   Physics within the GPU
  I can make physical calcs within the gpu using vertex shaders and render the results to the screen. But I don't know how to get the data back. If I got a pcie graphics card I should send data back fast enough. But how to do that? How I can use a shader to calc something and getting back the results instead of drawing? Is it possible with OpenGL or do I have to use the driver of the grapics card?I tried to search on this site and via google. But I didn't get usefull information. Perhaps I don't know what to search for.   
  I haver never done it, but it should be possible in OpenGL using FBOs (Frame Buffer Objects)  and GetTexImage().   ;  You should consider that even with PCI-E, some consumer cards only upload at 1x (despite the 16x down)It should be better than AGP regardless, though. YMMV.   ;  Take a look into http://libsh.org/index.htmlit allows you to dedicate GPU time for common functions.   ;Quote:Original post by mmakrzemTake a look into http://libsh.org/index.htmlit allows you to dedicate GPU time for common functions.this library seems great but is not working with visual c++ 6.0, it's too baddo you know another good library which would work under visual c++ 6.0?thx   ;  You could try Brook. I wouldn't expect much, though.... you have, like, an eight year old compiler, which was developed before C++ was even standardized.   ;Quote:Original post by SneftelYou could try Brook. I wouldn't expect much, though.... you have, like, an eight year old compiler, which was developed before C++ was even standardized.thx, i will take a look at this one i don't like .NET so i think i will stay a visual c++ 6.0 for the moment   ;Quote:Original post by iodathx, i will take a look at this one i don't like .NET so i think i will stay a visual c++ 6.0 for the momentYou don't have to use .NET though, you could just download the Visual C++ 2003 compiler and link that to your IDE.   ;Quote:Original post by tychonQuote:Original post by iodathx, i will take a look at this one i don't like .NET so i think i will stay a visual c++ 6.0 for the momentYou don't have to use .NET though, you could just download the Visual C++ 2003 compiler and link that to your IDE.it's possible to continue using visual c++ 6.0 and its facily of use and make it compile with the compilator of visual 2003? (without having big problems of compatibilities...)It's possible (compatibility..) and easy to go back to the old compiler if we want to?I suppose i will find on google how to link the compiler to visual c++ 6.0thx for your suggestion   ;  I don't know alot about shaders so forgive me, but perhaps by writing your values into a texture somehow, and then reading the texture back from the gfx card, however the speed reading a texture back may negate any benefit you get from doing it on the GPU?   