NVIDIA GameWorks Integration

[SteveElbows]

Oh I should also say that I wasnt at GDC and havent found a good record of nvidia-related GameWorks stuff discussed there (apart from all the raytracing-related stuff). So I dont know if I missed any little details that would be pertinent to this debate. eg I know that an updated version of FleX was discussed along with Unity plugin and updated UE4 plugin, but I dont know what was said about the UE4 plugin.

[SteveElbows]

Well I know a lot of my post probably reads like a complaint too, but I dont mean it to be. I just try to create an impression that is in tune with the likely reality. And those years ago when this stuff first started being made available with UE4 integrations, I never really expected all or most of the GameWorks stuff to end up permanently integrated into standard UE4. I thought that maybe over some years, one or two modules might get integrated if they were really popular and if, for example, Epic Games needed to use them in their own projects. Some features, especially ones involving lighting, I thought less likely would ever become the UE4 standard. I thought maybe FleX would have more success and a bigger push in general. I have a deep personal interest in Flow (and any comparable solutions) becoming more normal in game engines, but such sims are not cheap on performance so I didnt set my expectations high on that one. Things like FleX and Flow were made available via the modable version of UE4-based Nvidia Fun House and in some regards thats as mainstream as these UE4 versions have got to date, but it didnt really lead to anything. Some of the other GameWorks modules I know little about so am not fit to comment on. I'm not surprised that some GameWorks tech that deals with VR optimisations made it into game engines in a more direct manner, in stark contrast to most of the stuff we are discussing here.

Especially when discussing the history, I shouldnt leave out issues of cross-platform compatibility. It has been very pleasing to see nvidia updating some systems that were originally CUDA-only to work more broadly, and that has reduced or removed a couple of the reasons why game engine makers wouldnt rely on these technologies. Other issues remain though that quite reasonably affect engine judgements, eg developers dislike of blackbox stuff.

So anyway, even if something changed one day and there was an announcement about a new level of integration etc, I couldnt imagine it including all of the GameWorks modules for which there have existed UE4 implementations. So some people would still be left unhappy when the GameWorks stuff they are interested in didnt get the first class treatment.

Personally, I dont mind all that much having to compile versions to get at the GameWorks stuff, its more the thought of how many people are put off at this stage, and how that affects these systems gaining any traction and interesting examples of their use. Well, Unity is supposed to be getting an official nvidia plugin for FleX at some point so it will be interesting to see how much more it gets used by the devs in that community (personally I use both engines).

[jojo8026]

SteveElbows yes all you say is the situation that has endured since March 2014, when this thread started...4 years ago... Maybe it is time for nvidia and Epic to decide something about this? I am far from complaining... it is just that it seems kind of a waste that these technologies can only be reached by people who can compile the engine and has lots of hard-drive space
So maybe they can give us a hint? ;D

I totally agree

[catalejo]

SteveElbows yes all you say is the situation that has endured since March 2014, when this thread started...4 years ago... Maybe it is time for nvidia and Epic to decide something about this? I am far from complaining... it is just that it seems kind of a waste that these technologies can only be reached by people who can compile the engine and has lots of hard-drive space
So maybe they can give us a hint? ;D

[SteveElbows]

Hi. I really like the Gameworks technology and I am very grateful of the folk that merge these branches into usable forks. Also very grateful of the developers at nvidia for the amazing work they offer to us. But is this the plan? Develop, upgrade, compile? Can the people at nvidia let us know what is the plan besides this? Are these techs will be merged into an official branch eventually? maybe a compiled version?
Thank you!

Well I'm not nvidia or epic but from my perspective as a dev having been watching the GameWorks in UE4 stuff for a long time, there has never been a hint of any plan other than the current way this stuff is released. Epic never committed to including this stuff in the standard UE4, and nvidia and everyone else cannot distribute compiled versions of UE4 even if they wanted to. In theory one potential solution is if Epic agreed to modify UE4 source code in various specific ways that allowed more of these nvidia things to run as pure plugins, but I dont see any signs of that happening either. Nor are sufficient resources allocated to making every GmaeWorks module available for new UE4 versions in a timely manner.

This is all quite understandable to me because I mostly see these thing as being demonstrations of how GameWorks components can be integrated into an engine, and nobody ever committed to integrating and supporting this stuff, elevating these things to first class citizen status within the UE4 universe. Of course I would like it to be different but a different level of commitment and working relationship between Epic and Nvidia would be required and although those two companies are close in some regards, I've never seen a hint of that so far with most of these GameWorks modules.

Also I never got beyond the stage of playing with these technologies that would require me to study the legal and licensing situation in full detail. For all I know individual developers may still need to deal with nvidia to licence GameWorks tech for a particular title. I'm not saying that is the situation, rather that I havent checked, and if it were part of the picture then its another explanation for why these things havent been brought into UE4 proper. Not to mention any legal ramifications from Epics point of view, or other business considerations. Certainly there are things we agree to when we sign up to have access to the nvidia github stuff as far as I remember, so theres an extra licensing step right there beyond the standard UE4.

[Chesire]

I made an experimental 4.19 branch with VXGI, Flow and Blast. Will probably share it on my github repo in coming days.

Please do

[MaximeDupart]

I made an experimental 4.19 branch with VXGI, Flow and Blast.

Couple issues left, like Blast Editor isn't fully working (Opening or creating a Blast mesh with more than 1 depth of destruction crash the editor) and Flow grid Color map are stuck to 64.

VXGI should be working as well as in 4.18.

It can package games, which was the most important part of me hehe.


Will probably share it on my github repo in coming days. Also nvidia Bgaldrikian said on Github that we would most likely get a Blast branch for 4.19 'soonish'

[WindyStrife]

Hi all!

https://github.com/Sevenplex/UnrealEngine/tree/4.19-HairWorks



Many thanks Xu Nie (niexuchina) for the hint UpdateBounds() in HairWorksComponent.

Great work

[Sevenplex]

Hi. I really like the Gameworks technology and I am very grateful of the folk that merge these branches into usable forks. Also very grateful of the developers at nvidia for the amazing work they offer to us. But is this the plan? Develop, upgrade, compile? Can the people at nvidia let us know what is the plan besides this? Are these techs will be merged into an official branch eventually? maybe a compiled version?
Thank you!

Totally agree with the question!

[Sevenplex]

Excuse for impudence, and long still to wait for GamerWorks?

I don't now.

[DsyD]

Sorry for the stupid question, but when using emissive meshes for lighting with VXGI, how do you get shadows on dynamic/movable meshes? I'm guessing there's a material setting for it but can't figure out what it is.

[catalejo]

Hi. I really like the Gameworks technology and I am very grateful of the folk that merge these branches into usable forks. Also very grateful of the developers at nvidia for the amazing work they offer to us. But is this the plan? Develop, upgrade, compile? Can the people at nvidia let us know what is the plan besides this? Are these techs will be merged into an official branch eventually? maybe a compiled version?
Thank you!

[sudey8899]

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[sudey8899]

Hi all!

https://github.com/Sevenplex/UnrealEngine/tree/4.19-HairWorks



Many thanks Xu Nie (niexuchina) for the hint UpdateBounds() in HairWorksComponent.

Excuse for impudence, and long still to wait for GamerWorks?

[Sevenplex]

Hi all!

https://github.com/Sevenplex/UnrealEngine/tree/4.19-HairWorks



Many thanks Xu Nie (niexuchina) for the hint UpdateBounds() in HairWorksComponent.