DoomTracer - Raytraced Doom on the CPU

[Redneckerz]

Introduction:

DoomTracer isn't a new thing - It was covered already by DW in the past. But its novelty interests me enough to re-introduce this often forgotten port to the masses. And perhaps, using current processors, those with modern rigs can test their computer out and see how the port fares at the maximum resolution. This is the primary reason for this thread :)

 

DoomTracer was an experimental project in development since 2008. Back then it was simply a renderer that could raytrace Doom levels. In 2010, a first public beta came out, using Chocolate Doom 1.3.0 to send events to the raytracer and to make it playable. Being a CPU based raytracer, DoomTracer loves powerful hardware - It minimally requires a dual-core processor and the executable is compiled to scale up to 8 threads.

DoomTracer:



(Gameplay scene of DoomTracer in 320x240 resolution, taken with Snipping Tool, showcasing the raytraced reflection of the slime. 320x200 caused issues on my garbage rig, so i had to make do.)

 

(Still of DoomTracer at its highest resolution, 640x480, taken with Snipping Tool. Note the subtle reflection on the green armor in the distance.)

Features:

• All existing features from Chocolate Doom 1.3.0
• Different resolutions: 320x200, 320x240, 640x480 (This runs very slow)
• Raytraced shadows for monsters as they are represented as paper-like objects
• Moving textures on moving walls
• Dynamic and static raytraced lighting using a PVS system
• Lights are automatically generated based on certain textures that the renderer determined as lights
• Reflections on certain surfaces, like slime, water
• Refractions (for spectre's)
• Tested with The Ultimate Doom only

Trivia:
Doomworld's very own @Linguica compiled the standalone renderer in March 2018 and displayed some high-res (789x441 and 790x586 resolution, respectively) renders:

Spoiler

 

Anyone could compile the executable by using the makefile.old file featured in the source archive. Perhaps Ling has the compiled exe still around?

Downloads:

• DoomTracer 0.56beta binary
• DoomTracer 0.56beta source code
• Skytex archive, required by DoomTracer
• Fonts archive, required to compile standalone renderer

 

DoomWiki entry: Here

[Linguica]

I was trying to compile it on a Mac, and as it's a long-dead project I was only able to get it half working, and quickly lost interest. It would certainly be nice to see someone modernize it as a Chocolate Doom fork!

[Chip]

that is excellent! It is great to see what technology could do in 1993 and what technology looks like in 2020. by 2050, we'll have simulation rooms with all the demons attacking us, no VR headset needed. 

[Redneckerz]

9 minutes ago, Linguica said:

I was trying to compile it on a Mac, and as it's a long-dead project I was only able to get it half working, and quickly lost interest. It would certainly be nice to see someone modernize it as a Chocolate Doom fork!

Any chance you got the level viewer used for the screenshots still around?

 

If not, what did you do to get these relatively high res renders? The readme details that the game loop at the very least only works on the resolutions mentioned, so i am curious as to what you did to achieve those screenshots.