3dfx Interview (September 1999)

There are numerous ways FXT1 is superior to S3TC. From a technology perspective, FXT1 utilizes four separate compression algorithms that result in substantially better overall image quality than S3TC. Also, S3TC does not support a 4 bpt compression format for 32-bit textures which use the Alpha channel for translucency, a capability supported in the FXT1 compression format. From a development perspective, S3TC is not an Open Source technology and is thus restricted by S3 licensing terms and conditions, thereby limiting its use as a cross-platform compression standard. With a cross platform texture compression technology like FXT1, a develop can use the same high quality artwork and high resolution textures for direct X with other platforms like Mac and Line Linux the texture compression technology transfers, too.

Will 3dfx products be able to support S3TC/DXTC?

3dfx is committed to offering the best DirectX 3D accelerators, so all future 3dfx products will support both FXT1 as well as S3TC texture compression standards. However, we believe long-term that the freedom using FXT1 under the Open Source model will result in substantially broader acceptance by the development community.

Can a card that supports S3TC/DXTC take advantage of FXT1 through a driver update or other method?

FXT1, while similar to S3TC, is different. So, some of the FXT1-compressed textures could be, with software tricks and some slowdown, modified to be decompressed on S3TC decompression hardware. However, it would be very inefficient so we don't expect this to be done. As we offer all the tools and source code to all hardware venders, we expect they will offer real FXT1 decompression in their future products.

Will FXT1 be incorporated into DirectX or OpenGL?

We would love to see that happen, but Microsoft has made it clear that S3TC is the texture compression technology in DirectX. This is not a big set back because they where very forward thinking when they developed the API. They have extensions so it is easy to add support for new technology. Same with OpenGL. S3TC is only available on a single API on a single platform. Not only will FXT1 be supported in DirectX on the Windows platform, it will also be supported in OpenGL, Glide, and whatever other 3D APIs developers are interested in using across the Windows, Linux, Macintosh and BeOS environments. As a result, developers utilizing FXT1 compression are not limited to only the DirectX API or only the Windows platform.

We already have begun the process of supporting non-Windows APIs. We have already released Macintosh and Linux drivers to developers and have been getting great feedback. GLIDE is also a cross platform technology. We also like the open source concept. It opens the technology to the creativity of people out side the company and can serve to really increase the advancement of technology.