[Question] Mapping questions?

[spacemanc]

Ive got a few general mapping questons that I cant find the answer to.

Lightmapping. Ive done a few low detail light maps, but I cant seem to get back a lightmap that I liked the look of. Ive just noticed that when I redo a light map it already has a total time at start up, which gives me the impressions its putting light maps over light maps and combining the effects in some way? Is this right and how do I reset it if this is the case?

Colours. In a way this is related to the one above. I know my colours are natural as I spent ages in photoshop with loads of pictures doing different average filters and getting the values. Is it best to keep these and sort it out with the env lighting later, or do people use slightly unnatural colours so that it looks better in the game?

Undergrowth/overgrowth. Ive read that this causes alot of lag if you over do it. Im just wondering how the engine handles it. Is it all loaded for the whole map as thousands of statics, or does the computer just handle them as they come into view.

Mist/Fog. I know you can lower lag by lowering the view distance, but is it possible to apply localised fog/mist to help out in areas of high undergrowth. I saw a map yesterday showing a sandstorm, and my idea is to use mist in the highly vegitated areas to sort out lag. Will this work or will the mist cause alot of lag as well?

Is there a maximum number of statics on a map, or a guide to a recommended limit per map for bigger statics like factories?

Does size matter ( In game ) As far as I see it, you could make a 100m tall rocket and the game would handle it the same way as a 1m rocket if it had the same number of polys. Is this correct?

[spacemanc]

Ive answered 1 and 2 myself - it was a gamma problem

[[R-CON]marcoelnk]

undergrowth/overgrowth: the more you have the more it will lag. try to set density as low as possible and dont make it too high. also set undergrowth view distance to a maximum of 80 (thats what ive been told)... i think overgrowth actually lags less than undergrowth.

Mist/Fog : there is a fog for the whole level which you cant set local but it will appear in the same distance everywhere...for local fog you need sth like in
falluja map (back in 0.6) where the mapper put a lot of small cloudeffects on the ground so that it looked like sandstorm (also the kashan clouds are made like this).

max number of statics: there is only a max number(1024) of animated statics which includes triggerables,destroyable statics...etc. normal statics dont have a limited number but it will take ages to lightmap your map if you have lots of statices (eg al basrah must have taken pretty long)

size: should be as you said, dont quite see whats your point about that though...

[spacemanc]

Thanks marco.
So the under/overgrowth lag problem is from whats rendered where you look rather than the total area it covers in the game?

For mist fog could I set a low cloud at say few metres high or would this look crap?

[[R-CON]marcoelnk]

Originally Posted by spacemanc

Thanks marco.
So the under/overgrowth lag problem is from whats rendered where you look rather than the total area it covers in the game?

For mist fog could I set a low cloud at say few metres high or would this look crap?

undergrowth: yes youre right
fog: try

[[R-CON]Hfett]

Originally Posted by spacemanc

Undergrowth/overgrowth. Ive read that this causes alot of lag if you over do it. Im just wondering how the engine handles it. Is it all loaded for the whole map as thousands of statics, or does the computer just handle them as they come into view.

The computer handle then once they come into view, but dont overdoo it anyway since it can lag if you add a lot of over or undergrow into the samespot, try to use undergrow for decoration only and not for cover since people with lower config settings will see it rendering only when it is near, and try to use the PR overgrow since it lag's much less than the regular bf2 ones and also look better

Mist/Fog. I know you can lower lag by lowering the view distance, but is it possible to apply localised fog/mist to help out in areas of high undergrowth. I saw a map yesterday showing a sandstorm, and my idea is to use mist in the highly vegitated areas to sort out lag. Will this work or will the mist cause alot of lag as well?

There is the regular fog of the map(you can set along the view distance) that will help to reduce lag since it will be all over the map, and there is the sandstorm ambient effect wich you could place on specific places but that could probably make things worse since you will be rendering more stuff than it would be without it.

Is there a maximum number of statics on a map, or a guide to a recommended limit per map for bigger statics like factories?

There is a limit for destroyable objtecs, but with regular statics you can use a lot of them, just try to not place all at the same region/area, since you only render them once they are near you can have a lot of stuff on a lot of diferent areas, but if they are too close to each other people will suffer from lag since there will be a lot of things being loaded at the same time


Does size matter ( In game ) As far as I see it, you could make a 100m tall rocket and the game would handle it the same way as a 1m rocket if it had the same number of polys. Is this correct?
Well i think it is more about the polys than about the size