Hi....
I am presently working to increase frame rate in my many projects...
I have figured out how to use USGS dem files as terrain in 3DGS...
The files are rather large so I really appreciate the new chunking option...
When I apply my forest code and through script, drop down thousands of trees, my frame rate goes to heck... Please tell me if there is a way to surround the "player with a sphere that omits vertice trace beyond the sphere???
I presently use a great deal of standard 3DGS code to maintain a good frame rate. I also use the LOD concepts...But I need more power... ie: less objects rendered at varying distances...Please advise
Thanks
Paul

FPS and LOD w/ Huge Terrains single choice
	2?????
	1?????
Votes accepted starting: 07/28/06 18:52
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You should use the fewest entities you can. For maximum efficiency, have your models between 3000 and 6000 polygons. That is, if each tree used 10 polygons, have 300 trees grouped up in one single MDL file. I have yet to devise a way to find out what effect using multiple entities actually has. That is, if you add one entity, it simulates having to render another X polygons. Vertices also play a big role, even bigger than polygons.

Thanks but all that has already been tried....
I need a new way...
One that eliminates collision detection of entities far away but still shows the info....
Thanks
Paul

Use vec_dist for this. It'd go something like this:

Code:

---

if (vec_dist(my.x, camera.x) > range_limit) // set to a reasonable value*
{
	my.passable = on; // passable if too far away
}

else
{
	my.passable = off; // enable collsision if close
}

---

* 1024 or 2048 are good ideas. It should always be half the model's diameter plus the fastest rate of speed travelled, plus some clearance for possible jerks and the related. If going 128 quants per frame at 5 fps, and the model's diameter was 128, a range of 512 is sufficient enough.

Hey thanks....
The code you sent looks viable except, my trees are passable already....
There needs to be a zillion trees too...
Other than the trees there is nothing in the level other than a
terrain that is skined with a 1024 sq. skin and the vertice count is;
1.) 1551 x 1142 = 1,771,242 Verticies... (I'm pushing the envelope...)
2.) 1.935 x 2.629 triangle size
3.) Terrain size 2999.9 x 2999.9
4.) 683 x 683 Skin Size

Thanks...your feedback is important...
Paul

if your trees are passable then there is no collision detection.

A zillion trees? 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 trees?
Yes people, zillion is a real number.

What ulillillia said is correct, group as many trees as you can to get 5000 poly and go from there.

When you have more vertices, the peak range point for the polygon count drops. The 3000 to 6000 range is where peak performance is when there are two triangles per vertex, the typical setup. For something like trees where you have triangle-shaped objects crisscrossing each other, the vertex count increases and the range would be more around 2000 to 4500 polygons for a 1:1 face:vertex ratio. By switching the vertex and polygon counts around, the one with more vertices will take almost exactly twice as long to render. Think of it as each vertex counting as 3 faces (I have yet to solve for the actual value). That is, if you have 100 vertices and 190 faces, the model would, in a sense, be the equivelent of 490 faces and 0 vertices. Vertices have a much greater impact on the frame rate than polygons do so you should use the fewest possible.

@FoxHound - That number is one decillion (1E33), not a zillion. No hard drive or memory can even store that many!

Hey fellas....
Thanks for your responses.....
A "Zillion" might be a bit much, but my desire is to create a "Real World"...

My terrain is so mountanious that when I make my mdl have more than one tree
the insertion point becomes a problem that half or more of the trees (because the trees are scripted to drop to the terrain) wind up floating in the steep areas.

Tell me... would either of you be willing to assist me on a more direct basis?
Such as my sending you my files for your tweaking etc... I am not the code expert, I am a designer of 25 years working in the architectural and engineering fields. Therefore, my expertise is in creating acurate 3d buildings and or complexes...
Anyways...please consider the prospect of a more direct involvment.
The projects I am working on, will change the way 3d virtual simulations of the future will be used...Marketing, tourism, education...etc...
Please see the link in my signature...
Also, please see the web site from my High school 3d simulation class at;
http://mapsnet.org/pages/altschool3dgame/
Thanks again...
Paul K

You probably have already considered this, and it helps only under certain conditions, but you could assign each tree entity an action with just one line:

action any_tree
{
my.untouchable = on;
}

or add the line to your tree action if you already have one

just a though,
cheers,
tindust

Hey tindust...
That didn't help any...
Thanks though...