| [Files] Warp3D software render driver | ANN.lu |
| Posted on 19-Feb-2002 14:42 GMT by Teemu I. Yliselä | 158 comments
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"This is a software driver for Warp3D, which enables:
using Warp3D applications, demos and games with PPC Amigas not equipped with a 3D GFx board, or not equiped with a GFx board at all (but requires P96 or CGX) [and] using Warp3D applications, demos and games not compatible with a 3D Gfx board (example : WipeOut and CGx4/Voodoo3)." More details in the readme.
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| Warp3D software render driver : Comment 125 of 158 | ANN.lu |
| Posted by Stephane Guillard on 21-Feb-2002 22:52 GMT | In reply to Comment 46 (Ben Hermans/Hyperion):
Hi,
I think it is time to make a few things clear :
1 - I am the author of the swrender for warp3D :)
2 - I did this piece of code after asking Thomas Frieden (of Hyperion) if I could do it because it would be a piece of fun for me (which turns to be not so fun by now), as I already wrote apps for Warp3D (like sKulpt).
3 - I did this piece of code after Thomas Frieden gently gave me a copy of the Warp3D DDK (the driver developer kit). Of course, it was *clear from the beginning* that this DDK would remain private property of Hyperion, and my work, based on it, would be distributed or not according to Hyperion conditions.
4 - This piece of code was developed with StormC4/GCC, which enabled me to easily make a 68K version and a PPC version.
5 - I put many hours of work into it to make the PPC version usable. It is hit-free, and it includes homemade PPC versions of all used CGX calls to avoid 68K context switches, which kill a PPC application (in fact, these were more work than the rasterizer itself). It can be made faster (let's say 3 to 5 x faster). It already runs for hours without trouble.
6 - When it was done and usable, I discussed about releasing it with Thomas Frieden. He agreed on a PPC release, but not on a 68K release because of the Amithlon licence problem, which was explained to me by both parties as "Hyperion and Amithlon did not find an agreement for the license". The reasons I don't bother, let's stick to facts.
7 - The source code will remain closed, because the DDK on which it is based is property of Hyperion.
8 - I released the PPC version, as allowed by Thomas.
9 - The 68K version runs successfuly on a 68K amiga, and equally (if not much more :) well on an emulated 68K amiga (both on Amithlon and UAE). On a real 68K, though, the driver is slow. So a 68K version would only be of interest for emulated platforms, like Ben Hermans points out.
10 - I stated in the "requirements" version that Warp3D 4.2 was needed, because that's what I used to test the PPC version (I've got a G-Rex in my PPC machine). But it may work with any Warp3D v4 distribution, it may even work with a v3 although I did not test it. This cuts the "Warp3D 4.2 is legal ?" thread. The released version (PPC) is freely distributable, no problem with that.
11 - The fee for the Warp3D license has been mentioned by Ben Hermans in a post : something like 2.500 Euro. I find it to be ridiculously low, it represents only 4 days of work of a sw engineer in any IT company around, to be compared to the hundreds of days of work which went into Warp3D ant its drivers... and its support... but not in the Amiga market where everything is so tight and crazy. I'd rather see the problem in Amithlon acquiring a license of Warp3D v4.x and Hyperion not enhancing this version up to the upcoming v5.
Last point : I'm indeed a OS4dev. I thank here publicly Mr. Hermans for including me in this crew. I've been introduced to Ben Hermans (who never heard of me before) as a potential OS4dev by a friend of me. At that time, I was already working privately with Thomas on the Warp3D swrender. These 2 situations have no link.
These are facts.
Now here are personal thoughts :
1 - You may think whatever you want about the Amithlon licensing problem, but I respect Hyperion's decision for not releasing the 68K version, because as Bernie points out, Amithlon did not acquire the license, this is a FACT.
2 - I owe huge respect to the Frieden brothers (and Sam Jordan), because without WarpOS and Warp3D, I would feel orphaned with my PPC board for which I paid a lot. In this light, I can't consider running a native PPC version of the swrender on a PPC board *which was itself used to develop Warp3D* can be compared to running the 68K version on an emulated platform...
3 - Hyperion is a private company, and as such, can decide whatever they want about their own property. I do this everyday in my own company, this called strategy. This is what Bernie calls "the basic right of self-determination in one's work".
4 - I understand the frustration of Amithlon users (including myself) for being deprivated of Warp3D (which in itself is an acknowledgement of the intrinsic value of this piece of software). But then, in my point of view, the future for 3D on Amithlon would better be in a new, native x86 3D API, relying on the 3D hardware and not on a software render process. If this API is good, then app coders will use it. To make this API (which is an interesting project) requires features that are not available in Amithlon at the moment, though, like access to the 3D hardware through the X modules (which are the only pieces of code able to draw a triangle with nVidia hardware under Linux).
5 - Regarding this swrender ownership, let's cut thoughts short, I explicitly said above that I would conform to Hyperion decisions for distribution of both source and binaries, and I will stick to that by respect for Thomas Frieden.
6 - I feel uncomfortable with all the usual critics against the Hyperion crew. Guys, learn coding, buy a compiler, do a PPC OS, do a 3D API, do hardware drivers for this API, do games on top of this ! In a more constructive approach, Amithlon users, unite, define this new 3D API, and make it.
7 - I explicitly mentioned that the 68K version would not be distributed because of the Amithlon licensing issue to avoid receiving 12345723 emails from Amithlon users requesting for that 68K version. I still got those emails, and furthermore I got bored reading all these distasteful threads. Would make me rethink about releasing something for the Amiga again...
I put many effort in the specific PPC version, to reach acceptable speed. I thought releasing this version would be of interest for ppl with a PPC board and no 3D gfx board (like you A3000PPC owners).
This piece of code has been extensively tested on various configurations.
I already got reports saying "it don't work", mostly by people who did not care to read the configuration procedure. Please, before emailing me about a problem (which in any case I will try to solve), read again the instructions on http://s.guillard.free.fr, it makes a BIG difference if you have a 3D board or not, if you leave the existing drivers in the drawer or not, if you set the chip envvar properly or not, in fact, if you do it all right it works, otherwise it does not.
Let me point out that I'm a happy Amiga user, a happy OS4dev, a happy Amithlon user... but I don't like the attitude of the Amiga community. I'm also a happy Apple II user ; go read comp.sys.apple2 you will see the difference.
Last word : Ben H, I'm sorry for you not being aware that the swrender was about to be released, but as I have written above, the swrender was a "private work" between Thomas and me, and as Thomas was the only one involved on the Hyperion side, I dod not think about discussing it with anyone else.
Kind regards,
--
Stephane Guillard. |
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