BACKGROUND I've got a number of levels with about 7,000 vertices and 6,000 portals. With visibility calculations turned off, each one builds in about 60 seconds. But with it turned on, I've spent DAYS trying to calculate it with seemingly zero progress. Seems like a bug to me, but I'm trying to work around the problem for now by converting some of the main level sections to map entities with LODs. That part works well.
However, Newton objects won't collide with map entities, so I've had to build some invisible, lo-res blocks in the level that line up with the map entity. Then I make the map entity passable. But now, in trying to speed up both FPS and build times, I've wound up with the original geometry (converted to a map entity, set to passable, with LODs) AND a lo-res, invisible collision volume.
QUESTION #1: FPS During gameplay it seems that the map entity will render much faster from a distance because of the LODs. However, I've also got that lower-res, invisible collision volume. How many resources will that take up? There's no drawing, but there is collision. (I have to stay at 6.22 so I've simply built blocks with a texture set to "none," since "invisible" also makes them passable)
QUESTION #2: BUILD TIME I'm guessing that converting level geometry to a map entity will reduce my build times by about 90%. But then I also have to add these lower-res collision volumes back in. Does anyone know how much these invisible collision volumes will add back to my visibility calculations? I'm hoping it's zero
. The collision blocks have about 1/2 to 1/6 the resolution of the actual geometry.
Thanks!
BACKGROUND
