Unigine Tropics Sets Linux OpenGL Precedent
Back in August we shared some of what we are doing to drive new graphics benchmarks on Linux through the Phoronix Test Suite. With that, we showcased Lightsmark 2008, which was ported to Linux for integration with the Phoronix Test Suite, and Unigine Sanctuary. Unigine Sanctuary showcased the latest work from Unigine Corp, which is a Russian development studio focused on creating cross-platform middleware for virtual 3D worlds. The Unigine Sanctuary demo was stunning, but introduced with the Phoronix Test Suite 1.2 "Malvik" release last week was their latest technology benchmark. Unigine Tropics is an absolutely stunning test with impressive graphics capabilities and it really sets a new precedence for Linux graphics capabilities through its OpenGL renderer.
Unigine Tropics is set around a tropical environment (hence its name) and it runs through various scenes of an island during both the day and night. Some of its technical features though include a dynamic sky with light scattering, live water with a surf zone and caustics, special materials for vegetation, HDR rendering, parallel split shadow map for the sun, depth of field, and real-time ambient occlusion. Whether you are interested in benchmarking or not, this is one impressive graphics demo just to watch -- permitting your graphics card can handle it!
Phoronix Test Suite 1.2.0 had introduced Unigine Tropics, however, be sure to check out the latest version of the Phoronix Test Suite for best results. As of this morning, the latest is Phoronix Test Suite 1.2.2 and it does contain some Unigine test-case fixes. For more information on the Phoronix Test Suite, visit Phoronix-Test-Suite.com. Unigine supports this Tropics demo on both Windows and Linux. Windows users also have the option of using a DirectX 9 or DirectX 10 renderer. Why we are mentioning this, however, is that this soon will also be supported as a WINE-based test with the Phoronix Test Suite.
On the following page are some quick benchmarks highlighting the power of Unigine Tropics.