Good news and bad news

[Ross Scott]

EDIT:

 

Well thanks to reader advice I was able to solve the problem. I was an idiot and wasn't using static props. In my defense, static props tend to behave much less reliably for me, plus the model has to support them in the first place, something many do not. I got lucky in this case in that the model I was using did support being a static prop. Anyway, I'm a little undecided what to do now since I was ready to switch gears. I'm putting up a new poll, I'll go with whatever the masses decide on this.

 

 

ORIGINAL POST:

 

Well it looks like my tradition of discovering a completely new bug in every episode continues. Right now I've run into a bug that's preventing me from completing a scene (read below for details). I have some ideas as to how to fix it, but it's probably going to take the help of someone else helping with modelling and it's hard to say how long that will take. The good news for you is that since I can only do so much more on the episode from my end until this is fixed, I'll go ahead and start working on the next Freeman's Mind episode while this bug gets looked into. I still have every intention of completing this CP episode, but I hate making you guys wait on more material. If all I had to do was writing, I could produce a new episode every day of FM and CP.

 

 

To those familiar with the Source engine:

 

The bug I'm running into is "Reliable Snapshot Overflow" that crashes the map and occurs whenever I try to record a demo. I know what's causing it in my case. It has to do with me having a ton of small dynamic props in a small area. I could fix this problem by deleting the props, but I unfortunately need them for this scene. Right now my best theory on how to fix this is to merge many of small individual models into one larger one, so the game sees less props to process. This is probably going to be a pain to do for our modeller. If any of you know more about this than I do, feel free to post possible solutions here. If you discover one before we do and notify me, I'll put your name down in the credits of the next episode as a technical advisor.

[Guest]

There's some reports of this bug (and yeah, it definitely appears because of the amount of props) being solved by lowering the cl_updaterate and cl_cmdrate values and raising the rate value from console, to for example:

cl_cmdrate 30

cl_updaterate 20

rate 9999

These are for online games though, so it seems unlikely that it would fix your problem. But it's worth a shot, isn't it? It might give your CPU more time to handle the stress or something. Emphasis on or something.

[Guest]

Try launching the app with "+r_hunkalloclightmaps 0" in the launch options.

 

I think this specifically prevents multiple physics props from bugging out the game.

[Guest]

u

[Guest]

I have a question

 

How about you Collab with the Shepards Mind Guy and have him voice over when he drags your body for questioning or even barney's mins

[Guest]

AK-47

 

I am not too familiar with source but I think the problem is physics objects as fire.esper says.

 

So the problem may be, not the number of objects but the attemopt to apply physics properties to all of them.

 

If you are willing to join them together I guess you do not need to interact with them.

 

SO is there a way to make physics engine just ignore them. Make the objects stay in one place un affected by the engine calculations.

Thera are probably such options for lights and other objects in game to be simply ignored.

 

ALSO mergin objects into one does not sound hard, the only problem is that the number of faces stays the same.

[Guest]

If there's a way to raise the amount of reliable snapshots, that should fix the problem so that everything would be rendered too. Or somehow make the engine block too much data entering a reliable snapshot. And those solutions in the case in which the error comes because of too big reliable snapshots. If the case is about too many reliable snapshots, then raise the amount of reliable snapshots that will be processed or make the engine block redundant reliable snapshots. But yeah, haven't got any real solutions though

[Guest]

Syntax Terror and fire esper: Thanks, I'll try these and let you know if it helps

 

Also I should have specified to everyone these are not physics objects, just regular dynamic props. They don't need to move or collide whatsoever, just show up.

[Guest]

gdam it!

i am no good at stuff like this but i heard that too mant props cause stuff to go wrong.

[Guest]

No experience with source, but lots of modeling experience.

 

If they are scattered in an easy to replicate manner (flat surface) with no complex patterns, your modeler can probably scatter them in his modeling app and export as 1 object.

 

On the other hand if it’s a million of cans that fill up a street, it may be more difficult. (And I would guess this may be your case)

[Guest]

Dynamic props are physics objects as well I think. Although if you really don't need them to move or anything, just change the prop type (to prop_static or something) in Hammer?..

 

Although some of my poor attempts at mapping show this will prevent some objects from being drawn... Gah.

[Guest]

You might already know this, but the whole point of a dynamic prop is to allow it to be able to move with its parent entity or play an animation. If you don't actually need them to move or collide, why not switch them over to static props? There can be literally thousands of them in one scene, and they're far less taxing on the engine at the same time, so there's almost no chance of running into overload problems.

 

Or are they the props that only show up in game if they're set to dynamic? If that's what they are, then try going into the prop's properties window and change 'collisions' to 'not solid'. I think (don't quote me on it) that will negate any computational hang ups on the object by the physics engine, and still leave it visible in the world and working properly.

 

I'm just thinking out loud here.

[Guest]

Wow, I'm an idiot. Yeah, that DID fix the problem. That's something that should have occured to me, but I'll stick to what I said. Fire esper and Nochtjaeger email me and let me know how you want to be credited.

[Guest]

I would like to see a new freemans mind everyday but due to the time constrants i would have to say don't do it. I have a feeling that it would become like Barneys mind. The creativity would drop to a point where it isn't funny. Just please stop making me wait a month and a half for new FMs and CPs.

[Guest]

I like pushing Buttons! WEEEE!!!

[Guest]

Ah, great work, problem-solvers. A satisfying quick response with very helpful information. Though if you run into this issue again, I think the attention will be on why exporting models makes them incompatible to be static props. No idea what the standards are, but I'm sure you're familiar enough with the system.

 

I'm personally quite happy with whatever Episode you work on next, though I do believe Freeman's Mind has had its turn for the moment and I would expect the community to settle on the fresh for now. Bu the Masses Vote already says that.

[Guest]

No crediting needed, you're the one doing all the work.

 

Good luck out there.

[Guest]

Ak-47

 

 

Syntax and me, AK-47, do not get credited ?

 

 

I tried to help too. Just because I do not know source well enough to give a direct command does not mean that my advice was useless

 

 

Just kidding. Its your decision Ross and I will honor it. I just hope I helped a bit

[Guest]

LOL these comments actualy helped with my new map im making TY!

[Guest]

Damn those buttons!

 

Finish Civil Protection though. It was long long time... so long... so hungry...