to be said for quality textures.

               There are dynamic elements to the window reflections, which are mentioned in the DF video. They showed an example of a truck driving down the street, and being reflected. So it’s not just generic cube maps. There are some additions.

               Well, that sates my curiosity.

   2. 

      mediumeets

      September 12, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      Surely trolling?

      Reply
2. 

   woody28

   September 12, 2018 at 10:18 pm

   Would have been cool if they had some unique interiors. Like eg:
   Alias Investigations could have had something unique to look like Jessica Jones’s apartment. Even if it was only something we could see from outside her window. That would have been cool.

   Reply
   1. 

      bangers

      September 12, 2018 at 11:39 pm

      Yeah I keep looking all around those unique buildings but all they have is a name really.

      I’ve only seen one unique interior so far that was in a trailing mission.

      Reply
   2. 

      PieDestiny

      September 14, 2018 at 1:21 pm

      At Nelson and Murdock if you crawl up the wall and peer into the windows you can see an interior similar to that of Nelson and Murdock in the Daredevil Netflix series.

      Reply