MiddlewareStudio [DAIKOKU]

• DAIKOKU : ASP (Advanced Shader Pipeline)

• The flexibility of modern programmable hardware offers many opportunities but presents a steep learning curve. DAIKOKU is a graphics API providing immediate access to a rich variety of advanced shading techniques. DAIKOKU is sophisticated enough to enable developers with little to no knowledge of shader programming to take full advantage of modern, programmable hardware. At the same time, advanced programmers are freed from mundane shader management to focus on effect development.
  

• DAIKOKU currently runs on numerous game consoles and embedded systems, thanks to its design goals of efficiency, simplicity, and flexibility. By focusing on real-time shading, we have developed a system that is easily integrated into existing code, protecting investments in both in-house and 3rd party technology.
  

• With a large library of cutting edge effects and numerous sample projects, DAIKOKU allows game developers to accelerate development on next generation gaming platforms.
  

• 1. Standard effects/shaders

  
  
  • Basic
  • 256 Color Palette Emulation
  • Ambient Occlusion
  • Environment Map, Bump Map
  • Fog
  • Fresnel Effect
  • Gross Map
  • GPU skinning, GPU morphing
  • HDR output
  • Multiple light sources
  • Normal vector Map
  • Parallax Map
  • Rim Light
  • Shadow Map

   

  • Extension Pipeline
  • Customize-able Shader
  • Toon Shader

   

  • Built-in materials
  • Hair
  • Metal
  • Skin

   

• Other features
• Render to texture management
• Dynamic rendering of reflective surfaces such as floors as well as cube
  environment maps
• Mesh draw-order sorting for optimal performance
• Fresnel reflections
• CLSPSM (Cascaded Light Space Perspective Shadow Maps)
• Single API compatible across multiple platforms

• 2. Numerous tool samples

  
  
• Real-time shader preview on Autodesk®max®,Maya®,Softimage®
• Export to COLLADA-FX
• COLLADA-FX to compact binary file converter
• Run-time library to draw binary-converted scenes

• Some of these features are provided with source code and serve as the best possible guides when integrating DAIKOKU into existing exporters and game engines. The sample tools also serve as full-featured export paths for production quality content. Even developers without access to existing game engines can start their development effort immediately without worrying about building export paths.

• 3. Compact API design and compatibility with multiple platforms

  
  

  • DAIKOKU’s API requires minimal configuration to use the provided shader techniques.  Unlike large, general purpose APIs like DirectX and OpenGL, developers quickly learn to use ASP and are free to focus on game development. DAIKOKU is available for multiple platforms that incorporate Shader Model 3.0+ GPUs. Developers see a single, platform-independent API which enables the sharing of code and assets across platforms.

    
    • Supporting platforms include:

     

    • Platforms
    • PLAYSTATION® 3
    • Xbox360®
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Embedded Systems
    • APIs
    • Open GL
    • Open GL ES
    • Direct X
    • Various proprietary APIs
    • Shading Languages
    • Cg
    • HLSL
    • GLSL
    
    
    Real-time review on the DCC tool

    

    4. Optimized shader auto-generation and management

    

    

    • DAIKOKU works by drawing from a library of optimized building blocks to form custom shaders that implement the functionality required for each draw call. The shaders required for a given game development effort may be built at run time (easy development) or recorded and then precompiled offline (low overhead).
    

    • DAIKOKU provides automatic management of a large number of automatically generated and custom shaders.  Non-shader developers need only specify the function needed (e.g., normal mapping + ambient occlusion) and not worry about selecting the most appropriate shader from a potentially large set of candidates.

    

    • Because general-purpose shaders with conditional branches tend to be slow, DAIKOKU dynamically generates branchless shaders as needed resulting in performance that rivals hand-tuned shaders.

    

    5. Pipeline-integrated shadow mapping

    

    

    • This feature can be used to drop shadows on an entire field using LiSPSM(*1). Because it is integrated in the pipeline, any application can use these advanced techniques simply by manipulating a few parameters.

    

    • (*1) Light Space Perspective Shadow Map