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BMW i8 in WebGL

car.playcanvas.com

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Re: BMW i8 in WebGL

#111

Post by cbd1984 »

otabdeveloper1 wrote: post #34
sirival wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What device are you testing this on?

A Linux machine with an "Intel Integrated Graphics Controller". I doubt an equivalent Windows machine would fare better.

Huh. I'm running it on a Linux machine with a Core i5 (Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4210M CPU @ 2.60GHz according to /proc/cpuinfo), and it's a bit CPU-intensive (it makes my laptop's fan kick into gear) but it's smooth and responsive and everything obviously works the way it's supposed to. Doesn't even come close to eating a gig of RAM, out of the eight I have.

Firefox 41.0.2 on Ubuntu Vivid Vervet (3.19.0-31-generic), on a LinuxCertified.com LC2430E. (Good laptop. No Microsoft tax. Yes, that is a blatant plug. So's this WebGL demo.)

Re: BMW i8 in WebGL

#112

Post by _ea1k »

pconner wrote: post #108
galago wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the design antitheses of the i8 is the Nissan Leaf. It costs 1/4 as much, and has a little less than 1/3 the horsepower. However, its also visually indistinguishable from other sub-compacts. The Leaf is for people who don't want to notice that their car is electric. I can see why someone who spends $130K doesn't want to just blend in with traffic.

The Leaf is instantly recognizable. It's so weirdly shaped compared to other crossovers/hatchbacks. The Volt, on the other hand, looks a bit more like a "regular" car from far away. The most normal-looking electric vehicles are the ones that are variants of existing gas vehicles, like the eGolf or Ford's EVs.

The Leaf is a Versa hatchback with some design flourishes. It's really not that different (though it does look better).

Re: BMW i8 in WebGL

#115

Post by vegabook »

Awesome, especially in black I think. But WebGL still has an aliasing problem, made worse when we introduce movement. It was the same in the watch movement sim on HN a few days ago. Not to take away from the amazing work of the authors, but are there higher quality anti-aliasing options which won't cause my eye to distract to the high-velocity pixel movements on the car's shutlines as it moves along? (Full HD machine - dunno if this issue disappears at HiDPI).

Oh and another thing. PlayCanvas looks great but also looks properly expensive. I'm having to cough some pretty serious dough as a single experimental developer, without even getting above bronze support. Not hugely garage-outfit friendly though I will say it looks very professional.

Re: BMW i8 in WebGL

#116

Post by 15155 »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #104
lectrick wrote: post #22

Ah, the car that fakes internal combustion engine noise when it's running on electric... No thanks. Nice demo though!

> Ah, the car that fakes internal combustion engine noise when it's running on electric Cars are legally required to do so, aren't they? Otherwise, electric vehicles would be quiet enough to kill people.

I'm not aware of any statute, it felt very self-regulatory to me.

Re: BMW i8 in WebGL

#118

Post by sirival »

Cakez0r wrote: post #99

One of my friends noticed you can see the city skyline cubemap they used, but haven't used as the actual sky in the demo: http://i.imgur.com/NbREnqS.png

The sky used in the demo is actually the same as the reflection just a very blurred version of it :)

Re: BMW i8 in WebGL

#119

Post by hugh4 »

kllrnohj wrote: post #86
Jack000 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the design has a few too many un-necessary flourishes, and it probably won't age very well. It definitely grabs your attention, but in a few years when electric cars are less rare I bet it will look kind of gimmicky.

Generally cars in this segment don't age well to begin with. For example a new BMW 750i will cost you $100k+. A used 2009 750i with only 60k miles though? $30k. Not just BMW, either, a certified-used 2009 911 Turbo can be yours for $70k, less the half the starting MSRP of $150k. But the people who buy them don't care. They'll just buy whatever the new thing is.

Meanwhile the people who buy 2009 7-series for $30K get a ridiculously nice car for the price of a Camry... but they pay maintenance costs which are a lot higher than the Camry driver's. There's a reason not everyone is buying cheap used luxury cars.

Re: BMW i8 in WebGL

#120

Post by hugh4 »

Jack000 wrote: post #16
jasonkester wrote: post #9

To whoever it was a few weeks back who said it looks like the i8 was "giving birth to a Porsche", you were right: Once you've seen it, you can't unsee it. As this visualization demonstrates in nice 3d form.

I think the design has a few too many un-necessary flourishes, and it probably won't age very well. It definitely grabs your attention, but in a few years when electric cars are less rare I bet it will look kind of gimmicky.

Regular car manufacturers making electric cars want to visually distinguish then from their normal vehicles. But any good-looking design consistent with their existing design language is something they've already built. So they make something that's either ugly (i3) or impractical (i8).

Tesla doesn't have regular cars to distinguish from, so they can afford to make something that just looks like a normal luxury car (a Jag crossed with a Maserati).

You can also buy an electric RAV4 which looks just like a normal one but nobody does because what's the point of driving an electric car if strangers can't see how rich and virtuous you are?

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