TriAevum README

The project's README from github.com/coccofresco/TriAevum. As one markdown file: README.md.

TriAevum

A native PC AOT recompilation of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, with a modern NRI/Vulkan renderer, single-screen UI and customizable graphics.

Credit Where It Belongs

Before the shaders, settings and excessive grass: TriAevum would not exist in its current form without TopScreen, developed by rlgcarrot. Its single-screen experience is reimplemented here for our runtime, but the vision, care and tremendous work behind it deserve a special thank-you. Please consider buying rlgcarrot a coffee to support that fantastic work.

Just as essential are Azahar, Ship of Harkinian, libultraship, NVIDIA NRI, and the SDL controller-mapping community. And, of course, Nintendo and Grezzo, who created the original game. Full credits and licenses.

Download v0.6.0-alpha.1c for Windows x64

About

TriAevum is an AOT recomp in the same general spirit as the Xbox 360 recomp projects. I just ended up spending most of my time on the renderer instead of, you know, actually playing the game. The goal is to push the visuals further without completely losing the original look.

Development of this project is entirely AI-assisted, under human direction. That describes the TriAevum-specific work, not the mature donor projects and libraries it builds on: Azahar, Ship of Harkinian, NRI and others. Aside from those foundations, you could fairly call this concentrated AI slop. Apparently, even AI slop can still consume several months of your life.

Install

Requires Windows x64, a Vulkan-capable GPU with current drivers, and your own supported decrypted ROM. Forge accepts .3ds and .cci and checks the contents, not just the filename.

It should work with any personal EUR or USA ROM dump, provided it is decrypted and in .cci or .3ds format. See ROM compatibility details.

  1. Download the Windows-x64 ZIP, not GitHub's source-code archive, and extract it into a writable folder.
  2. Run TriAevumForge.exe and select your decrypted ROM.
  3. When setup finishes, choose Launch game. Afterwards, use TriAevum.exe.

No compiler or SDK is needed. Forge downloads the official TopScreen texture package during setup; an Internet connection is required unless that package is provided locally. No ROM or original game assets are included. Keep and back up data/: it holds your saves, settings and locally prepared game data.

Graphics and controls

Press F1 for settings. F2 temporarily disables the main added graphics effects, then restores them without losing your configuration. Most of the presentation is configurable, so if my artistic decisions offend you personally, you can probably undo them. Effects can be expensive; adjust them to suit your GPU.

Testing and contributing

This is an experimental alpha, not a fully tested port. Gameplay testing currently covers the early parts of the game. The USA adapter has been checked through installation, the title intro and file selection, not a full playthrough. I find tweaking shaders considerably more entertaining than finishing Zelda again, so people willing to actually play through it are especially welcome.

Please report issues with the version, ROM input/revision, GPU/driver, settings and steps to reproduce. Normal in-game save files are particularly useful for problems later in the game. Review logs for personal information before sharing; do not upload ROMs, extracted assets or memory savestates containing game code.

Contributions, experiments and forks taking the renderer in other directions are welcome. Longer term, I would like to explore a proper ray-tracing path and finish features still in the traditional state known as "technically implemented". Ray tracing is a wishlist item, not a feature of this release.

Release notes and known limitations.

Screenshots

Captured with the default profile: toon shading, outlines, grass, 1.10x FOV, x2 interpolation and TopScreen. No additional HD texture pack.

Hyrule Field at night

Kokiri Forest gameplay with the TopScreen HUD

Link and Epona in the title sequence

Source and license

Original contributions are licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later. Third-party components retain their own licenses and notices: license scope and third-party notices. See the release and build contract for source availability and developer packaging.

TriAevum is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo.

Worst case scenario, at least we got more grass.

TriAevum (coccofresco/TriAevum)

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500 ·GitHub
TriAevum
What is this?TriAevum is a native PC AOT (ahead-of-time) recompilation runtime for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, with a modern NRI/Vulkan renderer, a single-screen UI and customizable graphics options.
Is this an emulator or something else?It is not a 3DS emulator; it is an AOT recompilation, in the same spirit as the Xbox 360 recomp projects, that turns the game's code into a native Windows build on top of foundations like Azahar, Ship of Harkinian and NVIDIA NRI.
How do I get it running?Download the Windows-x64 ZIP (not GitHub's source archive), extract it, run TriAevumForge.exe and select your decrypted ROM; once setup finishes you launch the game and later use TriAevum.exe directly.
What do I need to actually run it?A Windows x64 PC with a Vulkan-capable GPU and current drivers, plus your own legally decrypted Ocarina of Time 3D ROM dump in .3ds or .cci format; Forge checks the ROM's contents, not just its filename.
How finished and tested is it right now?It is an experimental alpha, not a fully tested port: gameplay testing currently only covers the early parts of the game, and the USA ROM variant has only been checked through install, the title intro and file selection, not a full playthrough.
Does it need the internet after setup?During first setup, Forge downloads the official TopScreen texture package, so an internet connection is required unless you supply that package locally; after setup it should run without one.
Does my graphics card matter?Yes, you need a Vulkan-capable GPU with current drivers; the toon shading, AO, reflections, shadows, anti-aliasing and extra grass effects are all GPU-cost options you can tune to your hardware.
Does the 60/90 FPS mode actually speed the game up?No. It is a visual interpolation of the original 30 Hz game state; the underlying game logic and gameplay speed stay exactly as in the original game.
What is TopScreen and why is it credited so prominently?TopScreen is a single-screen UI originally developed by rlgcarrot for a similar 3DS recomp; TriAevum reimplements that single-screen experience for its own renderer and credits the original design and work.
Can I use any Ocarina of Time 3D ROM I own?Any personally owned, decrypted EUR or USA ROM dump in .3ds or .cci format should work; Forge validates the actual file contents rather than trusting the filename.
What extra graphics features does it add over the original 3DS game?Cel/toon shading with outlines, ambient occlusion, optional reflections/shadows/anti-aliasing, true widescreen with adjustable FOV, procedural grass, and Azahar-compatible custom textures, all configurable through an in-game settings menu (F1), with F2 toggling the added effects on and off.
What are similar projects?The-Darkness-Recomp, TheSimpsonsGameRecomp, uncharted_pc, ShadowOfTheColossus-PC, ps2-web-recomp, bbhost, dxvk, Vulkan
Which topics is it in?shaders, emulation, retrogaming, vulkan, ai-coding, native, rendering, game-development, game, graphics, windows-app, 3d
Creator
coccofresco
Size
204.6 MB
Stars
500
Updated
CommitOct 15
Age
1mo
Commits · 90 Days