Why the liquids in Half-Life: Alyx look so dang good
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Date: 2023-12-10
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Comments and reviews: 30
polygon
So fun story, I was playing Cyberpunk 2077 and noticed the bottles at the bar, particularly when you drink a beer. Something about it just looks so fake and bizarre looking to me. The material just doesn't seem right, even by normal game standards to me. Pretty sure even Half-Life 2 had better looking bottles. In fact, Valve always seems to really nail extremely small details like that. Things most game developers honestly wouldn't pay much attention to because to them it's just not that important. Where as Valve almost seems to have fun trying to replicate the small things.
It was then that I was watching a let's play of someone playing Half-Life Alex, and when I first noticed the liquid. I was like Holy Crap! How is that even possible? I never seen any game do something so realistic looking in terms of liquid in general. These bottles looks amazing. I think more game developers can learn from Valve and it's developers.
CDPR did a great job with the world in Cyberpunk 2077, the larger details. But I think they didn't do so good at smaller details, like the bottles for instance. In fact, a lot of the smaller details are just out right poorly done. Ever look at the food in Cyberpunk? Yeesh. XD
Honestly, I would love to see Valve make an open world RPG.
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So fun story, I was playing Cyberpunk 2077 and noticed the bottles at the bar, particularly when you drink a beer. Something about it just looks so fake and bizarre looking to me. The material just doesn't seem right, even by normal game standards to me. Pretty sure even Half-Life 2 had better looking bottles. In fact, Valve always seems to really nail extremely small details like that. Things most game developers honestly wouldn't pay much attention to because to them it's just not that important. Where as Valve almost seems to have fun trying to replicate the small things.
It was then that I was watching a let's play of someone playing Half-Life Alex, and when I first noticed the liquid. I was like Holy Crap! How is that even possible? I never seen any game do something so realistic looking in terms of liquid in general. These bottles looks amazing. I think more game developers can learn from Valve and it's developers.
CDPR did a great job with the world in Cyberpunk 2077, the larger details. But I think they didn't do so good at smaller details, like the bottles for instance. In fact, a lot of the smaller details are just out right poorly done. Ever look at the food in Cyberpunk? Yeesh. XD
Honestly, I would love to see Valve make an open world RPG.
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-rashkavar
I mean, most of fluid dynamics is empirical - based on obsessive observations of how a given fluid system responds to various changes in each of its variables. So what Matt did here isn't not -fluid dynamics, - he just worked out some of the equations to describe the behaviour of liquid in a bottle, though the main change he was working with was shape of bottle and force applied to the bottle. (I doubt he did any testing for viscosity changes, as most alcoholic beverages are fairly close to water as far as fluid dynamics properties are concerned)
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I mean, most of fluid dynamics is empirical - based on obsessive observations of how a given fluid system responds to various changes in each of its variables. So what Matt did here isn't not -fluid dynamics, - he just worked out some of the equations to describe the behaviour of liquid in a bottle, though the main change he was working with was shape of bottle and force applied to the bottle. (I doubt he did any testing for viscosity changes, as most alcoholic beverages are fairly close to water as far as fluid dynamics properties are concerned)
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-Laerei
Until this video I had no idea that you could achieve something so mindblowing with just shaders. Goes to show just how little I know about how shaders work.
Reminds me of the era of graphics cards that had shader support on the box, just like today we have raytracing. One day no one will talk about cards having raytracing just like no one talks about them supporting shaders and game engines will use raytracing by default unless some developers chooses not to for artistic reasons.
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Until this video I had no idea that you could achieve something so mindblowing with just shaders. Goes to show just how little I know about how shaders work.
Reminds me of the era of graphics cards that had shader support on the box, just like today we have raytracing. One day no one will talk about cards having raytracing just like no one talks about them supporting shaders and game engines will use raytracing by default unless some developers chooses not to for artistic reasons.
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-FKProds
Exceedingly well done. I am interested in game development (especially shaders) at an amateur level, and from my position on the lowest rung above -layman-, this is one of the few times a mainstream -games journalist- seems to have properly communicated the terminology and understanding of a game development concept. Combined with the truly novel subject (can always count on Valve for that, this is the exact kind of content we need to inspire the next shader wizards!
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Exceedingly well done. I am interested in game development (especially shaders) at an amateur level, and from my position on the lowest rung above -layman-, this is one of the few times a mainstream -games journalist- seems to have properly communicated the terminology and understanding of a game development concept. Combined with the truly novel subject (can always count on Valve for that, this is the exact kind of content we need to inspire the next shader wizards!
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-1Kg_of_Pooh
Something that wasn't mentioned in the video is that the bottle of beer, if shaken, will generate also foam, while the other drinks like vodka and wine, won't (rightfully.
It's astonishing to think how all this got achieved just with shaders without any sim. It should be included in all games from now on as a standard. Matt, u're a true genius.
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Something that wasn't mentioned in the video is that the bottle of beer, if shaken, will generate also foam, while the other drinks like vodka and wine, won't (rightfully.
It's astonishing to think how all this got achieved just with shaders without any sim. It should be included in all games from now on as a standard. Matt, u're a true genius.
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-shockofthenew
Absolutely loved this video. I know next-to-nothing about the technical side of game design, though I do find it very interesting. This was so well-presented I felt like I could just about follow along, so it was satisfying to watch but also sparked my curiosity and left me wanting to learn more. Great job!
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Absolutely loved this video. I know next-to-nothing about the technical side of game design, though I do find it very interesting. This was so well-presented I felt like I could just about follow along, so it was satisfying to watch but also sparked my curiosity and left me wanting to learn more. Great job!
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-randomcatdude
honestly disappointed by this
none of the most interesting parts were covered, mainly the way the liquid itself is rendered.
it's clearly NOT the common -fake liquid in a container- trick that everyone else seems to do. the fluid looks too good for that, and its surface has more advanced wobble, too.
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honestly disappointed by this
none of the most interesting parts were covered, mainly the way the liquid itself is rendered.
it's clearly NOT the common -fake liquid in a container- trick that everyone else seems to do. the fluid looks too good for that, and its surface has more advanced wobble, too.
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-lovehatecomments
I just want to thank Simone (who I believe is the presenter here) and Polygon for covering a small aspect in such detail and securing an interview with the guy who came up with this amazing solution to a huge gripe I've had in video games. Everyone involved in this video: keep up the good work guys!
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I just want to thank Simone (who I believe is the presenter here) and Polygon for covering a small aspect in such detail and securing an interview with the guy who came up with this amazing solution to a huge gripe I've had in video games. Everyone involved in this video: keep up the good work guys!
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-Kryojenix
It's a bit like those doll's baby bottles from the 1980s where it looks like it's full of milk, then when you tip it upside down the milk slowly drains away (as you do when you lay dolly down and insert bottle into mouth to feed) - then when you upright it, the milk comes back.
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It's a bit like those doll's baby bottles from the 1980s where it looks like it's full of milk, then when you tip it upside down the milk slowly drains away (as you do when you lay dolly down and insert bottle into mouth to feed) - then when you upright it, the milk comes back.
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-fireaza
I'm glad I waited a few months before I played Alyx for the first time. Not just because that's when I was FINALLY able to get the Index controllers ordered, which meant I had the ideal way of controlling the game, but also because it was after these shaders were patched in!
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I'm glad I waited a few months before I played Alyx for the first time. Not just because that's when I was FINALLY able to get the Index controllers ordered, which meant I had the ideal way of controlling the game, but also because it was after these shaders were patched in!
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-MK. 5198
request that I have no business voicing whatsoever, but that my soul demands I voice anyway: give this to us! I want glasses and bottles and jars with this shader in gmod! gimme a tool where I pick the colors and import my own model for the container! PLEASE!
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request that I have no business voicing whatsoever, but that my soul demands I voice anyway: give this to us! I want glasses and bottles and jars with this shader in gmod! gimme a tool where I pick the colors and import my own model for the container! PLEASE!
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-DoggyP00
I never really thought Half Life Alyx's water looked particularly amazing. It looks as fake as all the other fake water simulations. But I also wouldn't be surprised if I saw a real video of liquid in a Bottle and said it looked fake.
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I never really thought Half Life Alyx's water looked particularly amazing. It looks as fake as all the other fake water simulations. But I also wouldn't be surprised if I saw a real video of liquid in a Bottle and said it looked fake.
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-dandon1968
what about the liquid's physical behavior of the liquid inside? not just the horizontal tracker, but also how the surface distort/shakes/displaced. i am most curious about that but it wasn't explained at all
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what about the liquid's physical behavior of the liquid inside? not just the horizontal tracker, but also how the surface distort/shakes/displaced. i am most curious about that but it wasn't explained at all
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-jordan3636
Hasn't this video already been made like 100 times? specifically about alyx's liquid physics?
also refencing things going on at the beginning of the pandemic? how long has this video been in production?
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Hasn't this video already been made like 100 times? specifically about alyx's liquid physics?
also refencing things going on at the beginning of the pandemic? how long has this video been in production?
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-sirrhynus4280
-When I talk to an NPC and it starts to repeat dialogue, that's when I know our conversation is over. -
I will now start to repeat dialogue irl when I want to get out of an unwanted conversation.
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-When I talk to an NPC and it starts to repeat dialogue, that's when I know our conversation is over. -
I will now start to repeat dialogue irl when I want to get out of an unwanted conversation.
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-jolanpiep
This is awesome to see! Shaders are my favorite part of game art too. I've made shaders to replace animations, and even a lavalamp shader before. Great to see this explained well to non-Game Artists.
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This is awesome to see! Shaders are my favorite part of game art too. I've made shaders to replace animations, and even a lavalamp shader before. Great to see this explained well to non-Game Artists.
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-aaron4820
Okay it's official, this shader developer just said shaders are magic so no one is allowed to be angry at people for asking for shader help on forums by saying they are magic from now on.
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Okay it's official, this shader developer just said shaders are magic so no one is allowed to be angry at people for asking for shader help on forums by saying they are magic from now on.
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-shanidani6208
5: 28 Its so pathetically obvious that this is just an excuse to show off your body in camera. Totally 100% needless deviation from the subject just to get that scene. Pathetic.
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5: 28 Its so pathetically obvious that this is just an excuse to show off your body in camera. Totally 100% needless deviation from the subject just to get that scene. Pathetic.
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-nico. 7907
I really liked this video, but I also have another question, how are bubbles created in the shader? Like when you shake it there's bubbles is that still produced by the shaders?
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I really liked this video, but I also have another question, how are bubbles created in the shader? Like when you shake it there's bubbles is that still produced by the shaders?
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-JonathanSharman
As someone who's dabbled in shader programming, the fact that he achieved such convincing results with just a fragment (pixel) shader is absolutely incredible to me.
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As someone who's dabbled in shader programming, the fact that he achieved such convincing results with just a fragment (pixel) shader is absolutely incredible to me.
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-_Sigfried_
Am I the only one who tinks wearing any kind of headphone during a talking-head kind of viedo looks dumb?
I mean, I don't think she is monitoring voice with those
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Am I the only one who tinks wearing any kind of headphone during a talking-head kind of viedo looks dumb?
I mean, I don't think she is monitoring voice with those
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-Goatbeez
One of the few people who started looking better during quarantine. I'm not trying to reduce your reportage to looks by any means- it's only meant as a compliment.
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One of the few people who started looking better during quarantine. I'm not trying to reduce your reportage to looks by any means- it's only meant as a compliment.
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-treendrianvindy
at least this is the best liquid bottle in game. Because some games with stunning graphic always had unrealistic liquid in the bottle/ glass make it weird
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at least this is the best liquid bottle in game. Because some games with stunning graphic always had unrealistic liquid in the bottle/ glass make it weird
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-catlord8568
This has helped me take an entirely new angle on my recreation of this for my game. Thank you so much! Besides for this fact, I genuinely enjoyed the video!
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This has helped me take an entirely new angle on my recreation of this for my game. Thank you so much! Besides for this fact, I genuinely enjoyed the video!
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-gabrielarkangelo
But. but. can Delphine fill these bottles and sell her liquid?
Time to make fake Delphine liquid bottles and sell to crazies.
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But. but. can Delphine fill these bottles and sell her liquid?
Time to make fake Delphine liquid bottles and sell to crazies.
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-squid1524
I was going to wait until the end to like the video and then she said -you're a sloppy boy- and I was compelled to immediately like it.
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I was going to wait until the end to like the video and then she said -you're a sloppy boy- and I was compelled to immediately like it.
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-jolanpiep
Im a bit unsure as to why he chose to use cubemaps for refraction. I'm quite sure you can simulate good refraction without cubemaps.
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Im a bit unsure as to why he chose to use cubemaps for refraction. I'm quite sure you can simulate good refraction without cubemaps.
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-thhhhms
Polygon has a really cool video explaining how the liquids in bottles work. The people working on this stuff are geniuses
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Polygon has a really cool video explaining how the liquids in bottles work. The people working on this stuff are geniuses
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-Normanette
Matt: When you start looking through glass, things go a bit weird.
Simone: -aggressively chomping on the bottle-
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Matt: When you start looking through glass, things go a bit weird.
Simone: -aggressively chomping on the bottle-
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-Teneban
tl; dw: it's not a physics simulation! instead. someone coded the laws of physics and then had the game simulate them
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tl; dw: it's not a physics simulation! instead. someone coded the laws of physics and then had the game simulate them
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