How splines can impact your draw distance.

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lielestosbrat
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How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by lielestosbrat »

A quick film that shows how replacing old spline assets that don't use stitched mesh techniques in 2010 can improve the draw distance in Trainz 2010. I used the S&C route here and replaced Tafweb's dry stone wall with a replacement asset that I'm working on by myself. While not fully visible the performance statistics point to the dry stone wall as one of the worst performing spline based asset in the scene. This will change when the object is replaced.

Trainz Spline performance video

Rob

Note: for those that aren't a fan of Hardstyle music I suggest you press mute in youtube, I forgot to remove the audio track from the video.
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by Marky7890 »

I found out how splines can impact drawing distance when I moved my route into 2010, as soon as I replaced the hedge I was used draw distance increased alot. Good thing is TS2010 tells you what assets are affecting it.

Mark
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by Joe_T »

Really Marky? How do you turn this feature on then?
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by lielestosbrat »

In surveyor go main menu>options>developer settings and check show performance stats in surveyor.

Rob
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by Joe_T »

Thanks rob which of the many digits is the one am looking for?
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by lielestosbrat »

The ones you want to be looking at are worst buffer and index count. Those show the worst performing spline based assets. Don't take that as gospel though, if you have a large rail yard then this can throw the performance stats. Best thing is if you can replace all your splines with stitched mesh variants, quite a big thing considering my own fictional route at the moment has 137 different spline objects that need replacing with stitched mesh equivalents.

For those wondering why stitched mesh equals better performance, the main reason is the use of LOD. load up a blank map about 1.5km long and stretch out an auran 2009+ track. stick a HST down at one end, jump into the cab and zoom in as far as you can. You should be able to see the different LOD versions appear in the distance, each of these LOD versions is of a lower poly count and longer length that the up close meshes. These lower poly count far distance meshes of course then lower the overall poly count of the scene in view when compared to normal mesh objects.

Rob
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by glbotu »

I have a route I'm planning to release in a bit which has currently a large quantity of the old in-built 'Fence Hedge 4MR'. What should I use as a replacement asset?
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by clam1952 »

glbotu wrote:I have a route I'm planning to release in a bit which has currently a large quantity of the old in-built 'Fence Hedge 4MR'. What should I use as a replacement asset?
It's still built in, not all splines cause problems, often those that do can be fixed by adding the line uncached_alphas 1, to the config or converting the config of the spline to the 2010 equivalent, you can get away without using lod for simple splines.

Just checked it and it doesn't have any problem than I can see other than to me it looks dreadful in native mode!
Cheers

Malc

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lielestosbrat
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by lielestosbrat »

clam1952 wrote:
glbotu wrote:I have a route I'm planning to release in a bit which has currently a large quantity of the old in-built 'Fence Hedge 4MR'. What should I use as a replacement asset?
It's still built in, not all splines cause problems, often those that do can be fixed by adding the line uncached_alphas 1, to the config or converting the config of the spline to the 2010 equivalent, you can get away without using lod for simple splines.

Just checked it and it doesn't have any problem than I can see other than to me it looks dreadful in native mode!
I think your getting confused with performance and looks. Adding uncached_alphas 1 won't improve the performance. The performance impact is to do with how Trainz renders splines. Unfortunately I don't know of a spline to replace Fence Hedge 4MR.

Rob
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by clam1952 »

I beg to differ as it dropped a worst buffer of 600 odd down to under 100 here, check back to early 2009 days, it was one of the fixes suggested by Chris for the spline draw distance related to how the alpha's were rendered problem, I think in trainzdev and it does work on quite a few spines and it most definitely brings the worst buffer count down in most cases.
Cheers

Malc

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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by Emo »

Didn't really pay much attention to the video but that tune is awesome, had me proper bouncing round my little room. :lol: :lol:
lielestosbrat
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Re: How splines can impact your draw distance.

Post by lielestosbrat »

Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Brian M & McBunn Remix)

If you like more of that I suggest listening to Kutski's Radio1 show

Kutski Radio1

Rob
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