The maps look amazing. They are very good. Great Job!

Wouldn't the problem be reduced when he puts some windows in the frames etc? All the windows look open right now and not sure about the doorways. Also what effect would using the detail flag for the terrace and overhang blocks have on framerate?

Hi Bupaje, you're right, all these apertures are engine stressors, I know. - But it did that with a certain intention, since I thought, it would be great to walk around in an atmosphere where you have the impression not to be "blocked", but in contrast, where you are invited to have a certain insight. It was a strategy - therefore I left the windows open, they should filled with moveable objects.

There is no prolem if you have two or three of them, if it get's more it turns out t be a pain. So I experimented with a lot of other options, to keep up the visual quality. - It's a real problem: if youj insert just one bad looking objekt into such an atmosphere, you destroy everything. There are few way of circumnavigate these problems: I will psot some examples soon.

Would it be possible (assuming some beneficial effect) to put blocks in the windows and hide them when they are in the camera view and return them when they are out of sight? So if the viewer is looking up at the second floor it is 'unblocked' but the first floor is blocked? Also can you maybe use a LOD type scheme with windows that are further away blocked, maybe with a texture image of the room rendered on the block to appear open until they get closer then remove the block? Anyway your stuff is always interesting.

Where possible you may be able use MDL files for many of the details - at least test this out - I have found a great number can have little effect on frame rates - world geometry not so. Many detailed railings or fences, gates etc for instance have little effect on frame rates.

Textures also have a major impact - though I would not dare suggest you alter any of those shown in your screen shots which are excellent and a credit to you. If its a last resort you can increase frame rates dramatically by rescaling/tiling textures which may need to be seamless in some instances - though a decrease in quality results so you would obviously start with the least seen ones first.

Your buildings are certainly detailed and from what I have seen although you have great detail I would not have thought that the views shown would have caused unacceptable frame rates. If so then your scenes are more complex than can be asceratined from the screen views.

Obviously you are attempting a somewhat no compromise quality approach to the levels and that is to be commended - in reality though I beleive GS to be by comparison the best FRate engine in its class you may be asking just a little too much of it.

I hope not as we want to see much more of this.

Keep up the gret work

A few thoughts on how to reduce the framerate in your special case:

A. Simulate an open window

1. Make a screen shot or few from the street's perspektiv through a window.
2. Close the window behind the window frame with a levelblock.
3. Make a plain model with the screenshot as skin.
4. Place it before the block.
5. And attach an action to the model that manages to shift the skin relating to the cameras position, so that the skin simulates the insight through the open window.

B. Place curtains, waving in the wind

1. Place a levelblock behind the windowframe.
2. Give it a dark texture with the perspectively distorted texture of the ceiling.
3. Place a curtain with animated waving in the wind.
4. Give it a random animation action.

Last is only interesting, when you won't have the wind to be calm because of atmosphere issues.

thanks for the valuable hints and recommendations. Indeed, it's a tricky thing - and there are lot of ways, a lot of surprises too in sppeding up the engine.

Need makes inventive - as the German saying goes -, and so I came up with a mixture of map entities, models - and their perpetual change. One thing which struck me was the fact that the engine renders models faster than blocks of complicated geometry.

Here are a few screenshots of a suburban place. It's still under heavy development, just a snapshot of the ongoing development (and corresponds very well to the ugly, post-socialist environment).

Yes - some say that traditionally models can reduce frame rates dramatically cos they may have high polys. However I have found as consistently pointed out recently that GS handles them extremely well and you can add a lot of details as models and certainly latrge areas of city buildings particularly if you cant collide with them to boost the percceived sixz of your city level.

e.g. areas you cant get to can be crowded with simple model buildings with detail textures and dont forget any building or object which has a part above player level that you cant go inside can have the top part as a model.

BTW lovely screens - excellent - any more _ I love it

Hi Martin,

Damn fine work. I am glad you having luck mixing models and level geometery. It looks fantastic.

Great work.

Ken

These new shots are great. I esp. like the 2nd one.