Performance issues with large maps?

LazerLazer Join Date: 2003-03-11 Member: 14406Members, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
in Mapping
<div class="IPBDescription">Layers not helping at all...</div>Hey guys I've been working on a map for well over a month now and I am very far along with my progress. Only screenshot I have posted is in my sig, but there will be a thread about that soon. :) Anyway the problem I am running into is that although I have broken up everything real nicely into groups/layers, hiding layers is not helping performance at all. Basically sitting at the edge of the map looking inwards (even if I only have 1 room visible) is causing it to become very laggy. If I face away from where the majority of the level geometry exists it speeds back up fine. I assume it is the light sources but I would not expect them to impact performance when they are hidden, and I'm even more confused why this problem is still apparent even in unlit mode.

So is there a way to fix this or is it just the editor? I can still manage but it is becoming quite annoying and continually making accomplishing things much more difficult as I keep adding to the map.

Thanks
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Comments

  • pSyk0mAnpSyk0mAn Nerdish by Nature Germany Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
    I noticed that spark somehow gets stuck on the lowest performance.
    It runs better first, when I load a map in unlit and most of the layers are hidden (this means you also have to save in unlit mode and with all/most layers hidden!)
    As soon as you activate layer or go into lit mode, you somehow won't get rid of some performance issues, when changing back.
    This means you have to focus on one area only.

    Restarting spark doesn't really help either, unless you reboot in between.

    I know, not a proper solution, but it helps me at least a little.
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  • LazerLazer Join Date: 2003-03-11 Member: 14406Members, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
    I see this seems to have helped a bit but only with unlit mode??

    I think the issue here is the editor's shader code receiving ALL light locations even ones that are in hidden layers. I know it is doing this because lights from neighboring rooms shine through the doorways even though the layers that these lights belong to are turned off. Although it is nice to see how lights from neighboring rooms affect the room you are working on, if I wanted to see this I would just turn on the layer for the neighboring room.
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1776615:date=Jul 1 2010, 07:45 PM:name=Lazer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lazer @ Jul 1 2010, 07:45 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1776615"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I see this seems to have helped a bit but only with unlit mode??

    I think the issue here is the editor's shader code receiving ALL light locations even ones that are in hidden layers.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    That's correct.
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  • LazerLazer Join Date: 2003-03-11 Member: 14406Members, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
    <!--quoteo(post=1776616:date=Jul 1 2010, 03:47 PM:name=Thaldarin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Thaldarin @ Jul 1 2010, 03:47 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1776616"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That's correct.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Well, damn. Guess the only solution for now is to stay in unlit mode except for when placing lights...
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    I think some of if not all the data is still left over with all modes enabled Lazer.

    My top tip for performance is placing all type of one light in a layer. Switching them on/off with shadows varies the performance immensely even in unlit for me.
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  • TSSTSS Join Date: 2010-05-11 Member: 71716Members
    Mjeh it runs slow but alteast it doesn't crash as often as Hammer did.

    My performance tip is simply look outward (or down at an angle), work in 1 maximised view (1 view runs a lot smoother then 4 views), and set up lighting last.

    Ya can always buy a faster PC :p
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  • LazerLazer Join Date: 2003-03-11 Member: 14406Members, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
    <!--quoteo(post=1776676:date=Jul 2 2010, 04:29 AM:name=TSS)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TSS @ Jul 2 2010, 04:29 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1776676"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Ya can always buy a faster PC :p<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Win 7 64-bit, i7 CPU, 4GB ram, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 GPU... I wouldn't really think i need to :)

    I generally have been just looking outward or down at an angle. It isn't impossible to work I was just surprised that hidden lights are having such a performance impact.

    Another thing I noticed is that the light bulb models themselves in the editor are way more complex looking than they need to be. I would think even a little sprite or something in the color of the light source might help performance a bit too?

    Hopefully the alpha comes out soon and the next version of this editor releases with it. I'm guessing a bunch of these issues have been addressed already we just haven't received the updates. (wishful thinking)
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  • pSyk0mAnpSyk0mAn Nerdish by Nature Germany Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
    <!--quoteo(post=1776702:date=Jul 2 2010, 04:29 PM:name=Lazer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lazer @ Jul 2 2010, 04:29 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1776702"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Another thing I noticed is that the light bulb models themselves in the editor are way more complex looking than they need to be. I would think even a little sprite or something in the color of the light source might help performance a bit too?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Thank you!
    I've said that month ago, when I still had my old, crappy pc, which couldn't handle half a room. I have no idea, how much they really effect performance, but I agree that they are unnecessarily complex.

    I can't wait for the next update or the alpha either. There are so many simple things that could improve mapping.
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    Most editors have moved away from tacky 2D sprites.

    The 3D wireframe should not impact performance anyhow and it's slightly more accurate.
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  • PrivatePrivate Join Date: 2007-06-10 Member: 61204Members, Constellation
    I feel I should at least mention that it's possible to have different rooms in different files.

    This comes with a host of other problems (the worst probably being lack of 'bigger picture'), but at least the editor stays responsive.

    You could argue that it should not be necessary to split your work up in multiple files, but as this is a pre-alpha editor I'm very prepared to just work around the kinks. Working in multiple files evades the performance issues quite nicely.
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    edited July 2010
    If you're not a Perspective only fan and can use the 2D views to position things; it's really not a massive deal.

    Edit: '#'Apparently that word is banned.

    <b>Don't evade the swear filter.</b>
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