help!

[ungoliant]

i realize now as more and more detail is added to my FM that performance is starting to degrade steadily, and AI have not even been put into the map yet, which i assume is really going to hurt. I started this FM directly after completing the A-Z guide, and have since put many, many hours into the building and learning process of creating an FM. However i have a serious design flaw that i don't know how to circumvent, which is that my mansion mission is encompassed by one skybox. I mean, the whole mission consists of one large odd shaped building basically, so I can't think of a fix that wouldn't completely destroy the plot line of the FM (or at least the very nice roof section of my mansion).

 

I need an experienced mapper / optimizer to take a look at my FM, and tell me what is right / wrong with the work that has been done (from a performance perspective) and hopefully steer me in a direction where the whole thing can be salvaged, or maybe just find a way to visportal the whole thing for me, because i can't fandangle a way to do it...

 

It may be that I just shouldn't of taken on something this ambitious so early in my mapping career, but I wanted to "go big or go home". Anyways, i can just totally see hitting a solid performance wall after another 10-20 hours of work, and i'd prefer that not to happen. If you'd like to help, please reply here or PM me. here is a screenshot of the mansion thus far:

 

http://i847.photobuc...3/shot00017.jpg

[Mortem Desino]

I'll be happy to look at your map! Just keep in mind that this is my week of finals, and I'll be strapped for any free time these next 5 days.

 

Yes, your design is the hardest variety to visportal outdoors. It'll be a good learning experience for the both of us.

[Komag]

I would suggest building in some extra walls and outbuildings attached, so that you have something to work with for making "corridors" and "rooms" out there. You might have to compromise a bit of your wide open building grounds vision, but not totally.

[demagogue]

Yeah big open outdoor areas are tough in TDM compared to engines with baked lighting (like dromed or hammer), but in return we get unified lighting. You might experiment with the lighting to ease the performance like faux lighting & shadows, and like Komag said, walls and other creative ways to break up and visportal that space into more performance friendly parts. Look and see what other FMs have done too for some ideas. Also note that all of us are also learning this as we go, so don't necessarily know anything more than already described in the wiki.

[ungoliant]

my only big, big, visportaling concern is that durned roof. no matter how many corridors i put around the sides of the mansion, theres no way to seal anything off up there (that i can think of), and hence everything will end up being 1 visleaf if i can't find a way to plug it.

Edited May 11, 2010 by ungoliant

[Berny]

Hey

 

 

 

 

 ;9 Looks very very nice your castle!