INYIIINII AICWIVI
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`http://www.combatsim.comlhtm/sept99/3dfx-tc1 .htm
`
`33 captures
`14 Jan 00 -13 Oct 08
`
`FXT1: 3dfx Texture Compression
`
`by Bubba "Masterfung" Wolfond
`
`Introduction
`
`Every week it seems we are getting a new
`announcement about 3D technology. Recently, Nvidia
`and 53 both announced their chip specs.
`
`While S3's Savage 2000 was taken with some
`skepticism at first because the specs looked so
`strong, others simply dismissed it as being another
`$3 offering that would never amount to anything,
`insisting that the rumored NV10 would, "blow it
`away." The next day, Nvidia announced their next
`generation chipset, the GeForce 256. Yesterday, over
`a conference call, 3dfx announced another new
`technology that will be implemented in their next
`generation chip.
`
`3dfx Texture Compression: FXT1
`
`My questions about FXT1 were very similar what
`you are all probably thinking right now: what is
`FXT1, what will it do for me and how is it different
`from what 53 has done with their own texture
`
`compression, S3TC?
`
`FXT1 is a new technology that uses texture
`compression to compress textures using a four point
`encoding algorithm (as opposed to a single point
`algorithm used by S3) to condense textures to as
`much as 1/8th their size. The texture is coded into
`the game, flagged to be compressed by the
`hardware, and then compressed into memory using
`one of the 4 algorithms that decide the best way to
`encode the scene to minimize any loss in visual
`quality.
`
`Next the texture is decompressed after identifying
`which algorithm was used to compress the texture,
`and is rendered on the scene all the while improving
`framerate and leaving more memory bandwidth open
`to be used as storage for more textures or by
`texture mipmaps. This encoding and decoding is
`done through hardware allowing the card and CPU to
`continue rendering frames as fast as possible.
`
`The following chart demonstrates the three 3dfx
`texture compression algorithms and how they might
`be implemented. You can also see here the S3TC
`algorithm. FXT1 provides the most accurate image
`reproduction when measuring the Root Mean Square
`error of each encoding algorithm. Without question,
`since 3dfx uses a variety of measures they are
`always going to see superior image reproduction.
`
`I-‘irst off, let me give you an example of what
`kinds of advantages texture compression offers.
`Suppose we have a texture that is 2048x2048 and
`32-bit per texel. That texture will require a whopping
`16 Mbytes of total memory space to store it locally
`in the texture memory of the video card! Keep in
`mind that this is only a single high-resolution
`texture!
`
`3dfx's FXT1 could compress this texture to a size
`of 2048 Kbytes and thus free all the extra bandwidth
`for storing more textures! Since these textures are
`stored in the local memory of the video card, we
`have almost instantaneous framerate transfer and
`
`much higher fill-rates from the video card to your
`monitor!
`
`Since 3dfx is using greater compression than S3's
`S3TC, we can look at this chart and see how 3dfx's
`FXT1 will be compressing textures:
`
`
`
`Another advantage to 3dfx's texture compression
`is that it will be FREE to anyone. The code (open set
`source code) will be released to the public and is
`available to anyone. 3dfx is encouraging everyone to
`use the code and perhaps even tell them how they
`can improve upon the code.
`
`There will be no license or royalty fees charges to
`use the technology. Plus, the new technology will be
`open to any OS, Windows, Mac, Linux and, hopefully,
`BeOS. Of course, 3dfx is making FXT1 available to all
`three major API's as it will be standard on Glide and
`open to D3D and OpenGL.
`
`Go to Part II: How It Works
`
`3;!
`
`Microsoft V. Bradium, IPR2016-00449
`
`Microsoft, Ex. 1023
`
`Microsoft, Ex. 1023
`Microsoft v. Bradium, IPR2016-00449
`
`

`

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`UIIIIIUI
`14 Jan 00 - 13 Oct 08
`33 mums
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Microsoft V. Bradium, IPR2016-00449
`
`Microsoft, Ex. 1023
`
`Microsoft, Ex. 1023
`Microsoft v. Bradium, IPR2016-00449
`
`