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The Painter's Wife is competely unplayable


Araneidae

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This is the first time I've had so much as a hint of performance problems with TDM, and oh my goodness, this is extreme.  Here's what I posted over on the Fan Missions forum, but it occurs to me that it might be more suitable over here.

I think my first question would be: are there any first things to try to get this working, like resetting my .cfg file, or downgrading some settings?  I'm particularly perplexed by the way the mission wrecks the in game menu!

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Resetting config is the first thing to do.
Also, I assume you are playing on TDM 2.08 official release, not some sort of dev build.

You can try setting r_fboResolution 0.5, but I have a feeling that it won't help. Maybe something like image_downsize (don't remember precise name).

Also you can try setting com_smp 1, com_fixedTic 1, they usually improve FPS, but your case sounds too bad. Also, when com_fixedTic 1, try increasing com_maxTicTimestep to 20 or 30 instead of its default value 17. Ropes won't be happy, but maybe it will unlock you from the awful performance you have.

 

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My computer is a potato and I can't even get the mission to load. It gets about half way through loading, then dumps me back to the menu.

My missions:           Stand-alone                                                      Duncan Lynch series                              

                                      Down and Out on Newford Road              the Factory Heist

                                                                                                  A House Call

                                                                                                  The House of deLisle                                                                                                  

                              

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7 hours ago, chakkman said:

Not enough system memory?

That's distinctly possible. I might just skip this one.

My missions:           Stand-alone                                                      Duncan Lynch series                              

                                      Down and Out on Newford Road              the Factory Heist

                                                                                                  A House Call

                                                                                                  The House of deLisle                                                                                                  

                              

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On 7/28/2020 at 7:49 AM, stgatilov said:

I wonder if @Araneidae reads this thread...

I am watching this thread, but haven't had time to try anything, but it sounds unpromising.  (I was annoyed by Freyk's pointless response, but that shouldn't make me ignore the thread.)

20 hours ago, duzenko said:

They have 1GB VRAM and the driver is stumbling on the VBO size

Old AMD Linux drivers must be even worse in OpenGL than Windows

I've used glxinfo to determine that I have 2GB VRAM -- is this really too little?  Looking a current graphics cards on sale this seems a viable low end option!  The drivers themselves won't be old (Fedora tends to be pretty shiny and new with that sort of stuff), but as the hardware is so old the support layer for this card will be pretty stale I guess.

I'll make sure to have a go this weekend and report back, there have been a number of suggestions to try.

Edit: FWIW, here is my glxinfo log:

Spoiler

$ glxinfo -B
name of display: :0.0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
    Vendor: X.Org (0x1002)
    Device: AMD CAYMAN (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.7.8-200.fc32.x86_64+debug, LLVM 10.0.0) (0x6719)
    Version: 20.1.3
    Accelerated: yes
    Video memory: 2048MB
    Unified memory: no
    Preferred profile: core (0x1)
    Max core profile version: 4.3
    Max compat profile version: 3.1
    Max GLES1 profile version: 1.1
    Max GLES[23] profile version: 3.1
Memory info (GL_ATI_meminfo):
    VBO free memory - total: 2047 MB, largest block: 2047 MB
    VBO free aux. memory - total: 1021 MB, largest block: 1021 MB
    Texture free memory - total: 2047 MB, largest block: 2047 MB
    Texture free aux. memory - total: 1021 MB, largest block: 1021 MB
    Renderbuffer free memory - total: 2047 MB, largest block: 2047 MB
    Renderbuffer free aux. memory - total: 1021 MB, largest block: 1021 MB
Memory info (GL_NVX_gpu_memory_info):
    Dedicated video memory: 2048 MB
    Total available memory: 3069 MB
    Currently available dedicated video memory: 2047 MB
OpenGL vendor string: X.Org
OpenGL renderer string: AMD CAYMAN (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.7.8-200.fc32.x86_64+debug, LLVM 10.0.0)
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.3 (Core Profile) Mesa 20.1.3
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.30
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile

OpenGL version string: 3.1 Mesa 20.1.3
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.40
OpenGL context flags: (none)

OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.1 Mesa 20.1.3
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.10

 

 

Edited by Araneidae
Add glxinfo
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21 hours ago, thebigh said:

That's distinctly possible. I might just skip this one.

In terms of system memory, it seems 4 GB is the requirement for Painter's Wife. No reports of anyone with less memory being able to load it.

 

Also, Freyk's comment wasn't pointless: many users report being unable to load the mission with the default 32-bit client, usually failing after about 25% progress. If the 32-bit client does succeed, then it might cause other problems. Anyway, he probably hasn't seen that you stated in the TPW thread you use the 64-bit client.

All that said, there's a trimmed down version that just barely can be loaded by the 32-bit client, which can be downloaded manually from the release thread. Maybe that version of the mission is more manageable for your PC.

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19 minutes ago, Dragofer said:

In terms of system memory, it seems 4 GB is the requirement for Painter's Wife. No reports of anyone with less memory being able to load it.

Just to be clear, by "system memory" do you mean VRAM (Video Memory specifically) or main system memory?  My PC has 16GB RAM (already noted), which to be honest I would normally refer to as "system memory"!

4GB minimum VRAM is pretty demanding.  Most high end graphics cards seem to max out at 8GB, and more than that is getting well into silly money territory, so that doesn't seem to leave a lot of room.

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10 minutes ago, Araneidae said:

Just to be clear, by "system memory" do you mean VRAM (Video Memory specifically) or main system memory?

By system memory I did mean main system memory ("system-wide"), and that line was directed primarily at thebigh.

VRAM doesn't seem to matter too much. I've had no problems loading & running the mission on an Intel UHD 630, which has no dedicated VRAM and instead draws from 8 GB of main system memory on that computer. This ran at 20-30 fps in the streets.

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2 hours ago, Araneidae said:

I am watching this thread, but haven't had time to try anything, but it sounds unpromising.  (I was annoyed by Freyk's pointless response, but that shouldn't make me ignore the thread.)

I've used glxinfo to determine that I have 2GB VRAM -- is this really too little?  Looking a current graphics cards on sale this seems a viable low end option!  The drivers themselves won't be old (Fedora tends to be pretty shiny and new with that sort of stuff), but as the hardware is so old the support layer for this card will be pretty stale I guess.

I'll make sure to have a go this weekend and report back, there have been a number of suggestions to try.

Edit: FWIW, here is my glxinfo log:

  Hide contents

 

 

Try

  • run TDM in a window
  • r_usePersistentMapping 0
  • r_useFenceSync 0
  • Check your r_glCoreProfile
  • post your TDM console log
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On 7/29/2020 at 7:28 PM, duzenko said:

Try

  • run TDM in a window
  • r_usePersistentMapping 0
  • r_useFenceSync 0
  • Check your r_glCoreProfile
  • post your TDM console log

Well well well.  I don't know which of those settings made the difference (r_glCoreProfile is set to 2, by the way), but it seems to work properly now.  Do you want me to try recreating the problem to determine which setting was important, or shall I just take this as a win?

I've attached the console log file, there are quite a lot of warnings on loading, but maybe this is normal?  Otherwise looks ok to me.  For this log I just started the map, let the conversation finish, saved the game, checked the menu screen was working, climbed up towards the generator and onto the open window ... and fell to the ground while trying to enter the window!  Looking forward to playing this properly at the right time.

I'll also attach my .cfg file, but there's nothing interesting there, I reset it.

darkmod.log Darkmod.cfg

 

P.S. What do those .cfg settings mean and do?  I couldn't find anything relevant with a quick use of google.

P.P.S.  Thank you for the help!

Edited by Araneidae
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10 hours ago, Araneidae said:

Well well well.  I don't know which of those settings made the difference (r_glCoreProfile is set to 2, by the way), but it seems to work properly now.  Do you want me to try recreating the problem to determine which setting was important, or shall I just take this as a win?

I've attached the console log file, there are quite a lot of warnings on loading, but maybe this is normal?  Otherwise looks ok to me.  For this log I just started the map, let the conversation finish, saved the game, checked the menu screen was working, climbed up towards the generator and onto the open window ... and fell to the ground while trying to enter the window!  Looking forward to playing this properly at the right time.

I'll also attach my .cfg file, but there's nothing interesting there, I reset it.

darkmod.log 60.41 kB · 0 downloads Darkmod.cfg 12.32 kB · 0 downloads

 

P.S. What do those .cfg settings mean and do?  I couldn't find anything relevant with a quick use of google.

P.P.S.  Thank you for the help!

You could investigate this for other users who will stumble into this too later on.

Both

  • r_usePersistentMapping 0
  • r_useFenceSync 0

disable speed optimization, so you might want all them on, except the one your driver has a problem with.

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  • 5 months later...

I've take then time to pin it down: it's `r_usePersistentMapping 0` that makes the difference.

I'm now trying with beta 2.09 and am actually measuring the FPS, and I feel I have a regression: I'm now getting 5fps, which isn't really playable, and I'm pretty sure that this missing was perfectly playable last time I tried it (with 2.08, but didn't think to measure).

I cannot find these settings documented anywhere: am trying the options at Wiki Performance Tweaks, and nothing else seems to help.  Think I'll post over at the beta testing thread.

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Oh my goodness: switching Shadows Implementation from the default (Stencil) to Maps makes all the difference in the world: I can now get typically 20 fps or better.

However, there is something really odd going on: on the street just below the balcony where you enter the map (what's the command for printing your location, please?) is a vent with steam coming out of it; by looking at this vent and then looking away I seem to be able to switch between 6fps and 20+ fps.  Definitely something fishing going on...

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56 minutes ago, Araneidae said:

(what's the command for printing your location, please?)

The console command is getviewpos, and then you'll need to make a condump of the console (i.e. condump location1.txt) that gets stored in your base install folder.

Definitely seems strange that shadowmaps give you higher performance than stencil, I believe it's still supposed to be the other way around.

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Very interesting.  I still get the occasional drop down to 6 fps, but two settings seem to make things good:

  • Setting Shadows Implementation to Maps
  • Setting Soft Shadow Quality to High

Interestingly if I set the quality high and then down to a lower setting my fps drops to 6.

Not sure whether to do my updates here or over in the beta thread, think here might be better focused.

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Standing just here: 576.4 5954.59 264.25 -0.2 -8.8 0.0 murders my frame rate (back to 6 fps).  I'm staring straight at a closed door (and it won't open anyway), no-clipping through it takes me into an area of blackness and my frame rate further, even to 3 fps!

Something in this map is doing strange things to my graphics driver!

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  • 1 month later...

I can see that the map is heavy on dynamic lights

The shadow maps path needs less CPU but will use up more VRAM. You're likely running out of it.

The stencil path has some CPU usage workarounds but you'll need first to confirm you're CPU-limited.

E.g. 1514 -888 33 18  154 0

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Ok, I happen to have a save game on the second from top floor of the bordello.  At my starting point I have good FPS, and radeontop and top report sensible looking results:

radeontop-good.png.339bfe0941c1e36ac1e0582a20a33c55.png

top-good.png.e83387570834e2abbed9a0dcb9a9a088.png

CPU usage hovering around 90% CPU (so I probably am CPU limited, despite having four cores), the graphical pipelines looking sensibly busy.  Unfortunately it seems that something is massively wrong with the VRAM (and GTT, what is that?) usage report; I get the same ridiculous numbers with radeon-profile, so I suspect it's a driver level problem.

From this spot I can walk upstairs to the top floor, got to the back of the top corridor, look at the wall ... and FPS drops to 8.  Here are the top results:

radeontop-bad.png.ee7fd450dd1fd80b4308b0b2e2a3da50.png

top-bad.png.0d91202cb3a7381a727bb6b71c2aa26c.png

CPU has dropped to 60%, and most of the graphical processing seems to fall away.

@duzenko, I presume this is the most appropriate thread to follow this up?

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1 hour ago, Araneidae said:

Ok, I happen to have a save game on the second from top floor of the bordello.  At my starting point I have good FPS, and radeontop and top report sensible looking results:

radeontop-good.png.339bfe0941c1e36ac1e0582a20a33c55.png

top-good.png.e83387570834e2abbed9a0dcb9a9a088.png

CPU usage hovering around 90% CPU (so I probably am CPU limited, despite having four cores), the graphical pipelines looking sensibly busy.  Unfortunately it seems that something is massively wrong with the VRAM (and GTT, what is that?) usage report; I get the same ridiculous numbers with radeon-profile, so I suspect it's a driver level problem.

From this spot I can walk upstairs to the top floor, got to the back of the top corridor, look at the wall ... and FPS drops to 8.  Here are the top results:

radeontop-bad.png.ee7fd450dd1fd80b4308b0b2e2a3da50.png

top-bad.png.0d91202cb3a7381a727bb6b71c2aa26c.png

CPU has dropped to 60%, and most of the graphical processing seems to fall away.

@duzenko, I presume this is the most appropriate thread to follow this up?

Yeah, let's stay in this thread

1. I can't see the CPU frequency on your screenshots

2. You do have integrated graphics on that motherboard, right? Can you check if you have unexplainable fps drops in the dead ends like that on Intel?

3. Try the Windows version via Wine to rule out the TDM Linux platform code.

4. What about com_smp? Try toggling it on and off in the critical areas

5. r_useParallelAddModels off?

6. The cpu usage looks quite suspicious. With SMP off you should be at 25-30% (single thread busy).

7. Reset the darkmod .cfg. Does TDM start and load with the cleaned config on the AMD? Or AMD driver requires a non-standard config from the get go?

8. For VRAM usage monitoring maybe try https://github.com/marazmista/radeon-profile

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I'll dig into this tomorrow.  As you say, radeon-profile might have the CPU frequency, it was easier to screenshot a console output!  Integrated graphics?  Ick.  Dunno actually, have never used it; guess I'll have a look.  I got the same strange messed up numbers for VRAM with radeon-profile, so I'm certain something is up with the driver support.

Regarding the CPU usage, the way Linux top works is rather odd: it reports 100% for one cpu busy, so if all four CPUs were maxed out we'd be seeing 400% CPU usage!  You can see the individual core reports at the top, and it looks like the load is being fairly evenly spread over the 4 cores; seems odd, but that's how the system normally works.

The only special config setting I have to do after a reset of the config is to set 32-bit colour.  It turns out the driver thinks I have 64-bit colour and it comes out messed up.

Can I toggle com_smp live without a restart?  Do I just do `seta com_smp 0` in the console?

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