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Path-tracing a 3D Chessboard

#3

So this is about recreating the 3D chess experience?

Personal take on this. (Not a universal critique, I am sure, just that my pet topic is about cognition and learning).

I guess it might have its purpose. But I should say I find that on the abstract planar world of chess rules, the 3D is with a 2 person physical realism perspective that this might need to simulate. I would feel having an extra visual fog dimension in the way (obstacle) of the whole chess board neutral symetric analysis view.

That being solo on the very vertical point of view that the 2D emulates from a physical 3D: one person taking the same vertical point, standing high enough to occupy that neutral and symmetry-aware point of view. 2 person would be head butting fight (joke).

But 3D exists on Lichess. So there is a use case for that. For me, 2D is not a constraint of the digital world; it is a closer experience of the ruleset of the 2D board, but 32D (approx.) laws of motion chess world (focusing on that mystery to learn about, no need for perspective 3D crowding; see some NDpatzer science of chess (cognitive) about visual perception, for crowding, even if it does not discuss 3D, I am, about the first level perception acuity).

Also, the spatial proximity of the chess SAN planar trees and subtress to explore with the eye gaze mostly on the 2D board and the ability to map to a spatial signature of that tree under construction or study, not just as a bunch of lines. But at a logical spatial representation map of the chessboard logic (as a visual aid, even for non-fluent SAN readers like me, the planar signature, helps). That paragraph is free extra tangential point for completion of sharing my expereince.

we are not that good at 3D logic. ask peole doing visual statistics. it can be done, but it works best with 2D slices.

I think though that something else of the video game workd might help.. The 2D-3D RTS stuff.. but about visuallizing not the pieces but something like Cluechess.. that might help visuallizing not where the pieces are but the combined activies using more 3D textures perhaps to differentiaTe covreage and mindling resulting pressure on each 64 squares.

but this is still interest even if aming at the game represtnation to improve on the web teach occlusion current technology (something like Z-ordered out of the plane. forgo details that was how it was on lichess for 3D five years ago).

So this is about recreating the 3D chess experience? Personal take on this. (Not a universal critique, I am sure, just that my pet topic is about cognition and learning). I guess it might have its purpose. But I should say I find that on the abstract planar world of chess rules, the 3D is with a 2 person physical realism perspective that this might need to simulate. I would feel having an extra visual fog dimension in the way (obstacle) of the whole chess board neutral symetric analysis view. That being solo on the very vertical point of view that the 2D emulates from a physical 3D: one person taking the same vertical point, standing high enough to occupy that neutral and symmetry-aware point of view. 2 person would be head butting fight (joke). But 3D exists on Lichess. So there is a use case for that. For me, 2D is not a constraint of the digital world; it is a closer experience of the ruleset of the 2D board, but 32D (approx.) laws of motion chess world (focusing on that mystery to learn about, no need for perspective 3D crowding; see some NDpatzer science of chess (cognitive) about visual perception, for crowding, even if it does not discuss 3D, I am, about the first level perception acuity). Also, the spatial proximity of the chess SAN planar trees and subtress to explore with the eye gaze mostly on the 2D board and the ability to map to a spatial signature of that tree under construction or study, not just as a bunch of lines. But at a logical spatial representation map of the chessboard logic (as a visual aid, even for non-fluent SAN readers like me, the planar signature, helps). That paragraph is free extra tangential point for completion of sharing my expereince. we are not that good at 3D logic. ask peole doing visual statistics. it can be done, but it works best with 2D slices. I think though that something else of the video game workd might help.. The 2D-3D RTS stuff.. but about visuallizing not the pieces but something like Cluechess.. that might help visuallizing not where the pieces are but the combined activies using more 3D textures perhaps to differentiaTe covreage and mindling resulting pressure on each 64 squares. but this is still interest even if aming at the game represtnation to improve on the web teach occlusion current technology (something like Z-ordered out of the plane. forgo details that was how it was on lichess for 3D five years ago).
#5

WebGPU is not supported in this browser. Please update your browser or enable WebGPU flags.
WebGPU Browser Support:

Chrome 113+ (May 2023)
Firefox 141+ (July 2025)

but I use Firefox 142 (ubuntu 24.04) ?

WebGPU is not supported in this browser. Please update your browser or enable WebGPU flags. WebGPU Browser Support: Chrome 113+ (May 2023) Firefox 141+ (July 2025) but I use Firefox 142 (ubuntu 24.04) ?
#6

@Gambit0nly said in #5:

WebGPU is not supported in this browser. Please update your browser or enable WebGPU flags.
Same happened with me on fedora. Just run the command given in the pop window on terminal. That shall enable the webgpu for your browser. Basically I used:
chromium-browser --enable-features=Vulkan --ozone-platform=x11 --enable-unsafe-webgpu
for chromium browser. You may use firefox if you want. (chromium-browser needs to be replaced by whatever name you kept for firefox while ricing)

@Gambit0nly said in #5: > WebGPU is not supported in this browser. Please update your browser or enable WebGPU flags. Same happened with me on fedora. Just run the command given in the pop window on terminal. That shall enable the webgpu for your browser. Basically I used: chromium-browser --enable-features=Vulkan --ozone-platform=x11 --enable-unsafe-webgpu for chromium browser. You may use firefox if you want. (chromium-browser needs to be replaced by whatever name you kept for firefox while ricing)
#7

Amazing! Keep up the good work, I hope the board can be downloaded or something...

Amazing! Keep up the good work, I hope the board can be downloaded or something...
#8

I love what you've done, but I am afraid that most devices would just make the concept unusable. However, if you do have a powerful computer, this might provide a very cool experience. Good job!

My computer just makes the pieces drop very slowly after which is crashes :) True, I use electronic devices until they physically break down, but I feel this is a common theme amongst people who like chess.

Next stop: 8bit sprite 3D chess, like my favorite game Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss!

I love what you've done, but I am afraid that most devices would just make the concept unusable. However, if you do have a powerful computer, this might provide a very cool experience. Good job! My computer just makes the pieces drop very slowly after which is crashes :) True, I use electronic devices until they physically break down, but I feel this is a common theme amongst people who like chess. Next stop: 8bit sprite 3D chess, like my favorite game Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss!
#9

nice job on the forum but, like totalnoob69 said, it would be hard to do it on an actual computer

nice job on the forum but, like totalnoob69 said, it would be hard to do it on an actual computer
#10

Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far!

It's true. I have focused only on more powerful GPUs for now. That's not a great idea to help make the game widely available. On most new machines, even most new mobile devices, the game runs at 30fps or better, which, I think is acceptable. I prefer to focus on the future, when, in a year or two the vast majority of platforms should be able to run the app.

Reducing the scope to faster machines let's me, as a single developer, make a game that uses rendering that's even better than current AAA games precisely because I can ignore the complexities of making it work on less powerful GPUs. Making it look good on a lower performance GPU requires using lots of 3D graphics tricks, like shadow maps, flat mirror rendering passes and shadow maps, all of which add complexity to both the code and the artistic side of creating the scene. I did add a much faster path, that I hope to spend a bit more time on that might get a bit faster, and, hopefully look closer to the full path tracing version. You can tell if you are using the Fast Path by looking in the Settings gear menu and seeing if "Max Bounces" is set to zero.

All that said, I'd definitely look into faster rendering if that's what everyone demands! Join the discussion on the app Discord to provide feedback and vote on future features: https://discord.gg/yDQZWQPpj9

Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far! It's true. I have focused only on more powerful GPUs for now. That's not a great idea to help make the game widely available. On most new machines, even most new mobile devices, the game runs at 30fps or better, which, I think is acceptable. I prefer to focus on the future, when, in a year or two the vast majority of platforms should be able to run the app. Reducing the scope to faster machines let's me, as a single developer, make a game that uses rendering that's even better than current AAA games precisely because I can ignore the complexities of making it work on less powerful GPUs. Making it look good on a lower performance GPU requires using lots of 3D graphics tricks, like shadow maps, flat mirror rendering passes and shadow maps, all of which add complexity to both the code and the artistic side of creating the scene. I did add a much faster path, that I hope to spend a bit more time on that might get a bit faster, and, hopefully look closer to the full path tracing version. You can tell if you are using the Fast Path by looking in the Settings gear menu and seeing if "Max Bounces" is set to zero. All that said, I'd definitely look into faster rendering if that's what everyone demands! Join the discussion on the app Discord to provide feedback and vote on future features: https://discord.gg/yDQZWQPpj9