Hey,
Well this may not be the absolute best way to save your framerate, and it surely isn't going to be able to be used a lot the way it's built; however, maybe somebody can add on to what I have done and make it even better. This script is mainly purposized towards In-Game Cinematics (still background, non-moving camera). As you will see in the open-source demo this only does a little in the engine trick and you won't be able to tell much of a difference.
The Trick...
Well your scenery models (ex: Terrains, skies, trees, shrubs, buildings, etc.) mainly everything in the background that isn't animated stays on the screen for a second while everything OPPOSITE of that is removed. While the opposites are removed, the engine takes a screenshot of all the still life in the background and then saves that screenshot. Then the engine removes all the scenery entities and places the screenshot in the background to save your Frame Rate. Then it puts back all the objects that are animated and that you want to make higher poly (since now you lost a bunch of sceneric polygons you can put more into the players for more realistic look). So now you see how it's best to be used while the background is still...
You can always try new tricks and additions to my little contribution, just thought I would share what I have done. To tell the engine what entities are scenery entities (That need removed AFTER the screenshot is taken, just apply the Flag1 to them and that's how it works. On the following scenery before this method was applied I got about 20 FPS, and while the method was working I got a firm 200 FPS.
The sphere model in this level is around 50,000 polys just to let you know, and was only put there for testing purposes.
And here is the difference (in a slightly different level with same poly count though between before and after results:
Download the entire open-source demo here:
http://www.icestormgames.com/FPSTest.zipAny comments or questions you can reply here for, and they will be answered. Also thanks to WizRealms this works slightly..uhh...better
