Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => FS2 Open Coding - The Source Code Project (SCP) => Topic started by: DaBrain on July 13, 2005, 05:13:33 am

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: DaBrain on July 13, 2005, 05:13:33 am

Maybe this was suggested already, but I can't remember seeing it.

What I have in mind will increase the qulaity for high-end user and increase the performance for low-end user.

I call it "dynamic lod range". This overwrited the lod ranges from the tables according to your fps.

You set the desired fsp value (in my case 30 fps) and the game handles the lods with a simple system.

Low fps means the lower poly ships will be used longer. High fps means you only see lod0 ships.


What do you think about this?

Is it possible?

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: karajorma on July 13, 2005, 05:17:32 am

It's an interesting idea but what's wrong with using the detail options in-game?

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: DaBrain on July 13, 2005, 05:35:41 am

Some missions need a faster PC than other missions.
People with low-end systems would have to adjust their settings all the time.

Or they just sacrifice the potential image quality in the less complex (perfomance-wise) missions.

And one other thing would be possible with this feature:

BOE style missions. Everything will be a bit less beautiful, but the performance sill be fine.

(The slower the PC, the less image quality you get.)

This means the modder teams could create super-high-res maps and high-poly ships, as long as the create lods. In a few years´, when the PC are faster, those maps and models won't be a problem for the hardware anymore.

This means the mod would evolve along with the PC hardware.

(Well, at least that's possible :nervous: )

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: karajorma on July 13, 2005, 06:58:15 am

Ah. See what you mean now.

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: Primus on July 13, 2005, 07:08:58 am

:yes: I like and fully support your suggestion DaB. :)

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: SuperCoolAl on July 15, 2005, 05:40:56 pm

I think some games have this feature already, like UT. It turns down/off the special effects based on what fps you set and get (like foliage/projectors/coronas/decals/dynamic lighting). Not sure if it lowers model detail though.

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: phatosealpha on July 15, 2005, 10:51:31 pm

Hm.  Will we also be able to use this to make the game use higher poly ships at a greater distance if we've got the GPU/CPU firepower to do so?

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: SuperCoolAl on July 16, 2005, 02:30:44 am

yes I think that is also another reason why this is a good idea

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: DaBrain on July 16, 2005, 06:59:25 pm

The best example for this is the RT-DAT engine, but I don't think we need a system as complex as this.

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: Kazan on July 16, 2005, 07:22:31 pm

once every couple of ticks

Code: [Select]


if (framerate < lower_limit) { detail_skew -= 0.1;}
if (framerate > upper_limit) { detail_skew += 0.1; }



and detail_skew is obviously how we control the detail


for example:
LOD_BOUNDRY = TABLE_LOD_DISTANCE * (1/detail_skew)

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: vyper on July 16, 2005, 07:55:24 pm

I like, I like...

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: WMCoolmon on July 16, 2005, 09:33:26 pm

It'd be best as a tick in the options screen, maybe below "Custom". You press it, and everything is disabled, and the FPS box is enabled.

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: Kazan on July 16, 2005, 09:36:11 pm

nah - have it an additional setting - because theorectically it should work with any setting there is

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: WMCoolmon on July 16, 2005, 10:06:59 pm

Right, but I'd think most of the stuff on the options screen (eg model detail and such) would be auto-adjusted by the setting, so changing the settings wouldn't do anything.

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: DaBrain on July 17, 2005, 08:52:45 am

Quote

Originally posted by Kazan
once every couple of ticks

Code: [Select]


if (framerate < lower_limit) { detail_skew -= 0.1;}
if (framerate > upper_limit) { detail_skew += 0.1; }



and detail_skew is obviously how we control the detail


for example:
LOD_BOUNDRY = TABLE_LOD_DISTANCE * (1/detail_skew) [/B]

I think that's perfect.

This way Omniscaper wouldn't even have to set all these lod ranges for "his" Deathstar, the PC would "choose" the perfect settings by itself.

You will always get the perfect quality for your system without slowdowns. :)

In theory....

:nervous:

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: Kazan on July 17, 2005, 09:22:24 am

you will still have to set LOD distances - that variable just skews them based on your frame rate

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: aldo_14 on July 17, 2005, 09:37:35 am

What does the current model detail (IIRC) setting for graphics do?  Just tweak the 'max' lod displayed?

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: Kazan on July 17, 2005, 10:49:47 am

it does the same thing - scales the distance

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: SuperCoolAl on July 19, 2005, 10:39:37 am

Except of course it doesn't auto-adjust based on framerate.

Remember this could be done with more than model detail. Possibly before changing that the game could turn down/off other special effects/details.

Title: Help for low-end user
Post by: Col. Fishguts on July 19, 2005, 11:10:07 am

Good idea, IIRC Homeworld had something like this, and it worked pretty well.