32-bit and 64-bit builds of newest PhysX SDK 2.8.3., along with 9.09.30 PhysX System Software are available for download at PhysX Developer Support site, but we think it won’t take long until SDK will appear as public download.

Update: Changes in PhysX SDK access procedure

Meanwhile, some highlights from Release Notes:

General

• This release enables clothing simulation. These new features are required to run the APEX clothing module.
• The release also adds a hierarchical solver for cloth (HPBD Solver).
• Introduction of split pair notification for cloth (existed for soft bodies only in previous versions).
• Improved statistics to track GPU memory utilization.
• Updated with 64Bit Windows support.

Performance

• The hierarchical cloth solver runs before the regular solver at each time step. This does not immediately improve cloth simulation performace. However, running the hierarchical solver achieves the same stiffness of the cloth with fewer solver iterations of the regular solver. Thus, the performance is increased by explicitly reducing the number solver iterations.
• Added support to run force field updates on the scene’s worker threads.

Fixed Bugs

• NxArray::insert() did not work properly if elements were inserted anywhere else than at the end of the array.
• Crash when fluid tries to access invalid convexes. Mirrored convexes can get corrupted when a heap allocation fails.
• GPU fluids: Force and deletion updates are performed on wrong particles in case the updates address particles that have been added since the last execution of NxScene::simulate().
• GPU fluid mesh collision kernel crashes on GT200 cards due to heavily unbalanced workload.
• GPU fluids: Releasing static primitive rigid body shapes has no effect on particle collision.
• Concurrency issues with multi compartment scene configurations.

Following Geeks3D report on that recent driver update disables PhysX hardware acceleration not only for Nvidia GPUs, but for Ageia PPUs as well (if non-Nvidia graphics card is present in the system) we’ve desided to perform small investigation.

Test methodology is simple enough: we’ll use certain sample from PhysX SDK 2.8.1 Build 13 to identify if Ageia PPU is working and initializing properly with different PhysX drivers on several systems with Nvidia and ATI GPUs.

Used PhysX System Software – 8.09.04 (last one with direct PPU support) and newest 9.09.0814 installed above 8.09.04 (PPU won’t be recognised on pure 9.09.0814 drivers)

GeForce System #1 – GTX275 + Ageia PPU

PhysX driver 8.09.04                                                         PhysX driver 9.09.0814

GeForce System #2 – GTX295 + Ageia PPU (thanks to JeGX from Geeks3d)

PhysX driver 9.09.0814

As you can see, in both cases Ageia PPU was recognised properly by the system, and hardware acceleration is working too (test applications indicates that both scene and cloth simulations are running in hardware)

What will happen if we’ll try same scenario, but now with ATI GPU installed in the system ?

Read the rest of this entry »

We are proud to present our new PhysX comparison video – for Batman Arkham Asylum retail PC version. Currently, this title has most impressive, advanced and complex hardware PhysX effects from all GPU PhysX games line.

Our Batman: Arkham Asylum PhysX mini-site is located here.

We’ve uploaded new PhysX comparison video for Darkest of Days PC retail. Released only two days ago, this game drags player through different time periods, from Pompei to World War 2.  B-quality title, but gives unique apportunity to use futuristic weapons in the past. At least it worth a try.

Darkest of Days Info mini-site is located here
Comparison screenshots coming soon.

Gamersdomain.org (along with other websites) has revealed new trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum, which seems to be official promo video from Nvidia.

Variety of GPU PhysX effects can be seen there, like good old dynamic paper, steam, different types of destructible objects and cloth simulation.

New PhysX screenshots are also available, you can find them, for example, here

Finally, you can check out our PhysX comparison video for Batman: Arkham Asylum demo, if you haven’t seen it yet.

PC version of Batman: Arkham Asylum will be released on September 18.

We’ve uploaded PhysX comparison video for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfigter 2. Developed by GRIN for PC, this game came out in 2007, featuring Ageia PhysX support, and was augmented with GPU physics processing later via PhysX driver update. Still looks decent.

Our GRAW2 PhysX info mini-site is located here

Note: For this comparison video (and for others too), we are using comparison sign “PhysX ON” vs “PhysX OFF” just for brevity. More properly it must sound like “extra hardware accelerated effects ON” vs “extra hardware accelerated effects OFF”,  as PhysX SDK itself is working it both cases, calculating ragdolls and other standart physics stuff on CPU.

Note#2: This game was made with Ageia PPU support in mind, and some effects can’not be directly applied to GPU PhysX reality (for example, setting PhysX option to “Extreme” will add some destructible objects, but their rigid body parts will be calculated on CPU in any way)

After whole year of silence, PCgameshardware.de has revealed some new details about Shadow Harvest title – GPU PhysX support for this game was announced in May 2008

According to their article, Shadow Harvest will have, as example, GPU accelerated cloth objects and supplementary physical smoke effects.

System requirements were also declared – Dual core CPU + Geforce 8800 GT/GTS class GPU without extra PhysX effects enabled, and least single GTX280 for those who wants to play with GPU PhysX goodies.

As additional features we can name DX10 support.

Source: PCgameshardware.de

PCgameshardware.com revealed a new Mafia II hands-on article today, and it says

Mafia 2 is a pure cross platform title although the PC is said to be the lead platform. Due to the higher resolutions as well as additional GPU Physx particle effects, like dynamic, interactive smoke the PC version will also offer better graphics than the console variant.

Let’s wait for official announcement.

Source: PCgameshardware.com

Capcom has announced release date for Dark Void title – January 12 2010 in North America, and January 15 in Europe.
Dark Void is going to be one of most advanced GPU PhysX titles, featuring APEX Turbulence support.

Source: Capcom

Nvidia has published new PhysX comparison video for Darkest of Days title

It’s showcasing some new effects, like dynamic fog, smoke and ash in action.