Hey!

I'm looking for a c-script alternative to LOD.. the idea is that the objects fade out as you get away from them, eventually going to invisible = on when their alpha = 0, and their passable switched on.. would this save fps? or would it be better to fade it out, morph the entity into a simple invisible cube? I guess the crux of this question is-- when invisible and passable are switched on, are the savings in fps substantial? Does anyone know the answer to this?

Thanks!

Im working on a script that clipps the tree models off at a certian distance, then makes loads sprites in place of the models. Then my LOD just clips out the sprites.

Just invent the ">" for the sprites. What I did was double place the a Model then a Sprite on top on on another. SO at long range there is a sprite and close range its a model. It works great and saves alot of framerate for outdoor levels! Also it is very hard to tell the transition from model to sprite at long range. What I did was place the Model, took a screen shot, imported in to my PSP7, and saved it as a sprite (.pcx) and then imported that into WED and applied my sprite behavor:)


ACTION clip_models {



while(1)
{
if(vec_dist(my.x,player.x) > 500)
{
my.invisible = on;
} else {
my.invisible = off;
}
wait(1);
}




}



But what your looking for has just been mentioned to me by NEM's in a post of mine:
http://www.coniserver.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/768033/an/0/page/0#Post768033

I've tested tthe script and it does fade out when your within a certain distance. You could just remove the scaleing stuff.

Quote:

---

function fade_tree()
{
my.scale_x=8;//just my scale values here
my.scale_y=8;
my.scale_z=8;

while(1)
{
my.transparent = on;
my.passable = on;

if(vec_dist(player.x, my.x) < 3000)
{

my.alpha -= 2*time_step;
if (my.scale_x > 3)//more of my scaling stuff
{
my.scale_x += 0.5 * time;
my.scale_y = my.scale_x;
my.scale_z = my.scale_x;
}
}

if(vec_dist(player.x, my.x) > 3000)
{

if(my.alpha < 99)
{

my.alpha += 2*time_step;


if (my.scale_x > 8)//same ol same old
{
my.scale_x =8;
my.scale_y = my.scale_x;
my.scale_z = my.scale_x;
}
}
if(my.alpha > 90)
{
my.transparent = off;
}

}



wait(1);
}
}

action world_tree
{

my.polygon = on;
plant_object();// saves manual placement by leaving in the air
fade_tree();


}

---

I think best is to fade them out but don't just set invisible then, but save their position in an array, and delete them. A global action then controls this array and recreates the models when the player comes nearer. With this system you save the time models consume through their functions and collision detection even if invisible is set. Disadvantage is, that your global function also consumes time (depending how fast you want your level to be actualised)