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r_speeds and keeping them down


mapmaker

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The map I'm working on right now contains a fairly large forest, and a few big buildings. When I test the map out (in FastVis(nolight)), and am in the forest, I get about 25-30 frames per second, and that's with an Athlon 1700 XP and 64MB GeForce 2 MX 400 ( I think it's 400...).

I'm probably going to release this map when it's finished, so if anyone can give me some advice on keeping the r_speeds low and the frame rates high (I already know about caulking textures, and keeping cylinders to a minimum) I'd appreciate it.

 

P.S. Once I figure out how to post screenshots, I'll show some screenshots once the map is almost finished.

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ok first things first........are your trees patches if so make them brushes they'll chew up your r_speeds like nobodys buisness.

 

second cheat

 

try restricting the player so that they can move very far into the forest, then make progressivly simpiler trees possibly even just flat brushes or even textures of trees in the distance

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It may seem like a newbie question, but how would I go about checking to see if my trees are patches or brushes? I added them as models from the .md3 files in the 'assets0.pk3' file.

 

*edit*

Yeah, I do need a new video card. I might get that lower end version of the GeForce4 128md cards when it comes out (Hmm...it might be out already actually).

*edit*

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ahh sorry m8 now i understand..............models do take a hell of alot out of the system and quake 3 doesn't handel multiple models very well. Serious sam does........ahh for those endless skies, those exotic lands and thousands of enemies to mush with my cannon

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Hmm, ok, I just won't add many more trees( not that the map needs any more!). If anything, people will just have to bring the graphic detail settings down a notch or two if they get bad frame rates. I'll test the map on my other computer, which has a 32mb card and is 800mhz.

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Do not release a map that has 25-30 frames on a high-end machine. No one will be able to play it. Mapping is about finding the balance between eye-candy and performance. And right now you are only going for eye-candy. Remove some trees, and try to get r_speeds around 10-11 k (which is already a lot)

 

Virus, your statement about 40-45 fps on his machine is absolutely inaccurate. FPS is one of the worst indicators on your map's performance.

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Learn how to use hint brushes and go nuts with them. These can be particularly effective if you really think about how they can help you as you construct the basic layout.

 

Be aware that the more you use them, especially in large areas, the greater your compiling times will increase, and they will increase quite a bit

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That depends greatly on what kind of outdoor area it is. If its terrain, and he intentionally attempted vis-blocking with that terrain, vis blocking can help. It wont help map model rendering though, that much is true.

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I am going to have to agree with Borg on this one Unikorn, but I will quailify it...Hints *may* help if the outside area has a design that will support it.

 

Potential hint brush places in outdoors maps:

 

- Verticals

Got multiple levels to your outdoors area? Add hints like floors that run from the cilff to structural brushes..be sure the hint brush will enclose the area. Also, extend the cliffs, with hint brushes, up to the sky for vising the horizontal.

 

- Properly hint any entrance to any buildings or caves that may exist in your outdoors area so that the inside of those aren't being drawn also.

 

- Winds around mountain type areas can often benefit from hint brushes vertical hint brushes up to the sky, think about how the user will be approaching the area, angle the hint brush to best reflect what they won't see when comming in on that angle. Also, look for potential horizontal hintingto cap the winding area.

 

- Around outdoors buildings may help if you have entities on one side or another, hint horizontally and vertically in this case to try to isoloate the entitiy on one side of the building from the views visible from the other sides.

 

These are just *potential* places hint brushes may help you. Itl depend entirely on your map design and the paths you are getting people to take through the outdoors area. No one alive has been able to write the definitive tutorial to hint brushes, (there are some attempts out there though, read them), so I am not going to try ;)

 

My descriptions of these things may not be very good, but it is hard to explain. The best advice, learn how the compiler does things. Experiment with hint brushes and take the time to compare the results. Eventually, you will look at your map in a new light. You will see clearly where hint brushes are going to go and you will even start architecting for placing them there, knowing that you are going to be able to get away with alot, just around that corner, or just above that ledge... :)

 

- Vorax

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