Evidence of Valve using LODs again!

[lana]

Dear Rexy,

For your information we have listened to your requests for LODs to be placed on existing items. As such, we will be adding LODs to those items using the current models, and then producing higher quality versions to be viewed at closer distances. Thank you for the idea.

Your friend,
Robin

P.S. Where do you do your hair? It looks nice.

 

[Rexy]

P.S. Where do you do your hair? It looks nice.

The same place void gets his makeovers.

 

[HellJumper]

^ Wow. Just. Wow.
Someone please confiscate photoshop from Rexy, he's too powerful with it.

 

[Rexy]

He's got the same eyes as her, it's just a fact.

 

[Randdalf]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1085379/cp_degrootkeep0001.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1085379/cp_degrootkeep0002.jpg

 

[grazr]

Those doorways disappoint me. No key stone and the side of the doorways...

 

[HellJumper]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1085379/cp_degrootkeep0001.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1085379/cp_degrootkeep0002.jpg

That's... sad :/
Amazing what a few extra polys does to framerate.

 

[Engineer]

Valve did things to my chat. :bored:

 

[Jeremy]

This is why I'm forced to use -dxlevel 81 if I want any sort of framerate that exeeds 20.
Ain't got the best computer in the world.


*sob*

 

[lana]

In my experience, lower dx levels don't always mean better performance. I actually got improved performance when I upgraded to DirectX11.

 

[gamemaster1996]

I must say im not lagging as such with this stuff however it's still not as smooth as Team Fortress 2 Used to be.
However maybe my next computer upgrade will resolve this (i'm getting ATI's HD 6870 Graphics Card and possibly an impoved memory and processor).

 

[Tapp]

So the question is, has it gotten desperate enough for community modellers to step in and release LOD packs? I'd say the time is approaching.

 

[Seba]

As was mentioned before, Daimao is working on LoD's for weapons. I don't think anything else needs LoD's that doesn't already have it (if you use the medieval resupply locker your map deserves to have an fps drop anyway).

 

[Pocket]

So the question is, has it gotten desperate enough for community modellers to step in and release LOD packs? I'd say the time is approaching.

Hey, if we can get some weight behind this, I would contribute to a "get whoever works on this some compensation for it" fund. Even if Valve ignores the finished product, we could still ship it as a user-side mod.

 

[Mr. Happy]

Of course none of the models shown in this thread that lack LOD's are seen from widely varying distances so they don't really NEED LOD's but thats ok we can pretend LOD's increase performance in situations that they don't.

 

[Nakedape]

So very true happy, but I'd like to point out that if the props going to be used in a custom map it will then have to be used in the same optimized circumstances.

As I see it, spawn rooms are a great way to really up the polys and not hit performance and even if you do it doesn't count for much.

 

[Tapp]

Of course none of the models shown in this thread that lack LOD's are seen from widely varying distances so they don't really NEED LOD's but thats ok we can pretend LOD's increase performance in situations that they don't.

Actually first of all we're pointing out how many polys the locker has is too much for any distance and should just be completely trimmed down. Secondly the main objects lacking LODs which need to be fixed are weapons which will be seen at ALL distances. So even if a prop is in an areaportalled off room that's 64x64 it should still have a more reasonable polycount.

 

[Mr. Happy]

Right of course I agree about the weapons and hat models, but my point is that the total polycount and prop count of the degrootkeep respawn rooms is reasonable which means they can afford the extra polies, same thing with the nucleus props. Also, in nucleus, you are always at a great distance to the object, or not seeing it. Same thing with the locker, you are either close to it or it isn't drawing, so only one lod would be seen. They should lod the weapon models inside it though.

You shouldn't gauge the polycount/lod setup of a prop soley on the props intrinsic characteristics, but how it is being used. If it is a setpiece type prop you should give it as many polies as your buget affords. It's about distributing resources accros an entire scene.

 

[Tapp]

Right of course I agree about the weapons and hat models, but my point is that the total polycount and prop count of the degrootkeep respawn rooms is reasonable which means they can afford the extra polies, same thing with the nucleus props. Also, in nucleus, you are always at a great distance to the object, or not seeing it. Same thing with the locker, you are either close to it or it isn't drawing, so only one lod would be seen. They should lod the weapon models inside it though.

You shouldn't gauge the polycount/lod setup of a prop soley on the props intrinsic characteristics, but how it is being used. If it is a setpiece type prop you should give it as many polies as your buget affords. It's about distributing resources accros an entire scene.

Ok but judging from the screenshot (having not played degroot keep) the locker is rendered even if one is standing outside because it is next to a window and even if the window has an areaportal then it will be rendered. Therefore the locker can be seen a lot further away than simply the spawn room.

 

[StickZer0]

Nah Tapp, the red locker is very rarely rendered, I ran around the map myself.
However, the blue locker is almost always rendered, with one or two exceptions when you're in red spawn.
Valve could have at least put occluders in the castle walls and under that massive hill, would have helped a shitton :/