Natural Selection 2 News Update - Spark SDK (Build 127) Released

MaxMax Technical Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment Join Date: 2002-03-15 Member: 318Super Administrators, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
Please post comments on the topic Natural Selection 2 News Update - Spark SDK (Build 127) Released here
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  • torisutantorisutan Join Date: 2009-07-13 Member: 68126Members
  • Lord SchnitzelLord Schnitzel Join Date: 2008-11-04 Member: 65377Members
    Yay, Updates!

    Point lights seem to have "Cast Shadow: True" as default when opening maps, right? When i opened my little map in Texture Lit Mode my FPS dropped to ~1fps (talking about ~40 point lights. didn't lag before the update)
  • noncomposmentisnoncomposmentis Join Date: 2004-11-13 Member: 32773Members
    edited December 2009
    My framerate took a significant hit in lit mode after this update. I'm assuming turning off shadows for the majority of my point lights will improve that, and that the primary reason to turn them off is for performance. Is that the case? And if so, is there a ballpark for how many shadow casting sources we can have in a scene before performance becomes an issue? Or is that something we'll have to discover through testing?

    Edit: yeah it was definitely the point lights causing the instability. I'm curious now how taxing atmospheric lights will be.

    Really appreciate the selection boxes and color for lights!
  • InkInk Join Date: 2009-08-15 Member: 68499Members
    edited December 2009
    <a href="http://img51.imageshack.us/i/46637831.jpg/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/4522/46637831.th.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a>

    This never happened before either, and my fps is also taking a huge hit.

    this is what happens now when i do lit mode, i have a nvidea 6800 gt all up to date drivers and everything.


    ALSO THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN CAST SHADOWS IS ON.
  • DaxxDaxx Join Date: 2002-04-16 Member: 460Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1742456:date=Dec 4 2009, 05:35 PM:name=noncomposmentis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(noncomposmentis @ Dec 4 2009, 05:35 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1742456"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->And if so, is there a ballpark for how many shadow casting sources we can have in a scene before performance becomes an issue? Or is that something we'll have to discover through testing?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I'm guessing this is going to be highly system specific.
  • DrownDrown Underwater Join Date: 2002-12-02 Member: 10392Members
    edited December 2009
    More things to play with, fewer crashes... most excellent!

    edit:
    Just loaded it up, have about five rooms connected in one main file (also each in separate files) and it clunks along at about 0.5 fps when I look at any complex geometry. In fact it actually won't even move at all anymore... when I stop and reload when it goes over the complex part of my map it just stalls out completely... here is what it looks like when it stalls.

    <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/Erobus/Untitled.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
  • MaxMax Technical Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment Join Date: 2002-03-15 Member: 318Super Administrators, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
    edited December 2009
    Yes, the point lights will default to casting shadows, and a large number of them will decrease performance (we'll be improving that in future patches though!)

    If you want to make them default to not cast shadows, you can load up the ns2\ns2.editor_setup file and change this line:

    <parameter name="casts_shadows" type="boolean" label="Casts Shadows" default="true"/>

    to:

    <parameter name="casts_shadows" type="boolean" label="Casts Shadows" default="false"/>
  • InkInk Join Date: 2009-08-15 Member: 68499Members
    Do you know if your gonna fix the Nvidea 7800 and below series problems with the editor?
  • ShinobiRAGEShinobiRAGE Join Date: 2009-08-09 Member: 68401Members
    wow I also notice I drop framerates in lit mode, before it was just fine
  • Lord SchnitzelLord Schnitzel Join Date: 2008-11-04 Member: 65377Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1742460:date=Dec 4 2009, 11:46 PM:name=Max)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Max @ Dec 4 2009, 11:46 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1742460"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yes, the point lights will default to casting shadows, and a large number of them will decrease performance (we'll be improving that in future patches though!)

    If you want to make them default to not cast shadows, you can load up the ns2\ns2.editor_setup file and change this line:

    <parameter name="casts_shadows" type="boolean" label="Casts Shadows" default="true"/>

    to:

    <parameter name="casts_shadows" type="boolean" label="Casts Shadows" default="false"/><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Thank you, Max.
    I suggest making it the "default-default" so people will not spam the forum with posts about huge performance drops ;)
  • botelhoruibotelhorui Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58192Members
    Yay!!! cool update, finnaly i have shadows on point lights !!!! :)

    The most important points of the update for me:

    Added shadows for point lights
    -Added "paint" selection mode(activated by holding down shift in the Select tool)
    (better than pressing control and clicking in some situations
    -Added mouse wheel scrolling in the asset browsers
    (faster to work, altough we still need to click on one image to activate srolling)
    -
    Changed light selection to be based on its visual representation rather than lighting distance
    (VERY IMPORTANT, i hated when i selected light cause of distance field in the way :\)

    Nice one!
  • prevertmaximusprevertmaximus Join Date: 2002-12-30 Member: 11630Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    edited December 2009
    Hey, just updated as well and my map is laggy as hell in the lit mode.


    Thanks,





    Edit: Did the file thing,now all light default false or no shadow when placed.

    I think for lights in the map already, they need to be turned to false one by one.



    When that was done the map is no longer laggy in the lit mode.

    Would be nice to select all lights and turn them all at once to true or false, would be alot easier. Same with their color, select ,change,done.
  • Mr. EpicMr. Epic Join Date: 2003-08-01 Member: 18660Members, Constellation
    I found a bug (or is it a feature?) concerning shadowing of objects. I have a marine standing in the center of a room, with a spotlight in front of him so as to project a shadow on the back wall. If I move the camera past the marine so as to move towards the big shadow on the wall, the shadow will disappear shortly after moving the camera past the marine model. It is as if the shadow system is only being run if the model is being rendered... but since it is behind it isn't.... so the shadow just disappears.

    Is this a bug, or is this just the way the editor works?
  • 7th.Wrath7th.Wrath Join Date: 2008-05-31 Member: 64363Members
    I've been getting the same error.
    Also, when my faces are facing away from the light, they do not cast shadows.
  • GenomaxterGenomaxter Join Date: 2003-10-11 Member: 21597Members
    edited December 2009
    Performance is now TERRIBLE. i can't even Do Perspective Lit without my frame rate puking down to 3 FPS whereas it was around 14-20 FPS before.

    edit: no wonder... all the lights have a new Cast Shadow option which was defaulted ON... ran like shiet.

    edit2: thanks for the tip on changine the default setting.
  • Fang_XianfuFang_Xianfu Join Date: 2004-09-04 Member: 31344Members
    edited December 2009
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--># Fixed broken ceiling material (refinery_ceiling_03)
    # Fixed broken ceiling material (refinery_ceiling_03)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    So good they fixed it twice?

    EDIT: Okay, so the installer for the patch is going over 100%, it lists 13mb as the size of the patch and it's now downloaded 22mb. What gives?

    EDIT2: It got up to exactly 200% before it stopped.
  • DrownDrown Underwater Join Date: 2002-12-02 Member: 10392Members
    edited December 2009
    that cast shadow thing fixed my fps issue entirely, might want to set it as default off for those of us who have put a bazillion (technical term there) lights in our levels. ;) improved it by almost 50 fps.
  • glimmermanglimmerman Join Date: 2004-04-29 Member: 28300Members, Constellation
    3..2...1... spam forums with "FPS drop" posts.
  • InkInk Join Date: 2009-08-15 Member: 68499Members
    i could care less about the fps issue, i just wish i could actually, SEE shadows in the editor .
  • marksmarks Join Date: 2008-07-28 Member: 64720Members
    I'm also getting a very large performance decrease in lit mode, in comparison to the previous version.
  • ScalionScalion Join Date: 2009-01-10 Member: 66036Members
    edited December 2009
    Is it me or there something wrong with the shadow distance.
    (the cylinder is extrude from the big base under.)
    <img src="http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5746/71327001.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

    oh and fps drop. (sorry for the flood)
  • yimmasabiyimmasabi Join Date: 2006-11-03 Member: 58318Members
    edited December 2009
    <!--quoteo(post=1742455:date=Dec 4 2009, 10:33 PM:name=Lord Schnitzel)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lord Schnitzel @ Dec 4 2009, 10:33 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1742455"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yay, Updates!

    Point lights seem to have "Cast Shadow: True" as default when opening maps, right? When i opened my little map in Texture Lit Mode my FPS dropped to ~1fps (talking about ~40 point lights. didn't lag before the update)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    I think there should be a button to make Point & spot lights shadows on and off. Or another Lit mode with shadows.

    In real game fps will be low because of those 40 or more lights. So we should alrady check both light shadows and also physics of objects.

    May be there can be FPS test which rotates 360 deg and wallk through east to west & south to north in the map wiht noclip. So we may check how our map is good for mid-range computers.

    Also just downloaded let me check.
  • yimmasabiyimmasabi Join Date: 2006-11-03 Member: 58318Members
    edited December 2009
    A Quick Report.

    Lower texture scales bug is not fixed yet.

    Load this map, and move the red corner from the blue arrow front & back randomly then see texture size changes.

    <a href="http://www.yyoru.com/dl/crashtest.level" target="_blank">http://www.yyoru.com/dl/crashtest.level</a>


    <img src="http://www.yyoru.com/dl/crash1.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

    After that go to lit mode and paint mode and seleft left wall.
    You should wait more than 10 seconds to get texture size info. It is like a crash.

    <img src="http://www.yyoru.com/dl/crash2.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

    This is a very simple 4 wall room. I cant imagine what happens if you have dark big map with those bugged textures.

    Solution:
    1- Find a good mathematical equation to fit same texture in the same form to the new form of the wall
    2- Check size of the texures, limit sizes eg. width>0.1 & width<1000 after movement of any points
    3- After movement of the corner if user undo that movement please also undo texture sizes etc. to its original.

    I need this because sometimes you accidently move a point that u didnt want to move in a complex room.

    Note: Also I know what &where texture lock/unlock button is.

    Thanx.
  • obsidobsid Join Date: 2003-09-16 Member: 20909Members
    Or... just watch the help video where they show you how to click the little thing in the lower right corner so that your textures arnt locked and stretched if you move back and forth.
  • yimmasabiyimmasabi Join Date: 2006-11-03 Member: 58318Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1742504:date=Dec 5 2009, 04:13 AM:name=obsid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(obsid @ Dec 5 2009, 04:13 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1742504"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Or... just watch the help video where they show you how to click the little thing in the lower right corner so that your textures arnt locked and stretched if you move back and forth.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Yes I know that lock texture button. But i dont want to lock them. And I dont need 1x10-7 texture size ! God dammit who needs that.

    :)
  • pSyk0mAnpSyk0mAn Nerdish by Nature Germany Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
    I was excited first, but now I'm just disappointed, because the black textures/props issue is still not fixed.

    I know, you have a lot on your plate, but it's sad to see how this issue keeps getting ignored just because only a minority experiences this problem.
    ..and that after you confirmed that directx 9.0b is supported.
  • MacCoyMacCoy Join Date: 2009-11-24 Member: 69515Members
    great update, nice to see some new assets....hats off....
  • AndosAndos Join Date: 2003-10-17 Member: 21742Members
    edited December 2009
    Why is it that my texture browser looks like this now?
    About one third of all the textures show up like that.
    They work fine when I use them in the 3D view, the 2D browser just doesn't load their tumbnails properly.
    <img src="http://uploads.andersriggelsen.dk/ns2/texturebrowser.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />
  • XtofXtof Join Date: 2003-04-15 Member: 15514Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1742473:date=Dec 5 2009, 02:40 AM:name=Fang_Xianfu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fang_Xianfu @ Dec 5 2009, 02:40 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1742473"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->So good they fixed it twice?

    EDIT: Okay, so the installer for the patch is going over 100%, it lists 13mb as the size of the patch and it's now downloaded 22mb. What gives?

    EDIT2: It got up to exactly 200% before it stopped.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    So good that you had to download it twice ;-)

    So the lagging issue / fps drop is a common issue caused by the lightning. Well good to know that it isn't just my system [outdated I have to say] that has these probs.

    Greetings,
    Xtof
  • TriggermanTriggerman Graphic Artist Join Date: 2004-11-10 Member: 32724Members, WC 2013 - Supporter
    Dynamic lighting on every lightsource when people have something silly like 70 lights in a room, it's just logical that things goes slower.

    Anyway, nice patch-list, however I personally still am missing the ability to lift textures.
    Also to paste copied objects to where my mouse is, while the new "Duplicate Selection" feature to paste the object right where it stands.
    Does make sense to me at least, since right now you can achieve the exact same thing with ctrl-c+ctrl-v and Duplicate Selection.
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