NextPreviousHomeDepth Bias ☼ Sorting Problems

SMSgtRod | 6 years ago | 8 comments | 1 like | 1,427 views

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I see these sliders occasionally on different layers.
(ie: Waving Flag Layer and it says in the User Guide,
"This property can be used to solve sorting problems."
Do What???

I have found some articles in this community
going back over the years addressing specific
problems. About triangles and transparency
triangles. Ok, sure! LOL

The internet tells me this:
"Polygons that are coplanar in 3D space can be made to
appear as if they are not coplanar by adding a z-bias
(or depth bias) to each one."
At one time I thought I understood English......

If someone would care to do some in depth, in layman's
terms, explaining I would surely enjoy it.

When I move the DB slider, doesn't seem to do much! LOL




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Only when you have a problem with sorting, you could use this.

This problem can occur but mostly with pictures and more so transparant textures and shadows, because of there depth value can coincide with another layers and this might give issues and you might see the object behind it when this is not indented, a floor is a example that might trigger this.

By changing the Depth Bias you tell your Graphic Card to render the one first before the other, since these card render very fast you should use a high value like -1000 or 1000, but like I said you will only see this when the issue occurs.

Here is a show of mine, that with it's reflection on the floor that depending on the camera angle appears and disappears, mind you this was before the "mirror layer" and you had to give every layer the reflective floor effect but I also wanted to give it a shadow and my trick was to clone and put the clone under the object and making the floor transparant to make it look like a reflection.

outerspace-software.com...

komies, 6 years ago


Everything says, "When I'm having a problem sorting!"
What am I sorting? Why am I sorting?
Some how I am missing the point here I feel.

SMSgtRod, 6 years ago

Hopefully you might never need to use it.

It's not often you encounter this issue, although I saw it twice in the last fortnight in this community. But pleasant to know that there is a solution.

Have you watched the video provided in the link?
The reflection should be always visible but is was not, this is an example that the Depth Bias can resolve.

You don't need to know how Blufftitler or better put the DirectX game engine from Microsoft handles these Depth artifacts.

Just know that if you see this type of behavior go to that layer and set Depth Bias to -1000 to get this layer "priority" up the to render list (pipeline).

And if you just must know in the link is an article over introduction to DirectX 11 the Depth Bias is 16 times mentioned.

3dgep.com...

komies, 6 years ago


Goodness... I guess there are some things in life one must just accept.

One last question: If there is something interfering with a layer wouldn't
you move the damaged layer "down" the list so it is rendered last?
Would seem that when all the other layers are done, rendered last
there is nothing to bother it.

You can skip that question if you like as getting me to really understand
Depth Bias is like flogging a dead horse.

I have learned that if things aren't going right, try adjusting the Depth Bias.

I sincerely appreciate your attempts to educate.

SMSgtRod, 6 years ago

@SmSgtRod

First of all the layer is not damaged.

Shaders (effects) work in milliseconds in BluffTitler most of them under a tenth of a millisecond.

So imagine you have an object like a text that cast a shadow on the floor and wall behind it. Now imagine that the shadow on the wall is suddenly not present, this could be a Depth bias issue because the shadow was rendered before the wall was taken into account, the solution being to set the wall -1000 millisecond ahead so the shadow rendering will never miss this information while rendering.

I hope this clarifies it a bit.

komies, 6 years ago


Clarification appreciated.

So I'll have to determine the offending layer and set it ahead.

That means in this example that the wall would render first so as not
to mess up the shadow. I think I understand that.

It seems to me though that to move ahead would be a positive (+1000)
rather than a -1000.

SMSgtRod, 6 years ago

It's like a clock adding (+) time makes it later.
Subtracting (-) time makes it sooner.

So for the shader to consider the wall in it's calculating to render the shadow it has to be placed earlier in the pipeline.

I hope you can sleep sound now, and you can make the best shows ever because of this. ?

Just make your shows, and know that BluffTitler has got your back when DirectX throws you a Depth Bias ball.

komies, 6 years ago


Ok, got it...thank you....

I think a Depth Bias ball now can be hit out of the park!! LOL

Thanks again Komies... very much...

SMSgtRod, 6 years ago

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