Huge framerate drop on map reload ... ??

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Apr 13, 2009
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Ok, this one's causing me nightmares... :bored:

I have this map I'm working on. When I launch the map right after starting the game, I get more or less an average 150 FPS, which I consider good given my config.

However, if I load any other map (especially a big one, say hydro or meridian...), then reload my map, suddenly I'm down to 30 fps (unacceptable), while looking exactly at the same place as before... ?
This seems to wear off over time or if I mess up enough with the camera in spectator mode. FPS then return to their normal value.
Note that my fps are still affected by what I'm looking at, so for exampe staring at a wall in a closed room would net me 300 fps, while going outside the map and looking at it in its entirety would give me about 15 fps...

This problem didn't occur on the previous version of my map. Considering what has changed (mostly texturing and lighting), I tried to remove various stuff to see if it was related. removing water and returning to dev textures changed nothing but removing all lights except the light_env seems to get rid of the problem... Though that's not really an acceptable solution.
Not running vrad and having the map fullbright also prevents this fps drop.

Does anyone have a clue what could have gone wrong with my map ? :confused:
 
Apr 13, 2009
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Nope. Only static lights.
What I really don't get is why it only happens if I load the map after another one...
 

Washipato

L3: Member
Jun 22, 2009
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Open +showbuget (sv_cheats must be on) and take a screenshot somewhere. Then reload the map to get the fps drop and take a screenshot from the same position that you took the first one. Compare them or post them here.

I should give us an idea of what is the problem
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
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Happens to me sometimes when I alt-tab between apps (despite the game running in windowed mode) and my FPS drops all the way down to 20 FPS until I join a team.
 

Washipato

L3: Member
Jun 22, 2009
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Never heard about it before :mellow:. There is no information in google neither.

Perhaps it has something to do with multiple cores compatibility, but Im just guessing
 
Apr 13, 2009
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Seems so.

I disabled multi-core rendering, now the huge spike is on dynamic light rendering.
 

Washipato

L3: Member
Jun 22, 2009
149
331
Seems so.

I disabled multi-core rendering, now the huge spike is on dynamic light rendering.

Didn't you say that you only had static lighting? Are you sure you dont have any entity, like a point_spotlight, creating dynamic lights?
 

A Boojum Snark

Toraipoddodezain Mazahabado
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Nov 2, 2007
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As I explained to him in the chat, dynamic light rendering includes more than light_dynamic (which actually doesn't even work in TF2, same with that part of point_spotlight), and includes anything that doesn't have static light data. prop_dynamic, players, physboxes and other such things all count towards it.
 
Apr 13, 2009
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I got it.


Note to self : never ever give a name to a light just to keep track of it. :facepalm:
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
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Pretty sure you can use HammerID to keep track of things. :p