The Witcher 3 middleware list

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

The Witcher 3 middleware list

Can anyone please help with enumerating known middleware used in TW3? I mean graphics, physics, sound, video libraries and so on. Or may be someone already compiled such list? If you know something is used - please comment, I'll add it to the list.

Thanks.
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* Dolby Digital. — Not sure where it's used. There are cross platform AC-3 decoders.
* Hairworks (Nvidia). — Optional. Uses DirectCompute, Windows only.[sup]1[/sup]
* PhysX (Nvidia). — Linux, OS X, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, etc.[sup]2[/sup]
* Scaleform (Autodesk). — Linux, OS X, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, etc.[sup]3[/sup]
* Simplygon (Donya Labs AB). — Linux, Windows[sup]4[/sup]
* SpeedTree (Interactive Data Visualization). — Linux, OS X, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, etc.[sup]5[/sup]
* Umbra 3D — Windows, PS4, Xbox One only (no Linux and OS X).[sup]6[/sup]
* Wwise (Audiokinetic). — Linux, OS X, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, etc.[sup]7[/sup]

Sources:
1. http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/nvidia-hairworks-cod-ghosts-fur-and-hair-simulation-solution.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhysX
3. http://gameware.autodesk.com/scaleform/integrations
4. https://www.simplygon.com/media/1240/simplygonapiusersguide.pdf
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpeedTree
6. http://umbra3d.com/press-releases/black-desert-mmo-powers-up-its-graphics-with-umbra-3/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiokinetic_Wwise

 

[Hicks233]

Splash screens have it.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Splash screens have it.

Thanks. Is that all? For instance Nvidia Hairworks is not listed there.

 

[Hicks233]

I'm guessing it's either coming under the general Nvidia "Geforce GTX" umbrella or they'd have a much more detailed breakdown in the credits. Haven't finished the game yet though so haven't watched the credits.

Checked the back of the box and it was the same content as contained in the splash screens.

 

[-Olek]

Thanks. Is that all? For instance Nvidia Hairworks is not listed there.

It uses PhysX.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

It uses PhysX.

Hairworks is separate from PhysX.

 

[Guest 2364765]

It's just licensed as gameworks in general.

Having licensed gameworks gives you access to all (or most) of NVIDIA properietary tech, thus it's just mentioned once.
AFAIK it just uses:

* Dolby Digital - On consoles i believe, i don't think it natively can output DTS on PC
* Gameworks (all NVIDIA tech is under one licence)
* Scaleform - UI
* Simplygon - mesh LOD generation
* SpeedTree - foliage generator
* Umbra 3D - occlusion culling
* Wwise - audio engine?

 

[-Olek]

Hairworks is separate from PhysX.

I thought i was clear, Hairworks uses PhysX for the hair simulation, i didn't say it's the same thing, you did.

Either way it all falls under Gameworks.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

It's just licensed as gameworks in general.

Either way it all falls under Gameworks.

Gameworks is a useless title, since libraries it includes vary in a lot of aspects. For example PhysX is cross platform, and Hairworks isn't.

 

[-Olek]

Gameworks is a useless title, since libraries it includes vary in a lot of aspects. For example PhysX is cross platform, and Hairworks isn't.

You're being anal about this why exactly?

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

You're being anal about this why exactly?

Back to the topic, or mods need to interfere? I'm saying that "gameworks" is a very useless title, if you don't know what parts of it are used exactly.

The point to understand them individually is to see what hurdles CDPR could face when porting REDengine to other platforms. For instance Hairworks is locked into using DirectCompute, so it's not an option on Linux, while PhysX on the other hand is cross platform.

---------- Updated at 10:38 PM ----------

I updated the first post. From the listed middleware, the least cross platform one is Hairworks (which is optional) and Umbra (which is probably mandatory). So any cross platform efforts by CDPR will involve either using some alternatives, or waiting for Umbra to port their software. Simplygon is somewhat ambiguous. They list Linux in the documentation, but there is no info on it on their site. No word about OS X there at all.

 

[Rai_Hikari]

I use 7.1 audio gaming headset that uses the Dolby Digital sound stuff.

It cracks in menus, but surround sound has this issue in 75% of games.

 

[-Olek]

Back to the topic, or mods need to interfere? I'm saying that "gameworks" is a very useless title, if you don't know what parts of it are used exactly.

The point to understand them individually is to see what hurdles CDPR could face when porting REDengine to other platforms. For instance Hairworks is locked into using DirectCompute, so it's not an option on Linux, while PhysX on the other hand is cross platform.

---------- Updated at 10:38 PM ----------

I updated the first post. From the listed middleware, the least cross platform one is Hairworks (which is optional) and Umbra (which is probably mandatory). So any cross platform efforts by CDPR will involve either using some alternatives, or waiting for Umbra to port their software. Simplygon is somewhat ambiguous. They list Linux in the documentation, but there is no info on it on their site. No word about OS X there at all.

What's the point of this thread exactly?

Apart from Linux and the Linux-based SteamOS, there is no other worthy operating system with which they'll bother.

Only the most basic version of PhysX is cross platform, all the other advanced effects only work on Nvidia GPUs because they use CUDA.

This is a pointless discussion.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

What's the point of this thread exactly?

Read the first post if you missed it. The point is to enumerate middleware used in TW3. And I mean detailed enumeration, so comments like "Gameworks" aren't helpful.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Some made an interesting observation, that Batman: Arkham Knight is using Umbra 3D as well, and it's going to be released on Linux this fall. It means that by that time Umbra 3D should be already ported and Witcher 3 will be able to use it at that point too.

 

[pagefault404]

Hairworks does not use DirectCompute by default. They added the DC API to open Hairworks up to AMD card users. Nvidia is geometry based, while AMD is DirectCompute.

 

[zorba1138]

Hairworks does not use DirectCompute by default. They added the DC API to open Hairworks up to AMD card users. Nvidia is geometry based, while AMD is DirectCompute.

Hairworks only uses DirectCompute it doesn't support CUDA no any other NVIDIA "proprietary" tech, the DC part is only used for the physics simulation not for the actual tessellation and rendering which is done in standard DX hull-shader like tessellation fashion.