This repository is dedicated to experimenting with a Direct3D 9 port and modern graphical improvements for Command & Conquer: Generals and its expansion Zero Hour.
It is built entirely on top of the codebase from TheSuperHackers/GeneralsGameCode, which modernizes the original engine to build with Visual Studio 2022 and modern C++20.
Warning
The main branch does not contain a stable, production-ready build. Instead, it hosts experimental ideas, graphics API porting work, and visual enhancements that are actively being developed and tested.
The branches in this repository contain various progressive implementations aiming to modernize the game's original W3D renderer and introduce modern rendering techniques:
- Direct3D 9 Port: Porting the core W3D rendering engine and device wrapper from Direct3D 8 to Direct3D 9. This forms the foundation for modern GPU feature support and shader APIs.
- Rendering Quality Settings: Native integration of advanced filtering settings (such as Anisotropic Filtering up to 16x) configurable directly through
options.iniand in-game menus. - Programmable HLSL Shaders: Replacing the legacy fixed-function pipeline with vertex and pixel HLSL shaders for rendering terrain and 3D unit meshes.
- Physically Based Shading (PBR) & Dynamic Reflections: Adding an opt-in PBR metallic-roughness BRDF path for unit models utilizing ORM textures (Ambient Occlusion, Roughness, Metallic, Height) alongside dynamic environment maps generated in real-time for reflections.
- Screen-Space Bloom: A post-process bloom pipeline using multiple passes (bright-pass filter, separable Gaussian blur, and additive blending) built on a custom render-to-texture framework that maintains compatibility with MSAA.
- Directional Shadow Mapping (WIP): Active development and experimentation to implement real-time directional shadow mapping.
- Developer and Debugging Utilities: Custom development features such as a free-roaming fly camera and environment debug overlay tools to assist in editing and fine-tuning visual effects.