Origins Development Video

[L B]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocJZeWOWA9Q

 

Note the uber-low FPS around the multi-lights area in the beginning. Any suggestion appreciated. The shadowmap size of these lights is like 32.

I know the animation is not normalized, the video quality is crappy, and I don't have Framewerk yet because this is in C# and well, I'm the one who's supposed to make Framewerk.

[Rick]

That looks really nice. It's nice to see some functionality along with all these pretty screenshots we see from everyone.

[Josh]

Specs?

 

There are still some additional shadow techniques I can use to optimize it further without losing quality. They'll probably be in place before you have a demo out.

[L B]

Specs?

 

There are still some additional shadow techniques I can use to optimize it further without losing quality. They'll probably be in place before you have a demo out.

 

GeForce 9600 GT, 4GB RAM, 2.30 Ghz Dual Core, W7RC. (Although, I have no bump mapping, 4 lights in scene (1 dir+3 points), and no ground cover (i.e. few models)).

 

I'm really not figuring what's wrong there, it MIGHT be my character logic, but I doubt it.

 

And heck, GI and molecular precision will be in place before I have a demo out.

 

I'll try removing the shadows on the lights and see how it works.

[Josh]

http://www.nvidia.co..._9600gt_us.html

 

64 stream processors, so not bad but not great. If your shadow maps are that low res you might as well disable shadows for those point lights.

 

Additionally, the optimization technique I am talking about will lower the amount of geometry that has to be redrawn when shadows are updated. It will result in a very big improvement in this scene.

[L B]

Trying to remove it in LUA, can't figure how.

 

Assume the light is declared like this:

"local light = CreatePointLight(10, model)"

 

How do I disable shadows?

[Josh]

Just uncheck the "cast shadows" box in the properties.

[L B]

I can't because the light is automatically created from the LUA script. This way I don't have to place a light for each lamp I place. Here's my script for the lamp post:

dofile("Scripts/base.lua")

function Spawn(model)
local entity=base_Spawn(model)
entity.model=model

local light=CreatePointLight(30,model)
light:Move(Vec3(0, 3.85, 0))
local intensity = 1
light:SetColor(Vec4(245/255*intensity, 170/255*intensity, 115/255*0.7, 255/255*intensity))
light:SetShadowmapSize(64)
light:SetKey("castshadows", 0) -- Didn't work.

return entity
end

 

 

On a side note, any recommendation for a GPU? My budget's low but one can dream.

[Niosop]

Try:

 

light:SetShadowMode(0,1)

[Josh]

Any GEForce 8800 or GEForce 9800.

[L B]

I got all my performance back after using SetShadowMode(0, 1).

Although, simply for Josh, note that putting the ShadowMapSize of all my point light maps to 2, 4, or 8 (a.k.a. really low values) does NOT give a boost in performance when the shadow is handled with a skinned mesh. I think the skin + shadow system needs to be reviewed, or else my material files are somehow wrong.

[L B]

Any GEForce 8800 or GEForce 9800.

 

Any significant performance increase from 9600 to 9800?

[Josh]

Yes. You'd even be better off with an 8800 over a 9600.

 

Basically, any NVidia card where the second number is less than 8 is a budget card: GEForce 9600, 8400, 240. They just keep repackaging the same slow cards and selling them for cheaper under a new name.

 

The real cards are like 7950, 8800, 9800, 280, 295, etc.

 

I know, it's a terrible naming scheme. Confusing the customer so they don't even know which one is faster is not a good way to sell hardware.

[TylerH]

I think Josh knows nVidia's hardware and drivers better than nVidia does.

 

Given all the departments they have, I bet half of them don't know their own naming scheme for their cards.

[VicToMeyeZR]

or you could go with the Radeon HD 5870, or the 4870 if your low on cash.

[Michael Betke]

I really like the video. Go and add some sky, flowers/grass and an ambient light so the shadows aren't such dark.

 

The cape ofthe guy could swing a bit more. looks a bit stiff.

[L B]

I really like the video. Go and add some sky, flowers/grass and an ambient light so the shadows aren't such dark.

 

The cape ofthe guy could swing a bit more. looks a bit stiff.

 

I would add the atmosphere, but I need to code Framewerk in C#, which is not an easy task.

I would also add some ground cover as you suggested, but I have found the ground cover provided in your (wonderful) pack not quite fit for MMORPG-style bushes and such. Too subtle, probably more useful for FPS, which is what you design for.

 

The model will not even be used in the final game, but only for testing, so I could care less. But thanks for the comments

[by the way: If ever you feel like making some MMO ground cover / old (fable-style) fence models, make us know I'd be glad too buy them]

 

 

@Josh: I know there is an improvement between 9600 and 9800. I'm just wondering how big it is.

[Josh]

It will be more than twice as fast with a 9800.