PiStorm 3D project shows new progress for Amiga graphics

After some time without major updates, the 3D for PiStorm project has resurfaced with encouraging news. The initiative, led by Steffen Haeuser with development work carried out by programmer Dennis, continues to move forward with the goal of bringing modern 3D graphics capabilities to Amiga systems using PiStorm with a Raspberry Pi 4 or Compute Module 4. The project aims to create a 3D graphics library that would allow Amiga software running on PiStorm-equipped machines to access hardware-accelerated 3D rendering. While progress has taken time, the latest update shows that important technical steps have been achieved. One of the main challenges comes from the VideoCore VI GPU used in the Raspberry Pi 4. Unlike many modern graphics chips, detailed documentation for this GPU is limited. Because of this, developers often have to rely on studying existing projects such as Gallium3D and experimenting with the hardware to understand how different parts of the GPU work. This process naturally slows development, but it’s also part of the challenge of creating something new for the Amiga platform.

According to the latest update, the team hopes to produce an early technical demonstration in the coming weeks. This will not yet be a full 3D library, but rather a proof of concept showing that the graphics pipeline is functioning correctly. The demo is expected to include several key steps in the rendering process, such as generating binning lists, building rendering lists, compiling shader programs and producing a simple image on screen. The final result may be something very simple, most likely a basic coloured triangle, but that would already confirm that the entire rendering pipeline is working as intended. Building a 3D driver for this setup has not been easy. Several complex technical issues have had to be addressed during development. These include differences in memory organization between VideoCore GPU generations, changes in how the memory management unit handles addresses, and the fact that the Amiga uses big-endian architecture, which creates compatibility challenges with the Raspberry Pi hardware. There have also been difficulties working with the QPU assembler used to compile shader programs for the GPU.

Despite these challenges, progress is being made. The current driver can already generate pseudocode that is converted into GPU instructions, and the driver initialization system has been successfully implemented. Development is currently focused on completing the binning list stage of the rendering pipeline, which is reportedly around 90 percent finished for the demonstration program. Once that part is completed, work will move on to implementing the rendering lists. If everything goes according to plan, the first working demonstration could appear within the next few weeks. While it may only display a simple 3D shape, reaching that milestone would confirm that the core technology is working. For Amiga enthusiasts, that would be an important step toward bringing modern 3D acceleration to PiStorm-powered systems. More than thirty years after its release, the Amiga continues to inspire developers who are determined to push the platform further than anyone imagined. Projects like 3D for PiStorm show that even today, the story of the Amiga is still being written.

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