Unlimited Detail

[kevinkjt2000]

I think he said the points are rendered by some fancy new method. It probably has algorithms built to detect the points from the current viewpoint. So why can't it trace from the light source as well maybe?

all of this is done by a new sort of method that we call MASS CONNECTED PROCESSING. Mass connected processing is where we have a way of processing masses of data at the same time and then applying the small changes to each part at the end.

The whole description in text is here: http://unlimiteddetailtechnology.com/description.html

I assume the points for say a rock, are all connected as one big group they call a mass? They could trace from the light source and see if a "mass" is in the way and shade accordingly... Sounds like a fun summer project for sure. Anyone want to code an SDK for this?

[helios]

So why can't it trace from the light source as well maybe?

That's ray-tracing. I.e. expensive.

[kevinkjt2000]

Well... They must have some special secret algorithm then. And they are probably graphical geniuses.

[NGen]

Sounds like they should be working at Google.

At this point it seems like it's all working fine and dandy. Why not release a Beta SDK for it?

[tition]

At this point it seems like it's all working fine and dandy. Why not release a Beta SDK for it?

To me it seems that it is NOT working fine and dandy. Otherwise why the preaching "how unfair the industry was to us, unrecognized geniuses"?

[NGen]

it's all working fine and dandy

"all" = The rendering system.

If this works fine in software, he should be able to release it without needing any specific hardware support to run it. A company can't stop someone from putting something out on the internet, unless what's being put out is illegal, which this isn't.

[helios]

I don't know what their business model is, but I'm betting they'll try to sell licences for the SDK. Why would they want to make available for free something they want to charge for?

[chrisname]

If they prove that it's real, game development companies will pay a pretty penny for it. How good for PR would it be to say "I have the first game with Unlimited Detail"?

[NGen]

I would say at least give people an example program. Just some way to show that it works and isn't a hoax. Sure someone could decompile it, but wouldn't that happen with any program made using it?

[chrisname]

Decompilation isn't the magic art of somehow extracting the source code everyone thinks it is. You never get the original source code back; just something that maybe does the same thing. If it works at all.

The Boomerang Decompiler, which is meant to be really good, has never worked for me. Even a simple Hello World program, or even a program that does nothing, has never been decompiled and recompiled successfully for me.

[NGen]

I know how decompiling works, I'm just saying that they could figure out how it works regardless of whether or not they release it commercially.

[helios]

I would say at least give people an example program. Just some way to show that it works and isn't a hoax.

What would be their incentive to do that? Why should they care whether you or I believe it's a hoax? For someone interested in investing some money or buying a licence, they don't need to upload an example for all the world to see. They just need to give a live demonstration that shows that the program does indeed exist and works as described.

[NGen]

Never thought of that, but then again I don't exactly do much in the business part of programming.

[2EyCpfjN]

as what would this company gain by lying about what they've done, built up a fan-base and then never delivering a product?

i've always wanted to do that... it'd be interesting. everyone on the edge of their seat waiting for the product to change a world. and if you chose to, you could deliver, or if you chose not to, you would disappear :)

[helios]

Ah, the George Costanza approach to philanthropy. But no, that's fortunately not how things are invented nowadays.

[filipe]

@helios: +1 and a donation in your name to the Human Fund :)