[FF map] FF_Flow - beta 2

    Prop models bar is about as high as the world gteometry bar, everythign else is way under both of these. I take that to mean my prop models needs reduced, as my map is sufficiently hinted off. r_drawstaticprops 0 gives me the fps boost I need to get this thing done. So my theory is removing alot of models and simplifying a bit of geometry should get my map sufficiently optimised.

    Note that i havent bothered with occluders, as there are no areas where I could use an occluder that hasn't already been vised-off with hint brushes.

    Please tell me if my theory is sound!!

    Quote from Meotwister

    found an .dxf importer for xsi for ya! http://www.highend3d.com/xsi/downloads/ ... -4354.html

    so if you wanna do it the way I was talkin about you can.. unless you figured it out with that other way..

    Yeah like I said, I figured out how to get displacements into XSI, but I am no longer going down that road as it is prop models I need to reduce, rather than replacing world geometry with even more models.

    But thanks

    Hint brushes yes, occluders no for reasons stated above, and I havent tried using areaportals yet - there are no doors in my map for gameplay reasons, I dont know how areaportals could help my framerates.

    Yes what does +showbudget tweak out on? What does swapbuffers look like? We've had some fierce fights in the flag room and if the water is reflecting everything...i.e. 10 people, greandes, sentrys, bullets, bags, bodies, that could get hectic.

    Areaportals are actually gold for optimization in a mp map, even without doors. If you have an open area portal it acts as a frustrum, culling the pvs substantially down to just what is needed, rather than tracking leafs. I can't explain it very well how it works, I just use it lol, but try adding area portals in doorways, even without doors, around corners and things. In places where your map really is divided into areas, like how the flag room is seperate from the base. Look around in mat_wireframe 1/2/3 and see what excess geometry is being rendered, hints dont always help, and place areaportals "in front" of the geometry, but in places where you don't have a line of sight to the area portal where the problem is.

    You might also have success with placing area portal windows in some places, not sure how well those work in multiplayer though.

    Quote from Meotwister

    found an .dxf importer for xsi for ya! http://www.highend3d.com/xsi/downloads/ ... -4354.html

    so if you wanna do it the way I was talkin about you can.. unless you figured it out with that other way..

    XSI can directly import vmf files with the ValveSource plugin and displacements come in as their own mesh

    Quote

    In places where your map really is divided into areas, like how the flag room is seperate from the base. Look around in mat_wireframe 1/2/3 and see what excess geometry is being rendered, hints dont always help, and place areaportals "in front" of the geometry, but in places where you don't have a line of sight to the area portal where the problem is.

    The flag room sees about 10 polies into the base, and vice versa, because I have already hint brushed it off. I cant think of anywhere where areaportals would be useful, that isnt already covered by my hint brushes. If you dont believe me, have a look in wireframe mode yourself, my areas are pretty well seperated, except from an area near the front door, but this should be remedied for the next version, and wasn't really a major fps issue anyway.

    Surely the whole point of hint brushes is to seperate areas like this, and if done properly negates the need for areaportals? Please if I'm wrong help me out and tell me where an areaportal would cut out some brushes and i'll give it a go.

    Anyway, another change I will make for the next version is the texture theme for the natural areas. I have swapped some hl2 stock textures for FF textures, see what you think:

    [Blocked Image: http://usera.imagecave.com/bumgravy/ff_flowb40.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://usera.imagecave.com/bumgravy/ff_flowb41.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://usera.imagecave.com/bumgravy/ff_flowb42.jpg]

    Yes I know some textures arent blended properly etc, this is just to show you what the texture theme is going to look like>

    Thanks again for your comments!

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