Low Poly Count, but map still lags Created 15 years ago2009-11-09 18:17:59 UTC by MistaX88

It is worthy to mention that my laptop is on the slow side (1GB of RAM, integrated Intel GMA 950 video card, 1.6Ghz processor). But it runs CS 1.6 just fine unless the map has a really high wpoly count. Plus, I think it's a good thing because I want the maps that I make to be capable of being run on slower machines.

The issue I have is this:

This map is about half done. I compiled it, which didn't take too long, and ran it in developer mode (so there were no e_polys to speak of).

The point on the map with the most polygons isn't even bad, it's only a little over 400 w_polys, and most of the other higher polygon areas are in the 300 range, the rest of the map is below 200.

But for some reason, the framerate keeps dropping off and picking right back up. It'll run at around 60fps, but it keeps spiking down to 20fps, sometimes even down to 10. It will only do this for about a second or less each time, but it does it often enough that it makes the framerate look really jumpy.

One other thing I do want to mention is that I have one room with a flickering light (set to "florescent flicker"). I've had problems with flickering lights before, could this be what's causing this issue, or do you think there is more to it?

Here's the log file:

[b]hlcsg v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
--- BEGIN hlcsg ---
Command line: C:\Games\ZHLT25~1\hlcsg.exe C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\mistax88\counter-strike\cstrike\maps\cs_nightrescue
Entering C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\mistax88\counter-strike\cstrike\maps\cs_nightrescue.map

Current hlcsg Settings
Name | Setting | Default
--------------------|-----------|------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ off ] [ off ]
estimate [ off ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 4194304 ] [ 4194304 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

noclip [ off ] [ off ]
null texture stripping[ on ] [ on ]
clipnode economy mode [ on ] [ on ]
onlyents [ off ] [ off ]
wadtextures [ on ] [ on ]
skyclip [ on ] [ on ]
hullfile [ None ] [ None ]
min surface area [ 0.500 ] [ 0.500 ]
brush union threshold [ 0.000 ] [ 0.000 ]

Using mapfile wad configuration
Wadinclude list :
[zhlt.wad]

3 brushes (totalling 17 sides) discarded from clipping hulls
CreateBrush:
(0.30 seconds)
SetModelCenters:
(0.00 seconds)
CSGBrush:
(1.33 seconds)

Including Wadfile: \games\zhlt253-17\zhlt.wad

• Contains 3 used textures, 4.69 percent of map (3 textures in wad)

Using Wadfile: \games\steam\steamapps\mistax88\counter-strike\cstrike\colors1m88.wad

• Contains 5 used textures, 7.81 percent of map (16 textures in wad)

Using Wadfile: \games\steam\steamapps\mistax88\counter-strike\cstrike\all_standard_mistax88.wad

• Contains 55 used textures, 85.94 percent of map (1740 textures in wad)

added 1 additional animating textures.
Warning: ::FindTexture() texture TK_STONEWALLHI not found!
Warning: ::LoadLump() texture TK_STONEWALLHI not found!
Texture usage is at 3.98 mb (of 4.00 mb MAX)
1.92 seconds elapsed

--- END hlcsg ---

hlbsp v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
--- BEGIN hlbsp ---
Command line: C:\Games\ZHLT25~1\hlbsp.exe C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\mistax88\counter-strike\cstrike\maps\cs_nightrescue

Current hlbsp Settings
Name | Setting | Default
------------------|-----------|------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ off ] [ off ]
estimate [ off ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 4194304 ] [ 4194304 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

noclip [ off ] [ off ]
nofill [ off ] [ off ]
null tex. stripping [ on ] [ on ]
notjunc [ off ] [ off ]
subdivide size [ 240 ] [ 240 ] (Min 64) (Max 512)
max node size [ 1024 ] [ 1024 ] (Min 64) (Max 4096)

BSP generation successful, writing portal file 'C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\mistax88\counter-strike\cstrike\maps\cs_nightrescue.prt'
1.66 seconds elapsed

--- END hlbsp ---

hlvis v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
--- BEGIN hlvis ---
Command line: C:\Games\ZHLT25~1\hlvis.exe C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\mistax88\counter-strike\cstrike\maps\cs_nightrescue
620 portalleafs
1624 numportals

= Current hlvis Settings =
Name | Setting | Default
------------------|-----------|------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ off ] [ off ]
estimate [ off ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 4194304 ] [ 4194304 ]
max vis distance [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

fast vis [ off ] [ off ]
full vis [ off ] [ off ]

BasePortalVis:
(0.55 seconds)
LeafThread:
(10.45 seconds)
average leafs visible: 96
g_visdatasize:25465 compressed from 48360
11.03 seconds elapsed

--- END hlvis ---

hlrad v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
--- BEGIN hlrad ---
Command line: C:\Games\ZHLT25~1\hlrad.exe C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\mistax88\counter-strike\cstrike\maps\cs_nightrescue

= Current hlrad Settings =
Name | Setting | Default
-------------------|---------------------|------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ off ] [ off ]
estimate [ off ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 4194304 ] [ 4194304 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

vismatrix algorithm [ Original ] [ Original ]
oversampling (-extra)[ off ] [ off ]
bounces [ 1 ] [ 1 ]
ambient light [ 0.000 0.000 0.000 ] [ 0.000 0.000 0.000 ]
maximum light [ 255.000 ] [ 256.000 ]
circus mode [ off ] [ off ]

smoothing threshold [ 50.000 ] [ 50.000 ]
direct threshold [ 25.000 ] [ 25.000 ]
direct light scale [ 2.000 ] [ 2.000 ]
coring threshold [ 1.000 ] [ 1.000 ]
patch interpolation [ on ] [ on ]

texscale [ on ] [ on ]
patch subdividing [ on ] [ on ]
chop value [ 64.000 ] [ 64.000 ]
texchop value [ 32.000 ] [ 32.000 ]

global fade [ 1.000 ] [ 1.000 ]
global falloff [ 2 ] [ 2 ]
global light scale [ 1.000 1.000 1.000 ] [ 1.000 1.000 1.000 ]
global gamma [ 0.500 0.500 0.500 ] [ 0.500 0.500 0.500 ]
global light scale [ 1.000 ] [ 1.000 ]
global sky diffusion [ 1.000 ] [ 1.000 ]

opaque entities [ on ] [ on ]
sky lighting fix [ on ] [ on ]
incremental [ off ] [ off ]
dump [ off ] [ off ]

colour jitter [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 ] [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 ]
monochromatic jitter [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 ] [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 ]
softlight hack [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 ] [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 ]
diffuse hack [ on ] [ on ]
spotlight points [ on ] [ on ]

custom shadows with bounce light

[               off ] [               off ]

rgb transfers [ off ] [ off ]

2979 faces
Create Patches : 14803 base patches
0 opaque faces
215953 square feet [31097276.00 square inches]
18 direct lights

BuildFacelights:
(21.67 seconds)
visibility matrix : 13.1 megs
BuildVisLeafs:
(16.77 seconds)
MakeScales:
(15.70 seconds)
SwapTransfers:
(1.61 seconds)
Transfer Lists : 7258390 : 7.26M transfers

Indices :     4238388 :    4.04M bytes
   Data :    29033560 :   27.69M bytes

GatherLight:
(0.67 seconds)
FinalLightFace:
(2.20 seconds)
59.19 seconds elapsed

--- END hlrad ---

[/b]

Your compile log looks fine.
There's many other things that could cause lag on a weak system like yours than wpoly.

My first guess would be your flickering lights. I remember when I used to have a weak system any flickering light would cause my fps to drop substantially.

Does your fps fluctuate while you stand still, or only while you move?
If it only spikes up and down while you are moving or looking around, then you can try to pinpoint the problematic area by finding exactly when and where you lose fps.

I messed around with it a bit (fixed that missing texture, it was too big, I removed it from the wad but forgot to remove it from a brush). I was wondering if the missing texture would cause the issue but it didn't. So I went and removed the flickering light. BINGO! Map ran fine.

My thing is, I've made a map before and I had 3 flickering lights, they caused issues so I took 2 of them away. The 1 remaining light caused no issues (and this map was, aside from the use of null textures, very poorly optimized), and I only had one flickering light on this map as well. I also find it weird that it affects the fps no matter where on the map I am, even if the light is well out of sight, and nothing over on that part of the map is being rendered.