Will R42x have any features of Vertex Shader 3.0?

[pat777]

I think Vertex Shader 3.0 will be the better improvement of the 2 shaders. I hope the R42x has at least one feature in VS. 3.0 or maybe even fully support it. If ATI doesn't support VS. 3.0 at all I'm choosing NV40.

[volkskrant]

I think Vertex Shader 3.0 will be the better improvement of the 2 shaders. I hope the R42x has at least one feature in VS. 3.0 or maybe even fully support it. If ATI doesn't support VS. 3.0 at all I'm choosing NV40.
Rumors are R42x will support everything from PS 3.0 and Vs 3.0 except branching

Than again, these are rumors.

[oqvist]

Maybe easier to say what not. It looks like ATI will not use 32-precision and not support branching... All rumours of course.

[GlowStick]

I think Vertex Shader 3.0 will be the better improvement of the 2 shaders. I hope the R42x has at least one feature in VS. 3.0 or maybe even fully support it. If ATI doesn't support VS. 3.0 at all I'm choosing NV40.
Um, it supports centroid sampling i belive, not sure if its actually usable though.

[{Sniping}Waste]

Maybe easier to say what not. It looks like ATI will not use 32-precision and not support branching... All rumours of course.

Only FP24 for pixel shaders only. Alll vertex shaders are done in FP32 as far back as the R300.

[Lezmaka]

Um, it supports centroid sampling i belive, not sure if its actually usable though.

He's talking about VS3.0, not PS3.0. Anyway, I believe R300 can do centroid sampling, so there's no reason why R420 wouldn't be able to do it either.

[GlowStick]

He's talking about VS3.0, not PS3.0. Anyway, I believe R300 can do centroid sampling, so there's no reason why R420 wouldn't be able to do it either.
It can its just not supported via drivers.

[kipper67]

Rumors are R42x will support everything from PS 3.0 and Vs 3.0 except branching

Than again, these are rumors.

Branching now appears to be a part of PS_2_X and VS_2_X , check it out for yourself

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/directx/graphics/reference/assemblylanguageshaders/pixelshaders/pixelshaderdifferences.asp

There's a lot of stuff people thought was going to be SM3.0 that has been bounced down to the PS_2_X level (I wonder why ;) )

ps_2_x Features
New features (D3DCAPS9.PS20Caps):

Dynamic flow control
Static flow control
Nesting for dynamic and static flow control instructions
Number of Temporary Registers (r#) increased
Arbitrary source swizzle
Gradient instructions
Predication
No dependent texture read limit
No texture instruction limit
New instructions:

Static flow control instructions - if bool, call, callnz bool, else, endif, rep, endrep, label, ret
Dynamic flow control instructions - break, break_comp, breakp, callnz pred, if_comp, if pred, setp_comp - ps
Arithmetic instructions - dsx, dsy
Texture instruction - texldd
New registers:

Predicate Register (p0)


In fact it appears there's more functionality added by PS_2_x than there is by PS3.0 now. :) (although obviously SM3.0 includes all the stuff in 2_X plus extras)

[pat777]

Branching now appears to be a part of PS_2_X and VS_2_X , check it out for yourself

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/directx/graphics/reference/assemblylanguageshaders/pixelshaders/pixelshaderdifferences.asp

There's a lot of stuff people thought was going to be SM3.0 that has been bounced down to the PS_2_X level (I wonder why ;) )



In fact it appears there's more functionality added by PS_2_x than there is by PS3.0 now. :) (although obviously SM3.0 includes all the stuff in 2_X plus extras)
I don't see anything that says PS_2_x supports branching. Do they use another term?

http://www.3dcenter.org/artikel/2004/04-19.php

That rumor says R42x is using Shader model 2.0, not Shader model_2_x