GPU Lightmapper.

I'm so pumped for this feature! In today's Unity blog they talk about the Octane Renderer and its use of GPU lightmapping, is this the same thing featured in this weeks GDC talk or a seperate GPU lightmapping solution?

Reference of gpy progressive lightmapper at GDC

Blog about Octane GPU lightmapping.
https://blogs.unity3d.com/2018/03/22/octanerender-for-unity-update/

 

Two different things (with a very similar purpose). Unitys own GPU lightmapper is scheduled for a public preview via a build of 2018.2 at some point I believe (I dont know if it will be in the actual 2018.2 release)

 

how can i activate this new lighmapper ?

 

Not yet.

 

Thanks for clearly that up @elbows

 

No problem. Also note that at this stage OctaneRender is still Windows & Nvidia only. They are working on rewriting their systems to be based on cross-platform and cross-vendor stuff rather than CUDA, but they are not there yet. Whereas the presently unreleased Unity GPU progressive lightmapping is based on cross-platform/GPU stuff from the start.

 

guys, what about segi dynamic voxel-based global illumination, are you gonna support it in hd pipeline ? its now open source and i hope u guys make it in good use.

 

what you mean, support it? Its open source, so what more do you need in order to integrate it into a projecT?

 

Daemonhahn as far as i know segi doesn't support HD pipline and as every open source the development will be slower. it will be great if unity support segi same as they did for pro-builder.

 

Like most realtime GI solutions, SEGI has various issues and limitations and I really would be very surprised if Unity decided to use it themselves.

 

I imagine the correct approach will involve possibly path tracing in part, things like that, it's where GPUs are putting their muscle. Even DX12 has a raytracing API and Vulcan to follow I guess...

I mean GI, we've got enlighen and with some wise massaging it fulfils all but the most dynamic use-cases.

SEGI being open source, perhaps it will have a HD version some day.

 

How about applying for the 2018.2 alpha, can i ? i want to use the gpu light mapper

 

unlikely

 

does this GPU Progressive Lightmapper would be available on Unity LTS 2017.x versions at future?

 

No, only bugfixes are back-ported.

 

oh ... most of my assets are just compatible with 2017 and can't convert or change these tons of assets to 2018 !! :/

 

Is there a reason you can't convert them? the built-in renderer seems by large the same as 2017. You should know the GPU lightmapper isn't out for 2018 for a while yet as well, they're still just talking about these things being generally sometime in 2018, not specific.

 

some of custom hlsl shaders and some of postpro scripts and shaders :/

 

Yeah those should all still work the same. Is there a specific upgrade problem you're having? (note: you should only ever attempt upgrading a project on a copy)

 

For the record, I use all custom shaders and all custom post processing, they all worked fine in 2018 (at least from my limited testing, but I did get a build running).

You don't have to switch to the new rendering pipelines.

 

People should only consider them for projects in very early or planning stages (or with 1.0f metallic balls).

 

@AcidArrow and @hippocoder
thanks for your response ...

my bad! i switched to HDRP ... but some of old assets does not working correctly! needs to reworked ...

 

HDRP requires complete rework of all materials. Consider it a *different* game render engine. I think most people will agree with me, that the behaviour requires that thinking.

Unity staff constantly recommend you only use HDRP for curiosity and learning purposes for now because it is very much WIP and subject to change.

Lightweight pipeline is ready enough IMHO! so we're left with two options really.

If people read this post in future, check the date - above text is relative to March 2018.

 

I agree.

(although I am very tempted to write my own SRP (or at the very least, take lightweight and remove almost everything...) and we're not in very early dev )

EDIT: We're getting a bit off-topic though, thread says GPU Lightmapper.

Bottom line is, if you don't switch to SRP (and you probably shouldn't), from my experience, transition to 2018 is pretty smooth.

 

yup .. i love the new version of standard shader ... new refraction method on standard shader and good subsurface effect for vegetation ...

it would be great if just port this new standard shader to legacy rendering method :]

 

I thought this was coming in 2018.2?

 

Nope, 2018.3 at the earliest.

 

I doubt it will be 2018.3 though, if it were true, then Unity would have made more noise. I predict 2019.2 with a preview tag.

I will dance on my roof if it comes any earlier of course.

 

Yeah I'll throw the ivories on that one...

 

when is the gpu progressive will come and which version of unity ?

 

What I am concerned about is not just the GPU mapper but lighting in general. Lighting atm, is very restrictive and under performing. I hope they can introduce new lighting techs for HDRP soon - if that is even planned.

 

now this feature is priview with unity 2018.3 beta,but any demo to test?

 

When it comes out

 

There was a positive sign today as they changed the status of the GPU Accelerated Lightmapper (Preview) in 2018.3 Roadmap from "At Risk" to "On Track". This suggests Progressive GPU Lightmapper will make to final 2018.3 after all.

 

Except the new prefab system This is the only feature i want to test in 2018.3

 

That's already in the beta

 

Interesting. Can we get some sort of confirmation? Will we get a preview version of the GPU lightmapper in 2018.3?

 

There's no other public info other than the official roadmap, I know only what it says And the entry says it'll be preview.

 

I know. That's why I somewhat indirectly asking for a Unity dev to chime in and tell us what the plan is

 

I was talking about GPU Lightmapper that's hasn't been released yet! I've checked in B1

 

I really hope so. Otherwise this version is just useless for me (IMHO) and i'll wait for 2019.1

 

Ah, got you. I'm looking forward to it as well.

 

From the 2018.3 beta release blog:


Charles Beauchemin

September 13, 2018 at 2:55 pm Reply

As you can see on our public roadmap ( https://unity3d.com/unity/roadmap ) the GPU lightmapper is scheduled to be shipped in Preview mode for 2018.3. We are hoping to have it available in an upcoming beta version.

Since stating this its been switched to on track from at risk. Should expect it in the next beta release...hopefully

 

I agree, the only thing I was waiting for was gpu lightmapper.

 

This is really common, if you look around these forums, there's been even people who quite vocally ask Unity to drop everything but feature x from 2018.3..

So far I've seen people only wanting a) gpu lightmapper, improved prefabs, particle improvements, new physx. This is fine, people have different needs but it doesn't make the new release "meh" for majority if it can offer one thing here and there for the users. You can never please everyone.

 

Thanks for the link, I totally missed that. Good to hear that it's coming sooner (was expecting to happen only later during betas with the previous info)

 

Beta 2 is out. Not seeing it in there. Fingers crossed for Beta 3.

 

lol dont hold ur breath. I wouldn't count on it.

 

I'm not, just crossing fingers

 

any ETA for GPU Lightmapper?