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   Old words...

News Posted by Bustard 03/05/2003
23:07

GLExcess 2.0 is currently under development. As usual, it will run a number of tests to determine system performance in the following areas: CPU speed, fill rate, polygon count, VRAM amount, extensions support.

From a technical point of view, here is a short brief of some of the features you will find in GLExcess 2.0:
- unextended OpenGL tests
- OpenGL extensions from 1.2 to 1.4 tests including:
    - vertex programs
    - fragment programs
    - per pixel lighting
    - realtime shadows
- a few hardware-specific-extension tests
- OpenGL 2.0 tests are likely to be added soon
- 3D positional audio

and, obviously, lots of eye-candy :) The release date is planned for Q4 2003.


Version 1.2v Posted by Bustard 07/17/2003
13:28

Version 1.2v (patch and full) is up, it fixes a bug that prevented previous versions to correctly generate benchmark reports. Grab it off FILES page as usual.
Many thanks to my friend Alex Lee at Via Technologies for his unvaluable support :)

NOTICE: The patch will only work if v1.2 or greater is already installed on your system.



Version 1.2b Posted by Bustard 05/16/2003
20:51

EDIT: V1.2b Full version posted as well.
I've posted a new file on the files page, here a list of what's new in version 1.2b

  • Added XLS and TXT reports
  • Sound card is no more required to run bench mode
  • Bug fixes

NOTICE: It only works if v1.1a or v1.2 is installed.


1.2 full Posted by Bustard 07/22/2002
19:00

Version 1.2 full just posted in files section. Enjoy.



Version 1.2 Posted by Bustard 07/21/2002
21:54

This one fixes some bugs and prevents (as much as possible) cheating on results. I've just uploaded a patch to upgrade from v1.1a right now, I'll post stand-alone versions later. Hope you like it, here it is.

NOTICE: It's not possible to upload v1.1a generated scores anymore.



Enough cheaters Posted by Bustard 07/18/2002
14:22

One of the main spreading factor of GLExcess is that it uses HTML for reporting. Obviously this means you can easily put up your scores on the web for your revies and comparisons and I must say this was my main goal, but it seriously exposes bench scores to cheaters. Now it's quite enough, some people seem to like to put up science-fiction scores just to show GLExcess flaws, which are all due to HTML format. One more of these and I'll be forced to close XSMark site, but maybe that's their goal. Thanks.



Quick note Posted by Bustard 06/03/2002
19:21

Wow took some time since my last post!
Anyway, just a quick note to let you know I'm working on something new... Needless to say, this will take soooooo long I can't even imagine... Stay tuned...

P.S. I still love your amazing feedback!


A thousand members! Posted by Bustard 12/05/2001
23:27

Nice stuff :) For such occasion I've decided to put up a new file, which basically includes GLExcess v1.1a and high quality sound pack in a single download... As usual, grab it from FILES PAGE.
Thanks a lot for your support and interest!


Done! Posted by Bustard 10/18/2001
21:15

This time it's true :) GL Excess v1.1a is finally done. Again, here's a list of the changes:
- Automatic VSYNC management (where possible)
- Command line arguments added
- Multiple benchmarks: XSscript scripting utility added
- HTML documentation and FAQ's
- New installer
- Bug fixes

Grab it from FILES PAGE.
Mirroring offers are welcome!


Wow... Posted by Bustard 09/21/2001
01:48

Well, it's been a while since my last post, but believe me I'm very busy at the moment, so I'm left with very little time for OpenGL :( Anyway, you must admit that each time I post there's something good lying behind :) So here's the news:

  1. GLExcess v1.1a is on its way, you can now run batch of benchmarks in a very easy way; here's a list of the changes:
    - Automatic VSYNC management (where possible)
    - Command line arguments added
    - XSscript scripting utility added
    - HTML documentation and FAQ's
    - New installer
    - Bug fixes

    Before I release it I need to know if everything is working fine, so I guess I'd better contact some of the beta-testers. Anyway it should be ready in a week or so.
  2. Since I'm going to write some articles about OpenGL for an Italian programming magazine, GLExcess will go open sorce in a short while, one scene at time.
  3. Some good news for Matrox users (this is what I got from James Crowson - GL Excess user):
    Matrox has come out with the 5.71 beta drivers for win2k. These drivers fix many of the bugs that have plagued GlExcess on Matrox cards in the past, however, the most annoying bug is way worse. Also they appear to be quite a bit slower. In the Facescape scene, polygons no longer disappear except at very close range (near the bottom of the screen). In older drivers polygons would randomly disappear from all over. In Crypt, the bump-mapped circle at the end is no longer overbright. In Shiny Waters, the shininess no longer disappears in square patches in the distance - it now looks like the screenshots on your site. Also, the bilinear filtering bug has been fixed. The bug that has gotten worse is flickering polygons. In most scenes some polygon or another flickers on and off quickly. These are beta drivers, so maybe the remaining problems will be fixed soon.
    Thanks James!

Again I would like to thank all the people who love and support GL Excess, you guys are amazing. See you in a short while (promise!).


ASP galore... Posted by Bustard 06/09/2001
00:39

Woah! I hope I won't have to shut this down in a couple of days... Anyway, as you can see you can finally browse and compare your XSMark results, simply click on XSMark icon and read instructions carefully (at least once, PLEASE!). As usual, should you experience any trouble, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy!!!


Good news :) Posted by Bustard 06/05/2001
00:17

An ONLINE RESULT BROWSER is on its way, hope to be done with it by the end of this week. Apart from this, GLExcess v1.1 is being downloaded like mad! Thanks to all the people who have sent in some feedback :) Later!


GL Excess/XSMark v1.1 Posted by Bustard 06/02/2001
17:07

GL Excess/XSMark v1.1 is now available for download, and it comes in two flavors: a standalone version and a patch for GLExcess/XSMark v1.0 users. Here's a list of the changes from version 1.0:

  • Auto detection of suitable video resolutions
  • Demo and benchmark modes all in one single program
  • More accurate benchmarking
  • Benchmark mode generates detailed reports in HTML format
  • User configurable benchmark tests
  • Benchmark tests run faster for quick performance reports

If you intend to compare your results to other user's I recommend you run the default quick bench (i.e. scenes 1,2,3,4) or full bench (i.e. all scenes) at 1024x768@32bpp.
If you find this version hangs on your system right before showing off results page, please be patient I'm still looking into the problem, though this doesn't seem to have any logic explanation...
And now for the best part of this info bit: CREDITS!
Though I'm almost speechless, you guys are definitely amazing, I love your support and dedication (alphabetical order!):

Pascal Binggeli, Sebastian Buntin, Bernie Cavanagh, James Crowson, Marcus "Fritschy" Fritzsch, Robin Gawenda, Stephan Matthias Günther, Mitch Impey, Marko "Laza" Lazarevic, Eugene Lee, Florian "x13y7" Müssig, Martin "Laxrom" Nilsson, Chad Olson, Roberto "Megabob" Pirani, Stefan Pop-Lazic, Marco Remondino, Henning Schulz, Chris 'TML' Smith (show all your friends it isn't some coincidence :), Steven Thomas, Max Tucher, Stanislav Vavilov, Anthony Walsh, Andrew Wilchak, George Ziniewicz (nice OpenGL stuff over there :).

Once again, thanks a bunch, you are my brothers... Later!


Update Posted by Bustard 05/27/2001
00:04

Beta testing applications are now closed, thanks to all the people who have sent in some feedback :) GLExcess 1.1 will be out as soon as possible. Later!


Still alive... Posted by Bustard 05/06/2001
22:13

Whoa! Sorry for the very late update, but I wanted to come out with some useful. GLExcess v1.1 is on its way, but now I need someone who wants to apply as betatester before I release it. If you feel this is your case please feel free to contact me at the following email address: bustard@glexcess.com. What I can offer to all appliants is just a mention on the site, sorry :( Before I go I would like to thank my friend Adam Mahnk for hosting some GLExcess files on his server, nice work man!


Site update Posted by Bustard 03/26/2001
02:34

10k downloads?!? This definitely drives me crazy!!! Anyway thanks a bunch to all the people who sent in some amazing feedback, I've also received some nice job offers... :) In other news a tutorial on how to install a working OpenGL driver has been added to Known Issues section (thanks to my friend Luca Rizzuti for this one); I've also put my hands back on the forum and added some more mirrors in the Files page. For the people who keep asking for a screensaver I've added a link to Strange Saver in the Links page. Hope to be back soon!!! BYE! :)


Fixed! Posted by Bustard 03/13/2001
12:55

Ok, XSMark is now bug free and fully functional (at least I hope so...), just go to files section and start downloading XSMark1.0b. Please bear in mind this is not a stand-alone file, it's actually just a short patch which REQUIRES GL Excess or XSMark1.0 alpha version. Beta-testing credits and my sincere thanks go to: Marco Ruzzi, Alessandro Rocca, Michael L. Miracle, Stephen Cant, Mike Potts, Mick Blackmore, Ulrich Mueller, Russ Harland. Your dedication was awesome!!!


Need your help :) Posted by Bustard 03/12/2001
23:49

I guess I've found and solved the bug that prevented XSMark to run on some machines, but this time before I put it online I'd rather be sure that this version is definitely bug free. That's why I'm going to contact a few of you who sent bug reports in order to test this file. All applicants will be mentioned on this page for their dedication :) Later!


Maintenance news... Posted by Bustard 03/12/2001
03:35

Lots of news this time:
1) Sound pack - I guess there was some misunderstanding between me and guys over at Tweakfiles, when you download the "sound pack" they're talking about you actually get GL Excess demo with high quality music and sounds. Unfortunately this file does not include any XSMark file. What you have to do to get the fps and bench stuff is go to files section and download GLXSmark.exe (less than 600KB), unzip it into demo's folder and run xsmark.exe file. Hope this makes sense...
2) XSmark bug - XS Many people are sending in bug reports saying they get an error when benchmark finishes or is stopped by user, so that no result file is generated. Thanks for your dedication, I'm looking into the problem and hope to put up a patch on this site soon :)
3) New mirror - Thanks to the guys at Tweakfiles, XSMark1a.exe and GLXShsnd.exe files can now be downloaded from one more mirror site, just go to files section and you'll notice that.
4) Audio clips updated - I've finally finished uploading all mp3 files from the demo, just go to Audio clips section and you'll be able to download full tracks, high quality.
5) Mail crashes (#@!!@##) - Something funny has happened with my mailbox, a bunch of messages have disappeared, and I'm afraid I won't be able to rescue them, so if you've sent some feedback in the last few hours, please do it again because I could not even read your emails :(
6) T H A N K S - And last but not least I still want to say T H A N K S to all the people who downloaded GL Excess and XSmark. You guys are sending in some amazing feedback, thanks a lot for your support and dedication, this site would be nothing without you :)
As a final note, Known issues and Future plans sections will be updated soon, and remember to use the FORUMS to discuss about the results you're getting with XSMark (obviously if it works for ya ^_^)
L8r, Bustard...



(not so) New file posted Posted by Bustard 03/10/2001
16:05

I've added "XSmark1a.exe" to files section. This small download (2.37 megs) is actually intended for new users since it's basically a GL Excess light version (no sounds) with XSmark included. So if you're new to GL Excess and want to test your system, please go for this particular file (though you're loosing 50% of GL Excess: music is an integral part of this demo ^_^).



XS saver? Posted by Bustard 03/09/2001
23:24

Wow this is definitely nice: you can now make GL Excess your default screensaver with "strangesaver" utility. Just point the program to glexcess.exe file and you're done :) Kewl... Many thanks to Ed Massuda for this one.



FPS Counter and XSMark Posted by Bustard 03/09/2001
02:21

Here it is, with some sort of benchmark stuff attached :) CLICK HERE to grab it and feel free to discuss about performance in the FORUM, performance section (obviously ^_^). Hope you like it, later!



As you requested... Posted by Bustard 03/08/2001
12:25

The FPS stuff will be available for download later tonite... Stay tuned!



Matrox good news Posted by Bustard 03/07/2001
01:45

This comes from MuLuX:
I found a new driver at matrox homepage (v 6.50) and I just wanted to tell you it fixes almost every bug, the flare scene problems and the blending looks much better, thou there's still some problems w/ the scene w/ water and the heightmap scene. Still very slow on wireframe rendering, else all other scenes ran very well.
John adds that there's a way to display those scenes correctly:
I run an older driver set, but a new OGL ICD. Pain in the a** to set up. Ya gotta install PowerDesk(Matrox driver set) 6.10, save the G400icd.dll, uninstall (with matrox uninstall to make sure you get rid of it all) re-boot, set up default drivers 640x480x16colours, like in safe mode. Then you install powerdesk 5.52 and copy over your saved 6.10 ICD to your windows/system dir. 5.52 is a lot faster in D3D than 6.xx. But if only OGL is your concern, then just uninstall whatever driver you have now, (with matrox's uninstaller) and install latest powerdesk.
I do hope this helps :) Anyway I'll be putting this info in the Issues page soon.
But before I go, please let me thank all those guys who are sending in some amazing feedback, sorry for the late replies I still got 55 emails to answer tonite!
Later!



Errata corrige... :) Posted by Bustard 03/07/2001
01:04

I'm afraid I misunderstood what's happening at Tranzmit... First of all this wondeful site is run by ONE (!) only talented fellow, who responds to the name of Ben Locke... Truly amazing, I almost get shocked when I learned the news!
And as for download stats, here's what my friend Ben says about it:
Well done....although I would be inclined to multiply your figure of 1000 many times over :) Heres why......
3rd March - Tranzmit received 69046 hits
4th March - Tranzmit received 58942 hits
5th March - Tranzmit received 51090 hits
Total - over 180000 hits! (busiest 3 consecutive days ever I think)
I'd say that over that 3 day period there were 3 main categories of visitor....
1. regular bookmarks
2. people wanting GLExcess
3. people wanting VulpineGL
There is a strong chance that visitor type 2 ended up being a visitor 3 as well and vice versa. Visitor type 1 would almost certainly have download GLExcess too. I have no means of counting individual downloads at the moment, but if I had to have a guess, I'd say perhaps a minimum of 10000 downloads of GLExcess! (that is only an educated guess of course - feel free to draw your own conclusions from the traffic I've mentioned).
Wow, if he's going right, this could be some terrific result!
A HUGE thank to all you guys who downloaded GL Excess!



1000+ downloads!!! Posted by Bustard 03/05/2001
22:25

All I can say is WOW! Over a thousand people have downloaded Gl Excess so far! This is simply amazing if we consider that the most dowloaded file weighs 18 megs! I can hardly say how grateful I am, your feedback is worth months of hard coding, really! In other news GL Excess seem to run fine on Ati and Voodoo3 video cards and soon I'll be releasing some short patch to add a frame counter, as many of you requested :) Signing off... Later!



One more mirror Posted by Bustard 03/04/2001
18:15

One more mirror has been added to the files page: the guys at Tranzmit, Ben Locke in particular, are truly amazing... Thanks a bunch Ben, you are my brother! Please go visit Tranzmit if you're looking for awesome 3D demos :)
As for other news, I'm still trying to answer to all the wonderful emails I'm receiving, I DO LOVE YOU, I wish I had a 'heart-shaped' key on my keyboard, really. Just one request to my visitors: please before sending emails asking about my future plans or about the techniques and tools I've been using to code GL Excess, visit Future plans, About GLXS and Screenshots sections of the site :)
Thank you! See you later :)



THANK YOU Posted by Bustard 03/04/2001
04:05

You guys are AMAZING!
I'm literally blown away by the amount of feedback I am receiving... my mailbox is flooded, my fingers are getting burned and my keyboard is praying for mercy, but I swear I'll write back to everyone :) I'm glad to hear many of you love GL Excess' music too, I guess I'll be releasing a new record soon (just kidding eheh...).
Once again, THANKS A BUNCH, you would all deserve to be mentioned in the end credits, but then GL Excess would become 30 mins long :)
L8r!



Mirror added Posted by Bustard 03/03/2001
20:26

I've added a mirror in the files section where you can download GL Excess from. A huge thank to my friends at Hardware Zone!



GL-Excess is DONE!!! Posted by Bustard 03/01/2001
23:22

Man, it took me so long to get this finished that I still can't believe it! Err... I meant, welcome to GL Excess official website. Please take your time and use the menus above to visit all the sections in this site; I guess they're quite self-explicative so I won't bother you with a complete description of each of the links above. Please just remember to register as member of the GL Excess discussion forum, I hope this will become a useful resource for all you 3D freaks out there.
Just in case you wanted to know, the downloads page is listed as 'Files' in the 'Media' menu :-) I hope I'll be adding soon some faster mirrors where you can download this demo from, but at the moment this is all I can do, sorry... Just remeber to send some feedback if you like this demo (even if you don't, obviously, but if this is the case, please don't be too hard ok? ^_^). And please refer to this page for the latest news about GL Excess.
L8r!