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RCRN – Realistic Colors and Real Nights

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RCRN – Realistic Colors and Real Nights RCRN – Realistic Colors And Real Nights An exploration into independent hobby computer game modification development Andreas Cederberg Bachelor’s Thesis Information Technology Vaasa 2013 BACHELOR’S THESIS Author: Andreas Cederberg Degree Programme: Information Technology Supervisor: Kaj Wikman Title: RCRN – Realistic Colors and Real Nights ___________________________________________________________________________ Date 6.11.2013 Number of pages 63 ___________________________________________________________________________ Summary The lighting technologies of games are sometimes an overlooked aspect which can play a major role when it comes to providing a realistic look and feel of a game. When the surroundings are for example clear and sunny, you want the surroundings to react expectedly with a more vivid and bright look. Likewise when the weather is cloudy or rainy, you do not want the ground to look too vivid and bright but more low-contrast and dull. There is a need of a dynamic behavior. Realistic Lighting and Real Nights (RCRN) builds upon technologies called FXAA Post Process Injector and SweetFX, which adds various post-processing techniques to achieve a better overall image quality and gaming experience. RCRN also adds various advanced features such as HDR rendering, Dynamic Interiors and Volumetric Fog. RCRN offers an easy-to-use game graphics tweaking utility that is used by over 350.000 users world-wide. The program code is very modular in design, which makes it very easy to modify. The performance impact is also very low, despite the added post-processing rendering, due to the well-structured program code. ___________________________________________________________________________ Language: English Key words: lighting technologies, post-processing, utility ___________________________________________________________________________ EXAMENSARBETE Författare: Andreas Cederberg Utbildningsprogram och ort: Informationsteknik, Vasa Handledare: Kaj Wikman Titel: RCRN – Realistic Colors and Real Nights ___________________________________________________________________________ Datum 6.11.2013 Sidantal 63 ___________________________________________________________________________ Abstrakt Ljussättningsteknikernas betydelse för ett spel förbises ibland och kan i själva verket ha en stor betydelse när det gäller att fånga en realistisk bild och känsla i spelet. När det är soligt och klart väder, är det skäl för naturen att reagera likadant med ett mera färgstarkt och ljust förhållande. Samtidigt kan man konstatera att då vädret är molnigt eller regnigt, vill man inte att det ska se alltför färgstarkt eller ljust ut, utan man vill ha mera lågkontrastiga färger och en mera uniform ljussättning. Det finns helt enkelt behov av ett dynamiskt beteende. Realistic Lighting and Real Nights (RCRN) bygger på tekniker som kallas för FXAA Post Process Injector och SweetFX. Dessa tillför olika efterbehandlingprocesser för att uppnå en bättre bildkvalité överlag och förbättra spelupplevelsen. RCRN tillför också en del avancerade tekniker såsom HDR-rendering, Dynamic Interiors och Volumetric Fog. RCRN erbjuder ett lättanvändigt grafikoptimeringsverktyg för spel, som används av över 350 000 användare runtom i världen. Programkoden är mycket modulärt designat, vilket gör det lätt att göra ändringar i den. Prestandaförlusten är också väldigt låg, trots de tillförda efterbehandlingsprocesserna, tack vare en mycket välstrukturerad programkod. __________________________________________________________________________ Språk: engelska Nyckelord: ljussättningstekniker, efterbehandlingsprocesser, verktyg __________________________________________________________________________ OPINNÄYTETYÖ Tekijä: Andreas Cederberg Koulutusohjelma ja paikkakunta: Tietotekniikka, Vaasa Ohjaajat: Kaj Wikman Nimike: RCRN – Realistic Colors and Real Nights ___________________________________________________________________________ Päivämäärä 15.9.2013 Sivumäärä 63 ___________________________________________________________________________ Tiivistelmä Valaistustekniikkojen merkitystä peleissä ei usein huomioida parhaalla mahdollisella tavalla ja itse asiassa valaistuksella voi olla erittäin merkittävä rooli, kun on kyse realistisesta ulkonäön ja tunteen luomisesta. Jos aurinko paistaa ja sää on kirkas, on oletettavaa, että luonto käyttäytyy samanlaisesti värikkäällä ja kirkkaalla tavalla. Samanaikaisesti voi todeta, että jos sää on pilvistä tai sateista, halutaan vähemmän värikkyyttä sekä kirkasta ulkonäkymää ja enemmän alhais-kontrastia ja väriä sekä enemmän yhtenäistä valaistusta. On itse asiassa tarve dynaamiseen vaihteluun. Realistic Lighting and Real Nights (RCRN) rakentuu FXAA Post Process Injectorin ja SweetFXin pohjalle ja lisää eriliaisia jälkikäsittelyprosessejä parantaakseen kuvalaatua ja pelikokemusta. RCRN lisää myöskin eriliaisia kehittyneitä järjestelmiä, kuten HDR- renderöinti, Dynamic Interiors ja Volumetric Fog. RCRN tarjoaa helposti käytettävän pelioptimaatiotyökalun, jolla on yli 350 000 käyttäjää erillä puolilla maailmaa. Ohjelmistokoodi on erittäin modulaarinen rakenteeltaan, joka tarkoittaa että koodia voidaan helposti muokata. Suorituskykyhäviö on myöskin erittäin alhainen lisätyistä jälkikäsittelyprosesseista huolimatta hyvän ohjelmistokoodin rakenteen ansiosta. ___________________________________________________________________________ Kieli: englanti Avainsanat: valaistustekniikkoja, jälkikäsittelyprosesseja, työkaluja ___________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................4 1.1 ABOUT BETHESDA SOFTWORKS ..................................................................4 1.1.1 BETHESDA GAME STUDIOS ....................................................................4 1.1.2 TODD HOWARD ........................................................................................5 1.2 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM .................................................................6 2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................6 2.1 CREATION KIT (CK).........................................................................................7 2.1.1 IMAGESPACES AND WEATHERS ...........................................................7 2.1.2 RADIANT STORY ......................................................................................8 2.1 SCRIPTING ........................................................................................................8 2.1.1 WHAT IS A PAPYRUS SCRIPT?................................................................9 2.2 BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO GAME DEVELOPMENT AND SHADER PROGRAMMING ....................................................................................................... 10 2.2.1 DIRECTX SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT KIT ........................................ 10 2.2.2 WHAT IS A SHADER? ............................................................................. 11 2.2.3 SHADER LANGUAGE ............................................................................. 12 2.3 BLOOM AND HDR – WHAT ARE THEY? ..................................................... 14 2.3.1 BLOOM ..................................................................................................... 14 2.3.2 HDR ........................................................................................................... 14 2.4 3RD PARTY POST-PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES ...................................... 15 2.5 FXAA POST PROCESS INJECTOR ................................................................. 15 2.5.1 WHAT IS FXAA? ...................................................................................... 15 2.5.2 FXAA TOOL ............................................................................................. 16 2.6 ENBSERIES GAME MODIFICATION ............................................................ 16 2.6.1 FEATURES ................................................................................................ 17 2.6.2 HIGH QUALITY BLOOM ......................................................................... 17 2.6.3 HIGH QUALITY SCEEN SPACE AMBIENT OCCLUSION .................... 18 2.6.4 SCREEN SPACE INDIRECT LIGHTING ................................................. 18 2.6.5 BOKEH AND STANDARD DEPTH OF FIELD ........................................ 19 2.6.6 SUBSURFACE LIGHT SCATTERING ..................................................... 19 2.7 MOD DISTRIBUTION SERVICES .................................................................. 20 2.7.1 STEAM WORKSHOP ................................................................................ 20 2.7.2 SKYRIM NEXUS ...................................................................................... 21 1 3 LIGHTING GAME MODIFICATIONS ................................................................... 23 3.1 PROJECT REALITY – CLIMATES OF TAMRIEL.......................................... 23 3.1.1 WEATHER OVERHAULS ........................................................................ 24 3.1.2 LIGHTING, NIGHTS, INTERIORS, DUNGEONS AND CAVES OVERHAULS ......................................................................................................... 25 3.2 REALISTIC LIGHTING WITH CUSTOMIZATION ........................................ 26 3.2.1 FEATURES ................................................................................................ 26 3.2.2 EXTERIOR CHANGES
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