Static Cubic Reflection mappers

Discussion in 'Track Modding' started by ethone, Jul 2, 2012.

  1. ethone

    ethone Registered

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    I have now learned this the hard way:
    Only use those that are absolutely necessary. No news so far, but here's the advanced lesson point: They are produced and occupy VRAM even when Environment Reflections are turned off. Each Reflection Mapper cost 13MB of VRAM in the experiment I ran. For Fuji I had 53 of them. I guess the next version will perform much, much better. ;)

    Or is it not working as intended and they shouldn't hog VRAM when reflections are turned off? I consider environment reflections a high level setting for those who have the hardware to run it, but if it infringes on performance even if the setting is turned off, I have to compromise high level performance for those who in theory could afford it just so those on more modest machines can still run the track.

    So I now have some creative designing to do. There was a reason why I used so many static mappers. The glass front above the garage building is non-consecutive with differing angles and fairly long, making a single ref mapper unpractical. I've got some ideas but if anyone else has some thoughts they're appreciated. For the building at the beginning of pitlane I suppose a single ref mapper set roughly in the center (with the building itself excluded from generation) should work much better than what I currently use anyway.
    In general I think I'll be more lenient in accepting "imperfect" or slightly distorted/misplaced mappers. At least at Fuji the reflectivity of the glass and its placement isn't such as that it would require perfectly accurate ones and in addition there is the heavy VRAM cost to pay for each additional one.
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