i nte l速
visual computing software insight
Issue Number Two | 2008
Playing Nice: Intel and Havok* Join Forces
Accelerate Image Processing by 2X to 3X: DMIP Moviemakers Embrace New Digital Workflow The Incredible Hulk* image courtesy of Sega of America*.
i nte l®
visual computing software insight
Issue Number Two | 2008
From the Managing Editor’s Desk
Successful Games Support Mainstream Graphics Support integrated graphics while still keeping people with high-end machines happy. PAGE 3
Looks Aren’t Everything: Making Games Act Real— an editorial by Roger Chandler Musings on bringing real-world behaviors to game objects and characters. PAGE 6
Planting Seeds for the Next Gaming Breakthrough Whether a game character is slapping a hockey puck or navigating a starship through a strong gravitational field, Havok Physics* is likely to be behind the maneuvers. A landmark offering puts these physics tools in the hands of developers worldwide. PAGE 8
Rapid-Fire Moviemaking: Processing Power Streamlines the Workflow What technologies are changing moviemaking and digital workflow? It’s all about new cameras, new visually lossless compression, new processors, and new direct-to-disk storage techniques. PAGE 13
A landmark in image processing: DMIP Moviemakers, modelers, photographers, and anyone working with large digital images get a boost from a new addition to the Intel® Integrated Performance Primitives Library. PAGE 19
The Eyes Have It This issue of Intel® Visual Computing Insight signifies an evolutionary shift in our editorial focus, aligned with a growing, corporate-wide recognition of the importance of visual computing to the system architectures of the future. While the foundation of the Intel brand name has always been built around a preeminent reputation for producing top-notch, trend-setting computer processors, Intel is definitely not a one-trick pony. Over a long span of years, this organization has also delivered well-designed, wellrespected software development products, telephony equipment, networking components, and integrated graphics chipsets to the worldwide computer industry. You know us primarily for our processors, but the Intel product portfolio is both deep and wide. So, why the new emphasis on visual computing? With an engineering group that is a magnet for talented, knowledgeable individuals with worldclass expertise in graphics hardware design, ray tracing, image-processing algorithms, leading-edge silicon design, and similar technologies, Intel is well positioned to help shape future breakthroughs in visual computing. Performance advances in multicore processor architectures complement innovative achievements in a host of areas where image processing is foremost: medical diagnostics imaging, digital cinema technologies, aerospace training and flight simulation, computer gaming, digital animation in the film industry, 3-D modeling and visualization, and many other dynamic fields. Our editorial vision is clear. Intel Visual Computing Insight will strive to open windows of opportunity revealing the latest visual computing advances. We will highlight topics that keep you informed about the technologies likely to transform the computer landscape in the near future. Keep your eyes wide open—there’s much more to come. Chryste Sullivan
Visual ISI Visual Computing Computing | Issue | Issue 2 | 2008 2 | 2008
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Successful Games Support Mainstream Graphics
Successful Games Support Mainstream Graphics
M
ainstream integrated graphics are here to stay.
buffers, and deliver capabilities such as hardware vertex
Their low cost guarantees that many of the PCs
processing for Shader Model* 3.0 and the full DirectX*
at your local electronics emporium use them, and
9.0c/Ex feature set.
lots of people are buying these PCs to play games. Taken
Game developers increasingly recognize the importance
together with the fact that these machines are more capable
of optimizing for integrated graphics, and that’s a good
than ever before, now is the time to consider optimizing your
thing. In fact, many consider this audience vital for producing
games for integrated graphics.
commercially successful products. NetDevil Ltd., a game-
According to Mercury Research in late 2007, the
development company headquartered in Louisville, Colorado,
dominance of integrated graphics over discrete graphics is
has spent the past 10 years refining its ability to create
already at a ratio of nearly 2:1, and that ratio is expected to
engaging massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) in
grow substantially over the next several years. We’re not
immersive virtual universes. It’s a lucrative market—research by
saying the game community is going to move away from
Bruce Sterling Woodcock of mmogchart.com shows dramatic
high-end discrete graphics, but the opportunity for a broader
ongoing growth in the number of MMOG subscriptions and
user base for your games has never been better. A growing
continues to grow dramatically, increasing by roughly three
number of game companies are debunking the myth that 3-D
million subscribers per year to the current level of 16 million.
Game providers such as The Multiverse Network, Inc. have put the latest integrated graphics to the test and broken through performance barriers.
graphics require discrete graphics solutions.
Opportunity Knocks Even though they aren’t intended to deliver the same type of high-end functionality as discrete graphics cards, integrated graphics have come a long way and now provide a good deployment target for games. Current offerings can store more textures and larger models, have larger vertex
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
“ People with high-end machines need to see their investment pay off with our games, but at the same time, we’d be crazy not to target mainstream graphics hardware as well.”
Scott Brown, President, NetDevil
3
Successful Games Support Mainstream Graphics
Game-Worthy Integrated Graphics from Intel integrated graphics as a weakling—too underpowered to
Next-Gen Integrated Graphics— Grabbing a Minute with Ray Paik
support quality games. That has changed, and a growing
Raymond Paik works as a developer relations manager at Intel, focusing
proportion of games provide strong results on integrated
on scary, intangible stuff like motivating game developers to build
graphics from Intel. See the Game Compatibility List at
their games for Intel® Graphics. We caught up with him to ask about his
www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/cs-012643.htm
demonstration of new integrated graphics hardware on the floor at the
for a deeper look.
2008 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. He has posted a
Until recently, game developers thought of mainstream
video called “Hellgate London on Intel Integrated Graphics Card”: Q: Ray, the performance on that new integrated graphics hardware is They strive for efficiencies that let small development teams bring state-of-the-art MMOGs to market with aggressive budgets and timelines. A hallmark of the NetDevil approach to expanding their customer base is to provide the best possible user experience, regardless of the type of system their games are being played on. While people may choose to add costly high-end graphics cards to their computers, many do not find it necessary to do so. Scott Brown, president of NetDevil, sums it up: “People with high-end machines need to see their investment pay off with our games, but at the same time, we’d be crazy
impressive; is it publicly available yet? A: Almost. The code name of the product is Cantiga for laptops and Eaglelake for desktops. Both will be released in mid-2008. Q: What kind of changes can we expect from this next generation? A: It really ratchets up what’s possible in terms of user experience from integrated graphics on mainstream games and HD media—people passing by the demo were really surprised that we were getting these results from integrated graphics. Q: From an architecture standpoint, what’s behind the performance? A: New manufacturing process technology has let us put more resources
not to target mainstream graphics hardware as well.”
onboard for graphics processing, and we are also moving ahead to
By making software that tunes the scalable aspects of
provide optimizations and improvements in drivers for DirectX* 10.
gameplay to the resources available, NetDevil and other game companies are able to effectively expand their target audience, while still providing an optimal visual experience for multiple audiences.
Q: How does this product set fit into the graphics hardware market as a whole? A: Intel is the world’s number one supplier of PC graphics. A report from Mercury Research shows Intel with a 56% market segment share in desktop integrated graphics and 70% for mobile integrated graphics. We’re pretty proud of that, and we’re hoping to expand it even further with this new technology. Q: What kind of effort will it take from game developers to get the most out of these new capabilities? A: The most important things for them to do are to include integrated graphics from Intel as one of their validation GPU lineups and develop their future titles with Intel® Graphics in mind. We have a great lineup of resources to help them optimize for the hardware once they get started. Building games for Intel® architecture-based platforms does not require exotic, life-complicating methodologies or tools. Whether you’re a game developer or a representative from a game company, Ray and his colleagues are dedicated to giving you strategies, ideas, and easy-toincorporate tips for optimizing your games for Intel Graphics.
Intel® Graphics help define new worlds for NetDevil.
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
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Successful Games Support Mainstream Graphics
Put Control in Your Users’ Hands An important consideration in preparing games to play well on integrated graphics, without abandoning high-end play for people with more advanced systems, is to build in userselectable performance options. Giving users the ability to tailor the game to the capabilities of their hardware means that you can support a broad spectrum of customers without having to target the lowest common denominator. The Multiverse Network, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, California, strives to optimize its virtual world development platform for both mainstream and high-end graphics. They have found that although optimizing game play for mainstream graphics hardware takes some effort, the rewards are worthwhile.
Intel® Graphics and NetDevil help protect the intergalactic peace.
Rafhael Cedeno, CTO and co-founder of The Multiverse Network, Inc, said, “Integrated graphics have become the benchmark for online
Texture is another important candidate for user-controlled scalability options.
game development. Because Intel’s products deliver high-
The ability to tailor the size of textures to various levels of system resources
end graphical effects, the teams building on our platform are
helps your game provide the optimal level of visual quality while also protecting
learning how to unlock this potential and provide consumers
overall performance. In general, you should limit the use of large textures and use
with rich visual experiences without requiring dedicated
compressed textures where possible—another area where user-defined settings
graphics chipsets.”
can help you provide multiple quality options.
One place to start is letting users scale back features that can
Providing technical guidance to your users that specifically targets the use of
decrease fill-rate requirements, such as resolution, shadows, and
integrated graphics is a valuable addition to ensuring a good user experience. In
background detail. Then, depending on the nature of the game,
most cases where compatibility issues arise, they can be resolved by modifying
consider giving them more control over game-play features, such
system settings, updating system drivers, or applying appropriate patches from
as limiting the number of enemy units in a first-person shooter or
game providers.
the maximum unit population in a real-time strategy game.
Optimize Overall Efficiency A key approach to delivering great results on integrated graphics is to take full advantage of the best practices for efficiency and performance in tasks that can be accomplished in various ways. For example, stencil shadows are generally fill-intensive, so shadow maps are preferred for better performance. Higher shader models are typically preferable than lower ones, and programmable shaders will give better results than fixed functions.
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
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Successful Games Support Mainstream Graphics
In their presentation at the 2008 Game Developers Conference in San
Heart-Pounding Goodness: New Rig on the Block
Francisco, Ray Paik and Katen Shah of Intel provided an excellent overview of using
Intel is still pushing the envelope with ceiling-shattering,
talk, “Getting the Most Out of Intel® Graphics,” is relevant to developing for discrete
high-end gaming platforms such as the Intel® Dual Socket
integrated graphics to improve game performance. Much of the material from their graphics as well. You can use the following resources to round out their tips:
Extreme Desktop Platform—-check out the video on this little
• Quick Reference Guide to Intel® Integrated Graphics
screamer: http://softwarecommunity.intel.com/videos/
• Intel® GMA 3000 and X3000 Developer’s Guide
home.aspx?fn-1398
• Tools and Tips for Debugging Issues on Intel® 3000 and X3000 Series Integrated Graphics By investing some effort in making games run as efficiently as possible, your titles can deliver a better experience to all users. Setting the bar higher for code efficiency and giving users control over system demands helps expand your user base to the millions of machines out there that use integrated graphics. Support a bigger audience, get a bigger user base, and reap the benefits. end
about the author Matt Gillespie is an independent technical author and editor working out of the Chicago area and specializing in emerging hardware and software technologies. Before going into business for himself, Matt developed training for software developers at Intel Corporation and worked in Internet Technical Services at California Federal Bank. He spent his early years as a writer and editor in the fields of financial publishing and neuroscience.
LOOKS AREN’T EVERYTHING
O
ne night several months ago, my buddies and I logged on to play a newly released, online role-playing game. The environments were lush,
Making Games Act Real
log. So I walked around it and we continued on. But that experience stuck with me. In 1970 roboticist Masahiro Mori introduced the
the details were rich, and the monsters were stunningly
Uncanny Valley hypothesis: as robots and other
rendered. I was quickly sucked into it all . . . until I ran into
representations of humans begin to look and act
a small log lying in front of me. It literally stopped me in
almost, but not entirely, like actual humans, it causes
my tracks. I know a lot of great game developers and
a response of revulsion among human observers. The
designers, and I understand the difficult design decisions
“valley” refers to a precipitous drop in the viewers’
they must make when bringing a title to market, but
positive response to the near-human entity as it gets
this log really surprised me. It was richly textured and
closer to realism, due to the dramatically increased
accurately modeled, which was nice, but it “behaved” like
expectations around behavior and other subtle
a brick wall. Despite being a powerful warrior who had
human-like details. The Uncanny Valley has drawn
just slain three ogres single-handedly, I could not raise
much attention from the gaming industry in recent
my in-game foot 18 virtual inches to pass over this small
years, and while it definitely applies to human-like
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
By Roger Chandler Director of Marketing Intel’s Visual Computing Software Division
6
looks aren’t everything: making games act real
characters, I think the effect extends to
As multi-core solutions continue to improve
that can dynamically respond to your actions
the environment as a whole. As a first-hand
the visual computing platform, how will games
with wisecracks that are so perfectly timed
witness to our industry’s ongoing graphics
begin to “act” more real? One advancement I
and context appropriate it makes you laugh out
arms race, I believe it takes more than
look forward to seeing pretty soon is increased
loud. What if this game contains thousands of
beautiful scenery to engage a gamer. We live
interactivity with a wider array of objects in
these “living” characters who interact with each
in a world where every object has distinct
the environment. For the log example, being
other as well as with you, the player, to create
physical properties and every creature
able to step over it would have been great, but
a constantly changing and infinitely replayable
has unique behavioral characteristics. As
it would have been even better if I could have
in-game social and emotional experience?
developers continue to improve how these
picked it up and maybe swung it around to
objects and creatures look in-game, they
kill more ogres. When you walk into your local
more creative than I are cooking up ideas that
must also meet the players’ heightened
adventurers’ tavern, you should be able to not
are just as, if not more so, ambitious. Many in
expectations regarding how these objects
only move the furniture around, but also pick
the industry are growing increasingly excited
and creatures will act. For example, I do not
up the stools and tables around you to defend
about the day when physics, behavior, AI, and
expect a blocky, pixelated tree to sway in the
yourself in a brawl. And instead of interacting
animation come together in a more seamless
wind or splinter realistically when I blow it to
with monolithic models of buildings or crates in
way. And that is really the beauty of it. At
bits with a rocket launcher. But if that tree
games, endowing actual building materials with
Intel, we love to make great technology that is
looks nearly identical to the one in my front
precise physical properties, such as brick, stone,
accessible. We are passionate about ensuring
yard, then it will be a noticeable distraction if
and wood, would allow you to build a limitless
our products and developer tools unleash
it does not act like the real thing.
array of in-game structures. The next logical
innovation, and we are anxious to see how
One of the things I love about my job is
Today, designers and developers vastly
step would then be to extend beyond inorganic
developers will reshape the gaming experience
hearing developers’ thoughts on how they can
materials to in-game characters. Instead of
with the increasing amount of compute power
create new levels of interactive realism with
a monolithic model of an ogre, one day that
we continually serve up. Of course, the trick
the increasingly powerful and programmable
ogre may be composed of virtual skeletal and
will be to harness all of this potential to ensure
multi-core processors Intel has on its roadmap.
muscular structures, overlain with realistic
gamers have more FUN. But I guess we will
Certainly developers are doing great things
layers of supple skin and individually rendered
step over that log when we get to it. end
with today’s generation of multi-core
strands of hair. Ogres’ animations might be
processors to ensure games look and act more
driven by how their bodies are made, from bone
real. Here are a few of their efforts:
to skin, with each character having its own
About Roger D. Chandler
• Threading to improve overall framerate
unique and dynamic gait and posture. They may
Roger Chandler manages the Visual
wear layers of simulated cloth garments that
Computing Software Marketing team in
can be stretched or torn like real fabric, with
Intel’s Software and Solutions Group. Over
capes that flow in the wind as real capes do.
the past ten years, Roger has managed
• Accelerating asset loading to make scene transitions more seamless • Utilizing procedural content generation to ease the burden on the artists and to
On the behavior side, soon we will be seeing
marketing and business development
advanced mass behavior applied to thousands
efforts for several key Intel programs
of highly “intelligent” ogres, each with its own
and products, including gaming industry
unique thresholds for aggression, courage, and
evangelism, gaming and 3-D technology
cowardice, making every battle unpredictably
development, Web 3-D programs, wireless
smoke, fire, and weather systems
different. Eventually we will reach the point
and mobility initiatives, and Intel’s Core CPU
• Enhancing artificial intelligence for
where, when one of these ogres responds to
product roadmap. He is also an avid gamer.
dynamically populate vast worlds with rich environments • Applying particle effects for more realistic
in-game characters • Improving game physics to ensure
your actions, its words and body language will be so well timed, appropriate, and customized
objects interact with each other
to your specific in-game situation, and its
and, more importantly, blow up more
gaze so hyper-realistic, it may elicit a strong
realistically
emotional reaction. Imagine in-game characters
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
7
Planting Seeds for the Next Gaming Breakthrough
Planting Seeds for the Next Gaming Breakthrough Simulating Real-World Physics
P
hysics—that fascinating branch of science that traditionally puts high school students into a REM sleep state—has also given birth to innovations as modest as the roulette wheel and the unicycle, and as awe inspiring as the hydrogen bomb and
the Apollo space missions. Depicting real-world events realistically in 3-D computer games requires a physics engine that is capable of applying the rules of Newtonian physics to the interactions of characters and objects. This objective guided the successful rise of Havok, from its origins in Dublin, Ireland, in 1998 to its current position as the preeminent provider of physics software for triple-A computer games. Havok continues to gain stature and recognition in the technology industry for its expertise in producing physics, animation, and software-development tools for game developers and the movie industry. The Havok Physics* engine simulates the nature of motion, particle systems, and collisions in the environment and provides them algorithmically for use in computer gaming. Combined with Havok Animation*, which offers an extensive slate of animation capabilities to game developers, the functionality makes it possible to recreate scores of physical events, from the collision of two billiard balls to an out-of-control motorcycle careening through a traffic-filled intersection. Characters also gain new realism in gameplay through a motion pipeline that helps determine their responses to one another. Packaged together as Havok Complete*, these physics and animation capabilities are now available as a product for downloading and use at no cost.
Havok Cloth* provides cloth
Intel’s acquisition of Havok in September 2007 set the stage for some very high-profile
simulation technology and tools that
advances in gaming. Long-time partners, Intel and Havok engineering teams worked closely
dramatically increase the realism of
to refine and improve Havok’s HydraCore* technology, which optimizes game physics
game characters and environments.
behaviors on platforms based on Intel® Core™ microarchitecture. Intel has pledged that Havok will continue with its cross-platform philosophy and Intel will employ a hands-off management approach, giving Dublin-based Havok the opportunity to take maximum advantage of Intel engineering resources and software tools, while enhancing its popular middleware for the strongly competitive game market. I talked with David O’Meara, the managing director of Havok, about product announcements at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), the nature of cross-platform game development, rising industry costs, and the benefits of Intel and Havok working together.
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
8
Planting Seeds for the Next Gaming Breakthrough
Game Developers Conference: Stunning Response to New Havok Products
Is your HydraCore technology adaptable to the full range of game consoles and computers? How easily can you take operations such as multi-threading and work them across a
I understand you received a very strong response to your new product introductions at the 2008 GDC.
huge range of platforms effectively? O’Meara: The heart of why Havok is the most successful
O’Meara: Havok launched two new products at GDC this
provider of software in this space right now is that no one
year and both of those products have been exceptionally
else is as good as we are at supporting multiple platforms. No
well received. One of them is called Havok Destruction*
one has come close to being as good as we are at doing that.
and the other is called Havok Cloth*. Together, they are going to significantly improve the experience for gamers. The Cloth video demo had 370,000 downloads in 24 hours. That is phenomenal.
I think the secret of this gets down to being no great secret in the sense that we are the most battle-tested software company in this space. There are over 200 triple-A video games released using Havok components. There are 100
These new technologies, Destruction and Cloth, on top of
in production this year due for release that will use Havok.
our existing products, will give games that come out in a
And, it is the experience that we have gained with those
year or two another breakthrough in terms of the look and
publishers on those triple-A games that gives us the
feel and the gameplay. They are also very important for
insights we need to ensure that our software is as elegant
the type of thing that Intel wants to achieve with future
as it can possibly be across a range of platforms.
hardware for visual computing, with the capability of doing things with Destruction and Cloth that you might not get with smaller platforms. Is the nature of game development changing? O’Meara: In the games industry, the cost of developing these games has risen dramatically: it costs around 30to 40-million, USD, to develop a game. Five years ago it was around two to five million. Costs have increased substantially for a number of reasons. One is that the consumer expects a compelling story and a compelling video experience, which requires a lot more thought, effort, technology, and movie-like appearances in the game. So, that has obviously increased the cost significantly. Secondly, there is the increase in the cost of developing across these really advanced technical platforms, like PlayStation* 3 and Xbox* 360, compared to the type of platforms we had five years ago. Thirdly, in game studios today there will be over 100 people working on a game. At a business level, Havok is providing one piece of software to work across a huge range of hardware that varies greatly in complexity: sophisticated PCs, sophisticated PlayStation 3 consoles with lots of special processing units, and then right down to mobile devices with limited capabilities at the moment.
It is not easy to operate across a range of platforms. We optimize for the most complex piece of hardware out there. Currently, we have teams working, optimizing for hardware that is not yet on the market (including upcoming hardware from Intel). The insights that we have gained from working on hundreds of games and understanding how the game developer will want to utilize the upcoming platforms give us an edge in providing tools that developers need.
A Freebie for PC Game Development: Havok Complete* You also announced a free downloadable version of Havok
“Havok is a proven leader in physics technology for gaming and digital content, and will become a key element of Intel’s visual computing and graphics efforts.” Renee James, Intel vice president and general manager, Software and Solutions Group
Complete for the PC at the 2008 GDC. What was the reasoning behind making the software freely available? O’Meara: We are hoping to see a lot of the universities and a lot of the kids getting very familiar with the technology and we are hoping to see those who have the initiative to then develop things themselves. They will be able to do this without incurring the significant upfront costs of licensing the technology. We expect widespread experience of the Havok software and we expect to see breakthroughs coming from some of these people, many of whom may develop small games or develop ideas that they can then show to a publisher and say, “look what I am able to do with this game. Are you interested?”
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
9
Planting Seeds for the Next Gaming Breakthrough
What is the importance of using the PC platform for development compared to game consoles?
The drape, flow, and motion of garments is simulated by Havok Cloth.
O’Meara: PCs are often the platform on which critical breakthroughs are made in gaming. A platform like PlayStation 2 can be two or three years old; the PC can have advanced much more than that PlayStation 2 has after those two or three years. The newer PC is capable of providing game experiences that wouldn’t have been possible on the PlayStation 2. Typically, the PC is technologically ahead of the capabilities of the consoles. The PC is very important for critical breakthroughs in gaming. Secondly, the PC is very important for online gaming. World of Warcraft*, Second Life*, and other games where people are using the platform to access an online game are very important uses. Important gaming milestones—from id Software’s Doom* to the cinematic storylines of Valve Software’s Half-Life 2*— were launched on the PC platform. Because technological advances in computing typically emerge first on the PC, game-development studios often target these high-end platforms for their more ambitious coding efforts and scale down to achieve maximum cross-platform support.
Havok and Intel Working Together Whenever one successful company buys another successful company, everyone wonders what the ultimate outcome will be. Is Havok’s operational independence important to ongoing business prospects? O’Meara: I think our independence is hugely important to Intel for a couple of reasons. One is that the credibility that Havok has with the gaming industry spills over onto Intel. But if Havok isn’t independent, it won’t have that credibility because it would be seen as partisan. For Intel to make a much bigger play in gaming itself on the hardware side, it is really helpful to Intel that Havok is independent— because of the credibility Havok has. And Intel is going to gain hugely from the industry if the industry sees that Intel continues—
by Intel [offering Havok Complete for free] is really great, because this initiative has the capability of significantly expanding the market beyond just the triple-A developers. Broadening our capabilities beyond the entertainment industry is another anticipated development we expect to gain with Intel. In other words, we will go into serious gaming. Serious gaming includes non-entertainment applications, such as industrial and military simulations and training. Intel offers Havok a lot of capabilities and resources to enable us to go beyond the entertainment space in a couple of year’s time. FinalIy, I think there are technologies within Intel that are developed by Intel (without Intel looking for a commercial application from them). It would be very nice if we could create some commercial applications for some of the technologies that are being developed— take them out of Intel and put them into Havok. And that is part of the concept for Intel and Havok.
as it has been doing— to allow Havok to be independent.
New Technologies, Future Breakthroughs
How has the relationship with Intel benefited Havok?
parallelism, new caching techniques, and other technologies expanding the realism and
O’Meara: There have been a number of things that have
richness of the gaming experience. As long as there are multiple audiences running
been very good already in the six months since we were
games on platforms of varying capabilities, Havok will be providing tools to developers
acquired by Intel. For example, the PC initiative underwritten
that bring the best in physics and animation to each platform.
Gaming platforms will continue to advance and incorporate new technologies, with
Working together, Intel and Havok will certainly play a key role in exploring future options and extending the possibilities for achieving fast, efficient, realistic animation within 3-D worlds. These efforts should also help open new avenues for
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
10
Planting Seeds for the Next Gaming Breakthrough
“ Havok’s commitment to being crossplatform and serving all customers continues and it is both wise and visionary of Intel to keep that in place. Working with Intel is a great fit for Havok products, customers, and employees. Intel’s scale of technology investment and customer reach should enable Havok to grow more quickly into new market segments with new products than we could have done organically. We believe the winning combination is Havok’s philosophy, focus, technology, and customer know-how with Intel’s scale. I am excited to be part of this next phase of Havok’s growth.” —David O’Meara, Havok managing director
Snappy dressing game characters are wearing the latest fashion statements from Havok Cloth.
less-experienced developers to create both 3-D objects and object behaviors based on sophisticated physics that will be the foundation of online environments such as Second Life. The prospects for breakthrough animation advances for gaming and movies are extensive and a worldwide audience awaits the results of the collaborative activities of Intel and Havok. end
About Havok Havok, an Intel company, was founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1998 and is the premier provider of interactive software and services for digital media creators in the games and movie industries, with world-leading expertise in physics, animation, and tools. Havok’s business is to turn customer’s creative aspirations into technical realities. Havok’s modular suite of tools gives power to the creator, making sure that clients can reach new standards of realism and interactivity, while mitigating the overall cost and risks associated with creating today’s leading video games and movies. For their technology advances, Havok has earned an impressive collection of industry awards, including the National Academy of Television, Arts & Sciences Award, Game Developer Frontline Award, and a Develop Industry Excellence Award. Havok has offices in Dublin, San Francisco, San Antonio, Calcutta, Munich, and Tokyo. David O’Meara, managing director, Havok— David O’Meara is responsible for defining corporate strategic direction and managing the company to achieve its ambitious technical, financial, and commercial goals. David has more than 20 years senior management experience in the software, services, and telecommunications industries. David holds a degree in Economics from Trinity College Dublin.
About the author Based in Arlington, VT, Lee Purcell is the executive director of Lightspeed Publishing LLC specializing in digital content creation. He blogs on alternative energy topics at lightspeedpub.blogspot.com.
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
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The $1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest—the ultimate modification competition brought to you by Intel and Epic Games. To all you aspiring game developers out there– this is your chance to get in the big leagues. We have categories for all kinds of creatively talented people including programmers, artists, 3D modelers, designers and even aspiring film directors. Stoke your passion for gaming at:
http://makesomethingunreal.com
$1,000,000 make something
sponsored by
contest Epic, Epic Games, the Epic Games logo, Unreal, Unreal technology, the Unreal Technology logo, Unreal Tournament, and the Unreal Tournament logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games in the United States and elsewhere. Intel does not make any representations or warranties whatsoever regarding quality, reliability, functionality, or compatibility of third-party vendors and their devices. All products, dates, and plans are based on current expectations and subject to change without notice. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
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Rapid-Fire Moviemaking: Processing Power STREAMLINES THE Workflow
Rapid-Fire Moviemaking: Processing Power Streamlines the Workflow
T
he immediacy, spontaneity, and flexibility of digital moviemaking
The Cinema 2K format is rapidly giving way to 4K, which
have attracted a generation of savvy, creative storytellers who
uses frame sizes with 4 times the data of a 2K frame. Without
push the medium to its limits and relish every advance that gives
some form of compression, these volumes of data are essentially
them a way to improve the art. Until recently, digital cinema has been
unmanageable as part of a digital workflow solution. The
the poor stepchild of traditional 35mm film, lacking the image quality
exceptional image fidelity and color richness of a 4K frame,
and resolution to rival its predecessor. That picture is rapidly changing,
however, must be handled without visual loss if the format
due in part to a host of new technologies, larger frame sizes, such as
is to stand as a competitive alternative to 35mm. CineForm
Cinema 2K and 4K, and advances in multi-core processor performance
addressed this challenge by devising a compression format that
that underlie much of the image capture and manipulation. The digital image processing that characterizes modern moviemaking
uses a visually lossless form of Wavelet compression. Industry technology firms have embraced the CineForm RAW* and CineForm
involves staggering amounts of data, which must be captured,
Intermediate* codecs, incorporating them into digital cameras,
compressed, stored, and processed. It requires 12 MB of disk storage
video storage solutions, non-linear editing suites, color grading and
for the capture of a single uncompressed Cinema 2K frame (assuming a
finishing applications, and other products. The result is that many
resolution of 2048 x 1556 at 10-bit quality). Twenty-four frames must
high-end, data-intensive tasks can be performed in real time, to
be captured each second, requiring a sustained data rate of nearly 300
the benefit of moviemakers, production crews, and post-production
megabytes per second, or one terabyte of storage per hour.
professionals, and included in the digital workflow.
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
13
Rapid-Fire Moviemaking: Processing Power STREAMLINES THE Workflow
A Collaborative Solution Built around CineForm Compression Creating movies is admittedly a complex process, but one that is vastly enhanced by using better tools and faster processors to streamline digital workflow techniques. To showcase the technologies that are changing the nature of moviemaking, Intel presented along with four other companies at the 2008 NAB tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 14–17, showcasing the products that enable digital workflow processes. These companies—CineForm, Silicon Imaging, Wafian, and IRIDAS—are sparking interest throughout the content-creation industry with product designs that take maximum advantage of Intel® Core™ microarchitecture.
CineForm: Image Fidelity through Wavelet Transform Compression
CineForm algorithms and workflow are compatible with many popular NLE applications, such as Adobe Premiere Pro* (shown), Sony Vegas*, Autodesk Combustion*, and Apple Final Cut Pro*.
Content-creation professionals prefer whenever possible to work with uncompressed images, but the demanding data volume bandwidths for emerging high-definition formats require some form of compression to keep the data within manageable limits. CineForm engineers facing this challenge focused their expertise to develop a codec that would be virtually indistinguishable visually from the original image. By employing a full-frame temporal Wavelet transform, CineForm formats can successfully achieve compression levels in the range 5:1 to 10:1, raising the bar for image fidelity and making compressed workflows practical. The technology has been integrated into digital cameras, including Silicon Imaging’s SI-2K*, as well as into video storage equipment and the post-production environment. CineForm’s own Prospect HD*, Aspect HD*, and NEO HD* product families rely on these codecs. Other industry players who have adopted CineForm algorithms and workflow include non-linear editor producers, with products such as Adobe Premiere Pro*, Sony Vegas*, Autodesk Combustion*, and Apple Final Cut Pro*. “The emergence of new digital cameras and imaging formats presents new industry workflow challenges”, said David Taylor, CEO of CineForm. “But the great success of our partnering efforts are end-to-end product solutions which are otherwise unavailable.” Part
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
of those partnering efforts included extensive collaboration with Intel engineering support, which resulted in a highly optimized version of the CineForm codec that achieves substantial performance gains when running on platforms based on Intel Core microarchitecture.
Silicon Imaging: The Versatility of the SI-2K* Camera Silicon Imaging broke into the increasingly important 2K market with the SI-2K camera, attracting the attention of professionals working in fields such as cinema, commercials, corporate production, and training. The producers of Dark Country, a trend-setting 3-D film directed by Thomas Jane, had ParadiseFX create a unique stereo moviemaking rig with adjustable interocular capabilities to take advantage of the highly mobile compact camera head. The camera head operates independently of the camera body. With an Intel® Core™2 Duo processor in the camera body, the SI-2K performs CineForm RAW compression to the onboard removable hard disk drive and produces real-time, graded preview video using IRIDAS .Look files. The camera also includes a single-chip, two-thirds-inch sensor that, in combination with the capture hardware and a Gigabit Ethernet interface, can deliver raw video data (up to 12 bits per pixel) to the 2K body or an external computer. The SI-2K integrates into a variety of digital workflow environments, opening up different possibilities for moviemakers who want
14
Rapid-Fire Moviemaking: Processing Power STREAMLINES THE Workflow
The SI-2K* digital video camera establishes a new price-point milestone for high-resolution video capture and integrates into new digital video workflow environments that are enhancing moviemaking.
worked closely with Intel to apply multi-threading techniques to fully utilize the available processor cores and to tune the code to optimal performance with the Intel® VTune™ Performance Analyzer.
IRIDAS: Color and Finishing Work to Enhance Digital Workflow IRIDAS enjoyed widespread recognition in 2007 for the breakthrough release of the first real-time de-Bayering of CineForm RAW image files. Products such as IRIDAS SpeedGrade* provide color grading and finishing of image sequences during post production, as
to explore the outer boundaries of cinematic creation. Using the CineForm
well as preview images in the IRIDAS .Look file format. By sharing
RAW format for capture offers an additional advantage: metadata can
metadata associated with color modifications and displaying image
be used to alter the appearance of the preview images or to achieve a
adjustments non-destructively (including preview images returned to
selected look during capture without affecting the integrity of the pristine
the digital camera), IRIDAS vastly expands the repertoire of content
source files. This type of immediate feedback during production
professionals and provides tools that improve the creative process.
lets moviemakers make any necessary changes during post production to the untouched video images.
Wafian: Direct-to-Disk Video Recording The Wafian family of video recorders use native CineForm files for storage, providing extremely high-quality capture and the flexibility of models designed specifically for field operation while on battery power. This feature proved invaluable for the Mi Casa Multimedia team that created a documentary on pastcentury tall ships, using Wafian HR-1* and HR-F1* HD video recorders under the difficult conditions encountered at sea. With an emphasis on high-quality video recording, Wafian equipment can record up to 10-bit, 4:4:4 video content, providing extended, uninterrupted direct-to-disk capture—a boon to moviemakers or documentary filmmakers whose work often involves demanding conditions or live events. High-end Wafian models support continuous recording for up to 18 hours at a stretch with full disk mirroring. This equipment works well
Before and after images in IRIDAS SpeedGrade* DI. Clicking on a .Look at the bottom of the screen applies the .Look non-destructively to the footage and brings up all the settings used to create it in the grading panel.
in situations involving single or multiple cameras, supporting both single-link or dual-stream (stereoscopic) work flows, offering a
For example, the Silicon Imaging SI-2K camera incorporates
powerful solution for 3-D acquisition and playback. The performance
SpeedGrade OnSet internally within the camera itself, allowing looks
requirements demanded innovative engineering: Wafian staff members
and image coloring to be applied and adjusted directly in the camera viewfinder. All of these technology achievements are built on underlying Intel® Software Development tools, including the use of Intel® Integrated
The Wafian HR-2* supports digital cinema applications with 10-bit 4:4:4 video recording.
Performance Primitives to achieve cross-platform decoding of .jpeg files and Intel® Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.1 instructions to boost subsystem performance. Digital cinema workflows are substantially improved through the ability to non-destructively adjust image appearances and share particular looks in real time with members of the creative team from one end of the production chain to the other.
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
15
Rapid-Fire Moviemaking: Processing Power STREAMLINES THE Workflow
“Recording high-definition video presents a variety On the Set: Advantages of Enhanced Digital Workflow of challenges to the engineer. Managing the What do a film noir movie set in the high desert of New Mexico and a large number of taxing and simultaneous tasks is documentary captured on an 18th century tall ship while at sea have in difficult, and the resulting product requires extreme common? Both relied on CineForm codecs and leveraged the advantages of stability, even during extended periods of use. Intel’s the newer digital workflow techniques to enhance their storytelling efforts. technology has empowered our engineers with Dark Country, a 3-D thriller that takes its two lead characters on a the ability to make all of this transparent to the haunting road trip across New Mexico, brings stereoscopic filmmaking to a higher level with a variety of techniques that were experimental at the end user, and to create products that differentiate time of their use. The variable interocular stereo rig that was used for the Wafian from other video acquisition companies.” SI-2K cameras, designed by ParadiseFX, enabled the camera operator to
-Jeff Youel, president of Wafian
Digital Cinema Comes of Age Investments in digital cinema equipment and acceptance of new formats and projection standards by theater chains herald a compelling new experience for theatergoers. Stereoscopic films are garnering attention and attracting substantial audiences, led by such trend-setting titles as Beowulf and Dark Country. This trend is likely to continue as cameras such as the SI-2K* and the digital workflow tools discussed in this article make it less expensive and more efficient to produce 3-D films. Nick Dager, founder and principal of the Digital Cinema Report (www.digitalcinemareport.com), sees the concurrent rise of digital cinema and 3-D movies as complementary and a positive sign for an industry that has floundered a bit in recent years trying to compete with DVD, video downloads from the Web, and high-definition television broadcasting. “I believe stereoscopic 3-D is going to transform the entire movie experience from top to bottom and, in fact, it will cause a greater sea change than the introduction of sound,” Dager said. “The kinds of movies that are made, how they are made, and the intensity of the movie-going experience is about to get bigger and better than ever.” “I strongly suspect that once the public at large has a taste of it,” Dager continued, “people will start demanding even more 3-D
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
dynamically adjust the distance between the individual cameras, modifying
than they already are. Because the success of the Beowulf example was not atypical. So far every digital 3-D movie that has come out has done at least a factor of 2.5 times the box office return of the same film in 2-D.” Theater chain owners are also spurring the growth of digital cinema by investing in the new technology. Dager cites one significant example: National Cinemedia. “I think this is the year when digital cinema really takes off,” Dager stated, “for the simple reason that National Cinemedia, which is the number one chain in the world, controlling almost half of the screens in the country, is committing to a major digital rollout this year. There are approximately 38,000 screens in North America and National Cinemedia owns 15,000 of them. They hope to own 20,000 soon. Once they get everything up and running (which is going to take a few years for completion), that is half our cinema universe right there.”
Of Threads and Moviemakers Multi-threading underlies many of the advances that are bringing improved image fidelity and enhanced workflows to the moviemaking community. Individual cores in a multi-core processor can be devoted to the data-intensive tasks encountered when moving terabytes of data through a series of capture, storage, and effects pipelines.
As you’ll read elsewhere in this issue of Visual Computing Insight, Intel is introducing a feature to the Intel® Integrated Performance Primitives library: Deferred Mode Image Processing (DMIP) organizes and accelerates image-processing tasks. This approach will benefit tasks in which the extremely large image sizes do not permit interim storage in the L2 cache. Software that performs effects processing, conversion, capture, and other aspects of high-end image manipulation will be able to immediately take advantage of these capabilities and reduce processing times substantially. Reducing the barriers and time lag between video capture and the application of image enhancements and effects is a clear advantage to moviemakers and one of the driving forces behind the growth of digital cinema. As new hardware platforms are introduced, powered by new multi-core processors, software applications in the digital image-processing realm will be able to capitalize on the performance and increase efficiency. This, in turn, will expand the support for large frame sizes for images, more complex effects, and more thoroughly integrated post-production pipelines. All of these elements are factors in the creative renaissance that is driving present-day moviemaking and fostering imaginative projects and innovative content from a new generation of communicators.
16
Rapid-Fire Moviemaking: Processing Power STREAMLINES THE Workflow
the stereoscopic effect to accommodate tracking shots and zooms. The result was an effect akin to the way in which the human eye perceives 3-D landscapes. Each of the SI-2K cameras was linked to an Apple MacBook* Pro computer for capture through a Gigabit Ethernet interface, providing highquality CineForm RAW visual images that could then be easily manipulated— including the 3-D effects—during post production. IRIDAS .Look files that portrayed the dark, moody color grading for the film noir appearance gave the camera operators real-time visual feedback through the viewfinder. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor, embedded in the SI-2K camera, played a key role in image capture and previewing, as well as provided the computing power for other on-camera features. The stereographer for the film, Ray
The SI-2K Mini cameras in a stereo rig as used in Dark Country.
Zone, talked about the importance of 3-D in the January/February issue of Showreel. “With digital and dual
production), the documentary team was able to work efficiently and
digital capture, such as we’re using on Dark Country, there is great
generate high-quality, high-definition video material.
flexibility in terms of how you manipulate and take them into post. It
Once back in the Mi Casa Multimedia studio, engineers working
is a great blessing for 3-D and now with 3-D digital cinema there is a
in post production copied the video files from the Wafian recorders
wonderful new technology where a single projector can project the left
directly into their Adobe Premiere* workstation and began the edit
and right eye movies, using what is called the dual-stream technique
process. The highly efficient digital workflow process does not require
with polarizing filters and a single screen. So, 3-D movies are about
digitizing or importing of content to get started. As Mi Casa’s associate
to enter a golden age, to become a regular part of the entertainment
producer Dana Sol said, “We never have to down convert or offline in
paradigm and not just a gimmick. This means 3-D filmmakers are going
our workflow. Once we’re editing, it’s high def all the time.”
to have to learn how to tell stories in depth, how to make the depth part of the narrative, and to use that in a creative way.” In another example of how new digital workflows are transforming moviemaking, Robert Margouleff of Mi Casa Multimedia took advantage
The completed 12-part series is scheduled to air on broadcast television and to also be distributed on Blu-Ray DVD. Another documentary film produced by Mi Casa, Chase Boat, using the same workflow techniques, is scheduled for release in 2008. end
of the portability and video-recording capabilities of the Wafian HR-1 and HR-F1 HD video recorders and CineForm editing software to produce a documentary on seagoing vessels of the 18th and 19th century. Much of the documentary content was shot and previewed at sea, aboard the pitching and rolling tall ships. During an extended session on the Lynx, a replica of an 1812 American Privateer, Margouleff captured over 15 hours of content. By capturing the lengthy video sequences to the recorders (without swapping tape cartridges) and surveying the captured content before returning to land (and post
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
17
on the lookout
on the lookout
Got Game? Bring Yours for Fame, Fortune, and Mega Glory
I
GAME ON Get insight from the experts—that
Contest. Drawing developers of all kinds, including garage
deadly serious about their play:
and indie developers, hobbyists, and students with global
http://intel.com/personal/gaming/index.htm
t’s that super sweet time again where game developers from around the globe converge in a worldwide competition of grand proportions—the 2008 Game Demo
elite world of professional gamers, all of whom are
exposure to the gaming community, this is your chance to have your game demo viewed and voted on by the best in the industry—including big-dog developers who are always looking for the next big thing. Check out the official site: http://softwarecontests.intel.com/gamedemo/index.php experience the future of gaming The shift to multi-threaded games has been astounding
as developers take advantage of the amazing gains in both framerates and graphics performance. And with a host of free
software tools available, developers don’t have to reinvent the wheel anymore—just the game. Which makes developing a multi-threaded demo a lot more realistic. As entries pour in from around the globe, you have the
opportunity to see what other developers are creating and can even vote on your personal faves. With games on everything from the classic destruction of the universe as
we know it, to concept car racing, and games that showcase revolutionary uses of light, smoke, and liquefied metal, you’ll find some of the most creative demos around to inspire you and maybe even wow you. To view and vote on entries: http://softwarecontests.intel.com/gamedemo/viewentries.php/ Are you the next big thing? Then bring it. Here’s your chance to show the world your originality and mad developer skills. It’s not too late to submit your entry, but the deadline is coming up fast. Register and include media and screenshots of your game demo or submit a programming tip and trick to improve compatibility and playability on Intel® Graphics. by July 1, 2008, for your chance to win more than U. S. dollar (USD) 100,000 in cash, developer tools, and services. Check out the contest rules and submit your entry: www.intel. com/software/gamedemo2008
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Mod-making tools for your arsenal Looking for free tools you can use to develop your ultimate winning mod? Check out these free resources to
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help you get started:
Putting the unreal in your mod is Unreal Tournament 3, with
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a ton of multi-player mode options, including deathmatch,
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Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
18
A Landmark in image processing: DMIP
A Landmark in Image Processing:
W
herever you look, the graphical resolution of commonly used
in Intel® Integrated
digital image formats is steadily increasing, resulting in larger
Performance Primitives
file sizes and more intensive processing requirements. In
(Intel® IPP) library. The
DMIP
several fields of image processing—digital photography, high-definition
resulting solution, which is
digital moviemaking, medical diagnostics, surveillance imaging, and
featured in the Intel IPP version 6.0 release, is called deferred mode
others—frame sizes are increasing substantially. In the case of digital
image processing (DMIP). DMIP effectively handles large image data
video formats, such as Cinema 2K and 4K, the color space is also being
arrays that don’t fit entirely within the processor L2 cache.
expanded, further increasing the file sizes. File sizes for Cinema 4K
DMIP, now an integral part of the Intel IPP package, performs
content can be as much as one terabyte per hour of video. On the
pipelined sequences of fast functions to process image data in
other end of the scale, even mobile handheld devices routinely capture
manageable portions, whether organized by tile, block, slice, or
images that can be several megapixels in size. With image sizes of this
another element. This approach effectively combines the benefits
magnitude, fresh approaches are needed to maintain performance
of pipelined processing with manually optimized code of the Intel
when manipulating and processing image data.
IPP library. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) defines inputs (from
In response to a requirement from a strategic Intel customer
image data sources), outputs (destination images or data destined
involved in large-scale computer tomography images, Intel software
for memory), and operations and represents each as nodes on the
engineers began conceptualizing a framework for more efficiently
graph. These nodes correspond to image-processing functions
using the extensive library of image-processing algorithms available
and their inputs and outputs. For operations that can be handled
SUBSLICE 1
Input
SUBSLICE 2
Input
SUBSLICE 3
Image for Processing
Input
SUBSLICE 4
Quad-Core Processor
Input
To Float
Filter
Threshhold
To Byte
Output
To Byte
Output
To Byte
Output
To Byte
Output
Core One
To Float
Filter
Threshhold
Processed Image Segments
Core Two
To Float
Filter
Threshhold
Core Three
To Float
Filter
Threshhold
Core Four
Example of DMIP tasks
— Convert from byte[ ] to float[ ] — Apply filter — Apply threshhold — Convert back to byte [ ]
By splitting large graphics processing tasks into cache-sized units and performing them in parallel, performance is boosted considerably.
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
19
A Landmark in image processing: DMIP
Other niceties bundled with the Intel IPP version 6.0 release include support for the Intel® Atom™ processor, optimized Linux* operating-system libraries, additional performance-tuned data-compression libraries, new static libraries of improved threading optimization, and cryptographic algorithms. Intel IPP functions go beyond the performance-boosting capabilities of optimized compilers alone by taking advantage of available processor features and optimized instruction sets. For example, matching the Intel IPP function algorithms to the low-level optimizations for the Intel® Streaming SIMD Extensions (Intel SSE) (from Intel SSE through Intel SSE4) can improve overall application performance substantially. Software developers and their application designs benefit from well-established, highly refined algorithms that address many of the most important programming operations. Intel’s worldclass support network also adds value and utility to these libraries.
“DMIP tries to maintain a balance of the slice size. Keeping it comparatively small lets the slice fit into L2 cache and enable efficient pipelining. Splitting the slices into comparatively large sub-slices allows them to be efficiently handled by the available processor cores” Alexander Kibkalo, Intel software engineer
concurrently, parallel
without requiring knowledge of the environment or the conditions of
threads are generated
the function call. DMIP provides the detailed descriptions of each task
to enhance performance.
in DAG form and the appropriate preferences can then be applied for
Using DMIP can accelerate
optimizing the routines.”
image-processing tasks
“In terms of parallelization on Intel processors,” Kibkalo continued,
between one and a half to
“DMIP tries to maintain a balance of the slice size. Keeping it
three times compared to
comparatively small lets the slice fit into L2 cache and enable efficient
a non-pipelined approach.
pipelining. Splitting the slices into comparatively large sub-slices allows
One key benefit: DMIP
them to be efficiently handled by the available processor cores (for
provides formula-level
example, by 4 lines for a quad-core processor or by 8 lines for an 8-core
access to the vast library
processor). For achieving the best performance, the actual method of
of Intel IPP functions.
splitting should be tailored to the individual processor on which the
Within the Intel IPP version
application is being run.”
6.0 release, developers
DMIP was designed for flexibility, so additional capabilities and
can choose from among
extensions can be added for custom operations or to address specific
thousands of C functions that encompass a large span of data
customer requirements. DMIP excels at handling a repeated series of
operations. Those not familiar with full range of options in the Intel IPP
calculations that are performed on a number of images of the same
library can sometimes be discouraged from employing the algorithms
frame size. Thus, it has potential applications in areas mentioned
in their applications. By removing the need to focus on the details of
elsewhere in this issue of Visual Computing Insight. DMIP’s capabilities
low-level programming, DMIP simplifies access to library functions,
are a good match for many of the image-processing operations that
letting developers integrate advanced, proven routines into their code
are part of the digital workflow solution that Silicon Imaging, IRIDAS,
and take advantage of data alignment performance gains, particularly
CineForm, and Wafian offer.
on Intel® processors. These gains typically result in significantly faster
Image processing promises to continue growing in complexity as
instruction processing times for aligned data, commonly achieving
images of greater and greater resolutions proliferate. To those in the
speed increases of two to three times.
developer community looking for a better way to handle manipulation
Alexander Kibkalo, an Intel software engineer who worked on the development of DMIP, offered insights into the optimization advantages:
of large images, the addition of DMIP to the Intel IPP libraries will streamline many common image-processing sequences. end
“Fundamentally, DMIP optimizes overall image-processing tasks within an application while individual Intel IPP functions can be optimized
Visual Computing | Issue 2 | 2008
20
resources
Resources Intel® Software Network Intel’s heightened focus on visual computing and graphics processing is complemented by software-development products, graphics chipsets, professional services, technical expertise, and developer-oriented resources. Keep up with the activities of Intel’s Visual Computing Software Division through www.intel.com/go/visualcomputing.
Dig deeper and explore any of the following resources related to the topics covered in this issue of Intel® Visual Computing Insight magazine: Successful Games Support Mainstream Graphics For a comprehensive list of the games compatible with Intel® Graphics components, go to www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/cs-012643.htm
Rapid-Fire Moviemaking: Processing Power Streamlines the Workflow For more information about digital cinema, visit www.digitalcinemasociety.org and www.digitalcinemareport.com.
For additional developer information about the Intel® GMA X3000, visit softwarecommunity.intel.com/articles/eng/1487.htm
To learn more about Wafian, visit www.wafian.com.
Looks Aren’t Everything: Making Games Act Real
For detailed specifications of the revolutionary Silicon Imaging camera, SI-2K*, visit www.si-2K.com.
To learn more about the Japanese roboticist, Masahiro Mori, go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masahiro_Mori For more information on video games and multicore processing, explore the Intel Take Five Video Series at www.intel.com/software/videos/ Planting Seeds for the Next Gaming Breakthrough To learn more about Havok, visit www.havok.com. For more on using threads in game development and Intel and Havok GDC sessions, visit Game Development Unleashed at softwarecommunity.intel.com/articles/eng/3734.htm.
To learn more about IRIDAS, visit www.iridas.com.
For more information about CineForm, visit www.cineform.com. A Landmark in Image Processing: DMIP For information about the Intel Integrated Performance Primitives 5.3, go to www.intel.com/cd/software/products/asmo-na/eng/302910.htm. For a white paper about DMIP, access the PDF file at softwarecommunity.intel.com/isn/downloads/graphics/pdfs/ DEFERRED_IMAGE_PROCESSING.PDF
For more on Intel® Software Development products, visit www3.intel.com/cd/software/products/asmo-na/eng/index.htm
o Subscribe to the Intel® Software Insight magazine www.intel.com/go/softwaredispatch o Tap into Intel® multi-core resources: www.intel.com/software/mcdeveloper o Explore Intel® Software Development Products: www.intel.com/software/products o Find online classroom training courses from Intel® Software College: www.intel.com/software/college o Discover more benefits with Intel® Solution Services: www.intel.com/go/intelsolutionservices o Sign up for Intel® Software Partner Program, available to software companies: www.intel.com/partner o Find out more about Intel® Software Network: www.intel.com/software o Build your knowledge base with books from Intel® Press: www.intel.com/intelpress/ o Interact with a lively community of individuals in the Intel® Graphics Developer Community: http://www.intel.com/software/graphics/
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Intel does not make any representations or warranties whatsoever regarding quality, reliability, functionality, or compatibility of third-party vendors and their devices. All products, dates, and plans are based on current expectations and subject to change without notice. Intel, Intel logo, Intel Atom, Intel Core, Intel. Leap ahead., Intel. Leap ahead. logo, and VTune are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Copyright
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