Spring engine future tech updates

[Dark_Ansem]

Is the engine going to exploit multithreading more, and make advantage more of new technologies? like more than 2gb of ram?

[Forboding Angel]

If the engine needs more than 2gb of ram, it has a much more serious issue.

Also, the upper limit for 32bit applications is 3gb, not 2.

Spring 96 is multithreaded already. Every recent spring version has been multithreaded.

Bitches dunno bout dat threadpool:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_pool_pattern

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... .110).aspx

http://threadpool.sourceforge.net/

[Dark_Ansem]

what? 3gb? I was adamant it was 2 :D

[SinbadEV]

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_GB_barrier

Summary: It's technically possible to use 4GB of ram on a 32-bit machine but various factors (including MoBo chipsets, I/O devices, and Windows programming) kept most computers from using more than 3 (or less)...

I think with Windows XP (and earlier) it locked you to 2GB by default and you needed to do something in the registry to allow more (assuming your hardware supported it).

[smoth]

This is community-> general discussion..

yo will note there is a:
Development -> engine discussion.

there is also this AMAZING FEATURE: SEARCHING A FORUM <- this is a link.

Before asking the devs these sort of questions, please use search

[Dark_Ansem]

This is community-> general discussion..

yo will note there is a:
Development -> engine discussion.

there is also this AMAZING FEATURE: SEARCHING A FORUM <- this is a link.

Before asking the devs these sort of questions, please use search

if a dev answered nicely, you have no authority to correct.
I looked at the other sections and decided this was the best one.

[smoth]

I have no authority you are correct but if you are going to tell me you search for multithreading and found nothing you are lying outright. Whatever dude, ignore me, click (another link) and add foe. The devs should answer such a BROAD and IGNORANT question about using more than 2gb of ram? really? Spring should not be exceeding that ram. Video memory? GPU? maybe. There are many threads around here discussing ways to better utilize the engine. To expect the devs to throw out some buzz words to make you feel they are advancing in some general direction you are in the wrong place. Much of the current development is at a much finer level than that which requires some understanding of how the engine ALREADY works in order to appreciate them. Now we recently had an advance where we can do deferred shaders. Not that it matters for you.

[Dark_Ansem]

the question about RAM is not casual. New engines such as Egosoft's X rebirth, for example, are capable of making use of it. the Large Address Hardware "fix" also enables this, to a certain extent. plus, ram is somewhat cheap now and 64bit Os are getting more popular.

Add to that, linux version comes in 32 and 64 bit. main feature of 64 bit executables and OSs is to use more than 2Gb of ram.

Besides, look at your search results, I think you got this the wrong way: I did not ask if they were going to place multithreading, I asked if they were going to improve it, and if so how. Perhaps you should fan off the excessive heat?

[CarRepairer]

if a dev answered nicely

Just a small point, the engine devs are the ones with blue names. They have not posted in this thread yet.

[smoth]

the question about RAM is not casual. New engines such as Egosoft's X rebirth, for example, are capable of making use of it. the Large Address Hardware "fix" also enables this, to a certain extent. plus, ram is somewhat cheap now and 64bit Os are getting more popular.

Ram is futher away from the GPU, you want to use the video memory instead of ram.

Add to that, linux version comes in 32 and 64 bit. main feature of 64 bit executables and OSs is to use more than 2Gb of ram.

Os address space was something like 4 gigs with video memory eating into that. I have no idea where you pulled the 2gig number from

Besides, look at your search results, I think you got this the wrong way: I did not ask if they were going to place multithreading, I asked if they were going to improve it, and if so how.

Is the engine going to exploit multithreading more

DERP

you just asked if it is going to exploit it more... which I want to say that the 3rd post in that listing is noting that the current implementation is fairly new and improving..

multithreading search results..
yeah it was like third on the list..

The current multithreading is incomplete but will get better over time.

Perhaps you should fan off the excessive heat?

Sorry, the excess heat is built up when I meet lazy posters. It seems to be a frequent occurrence so I maintain apparently high levels of heat

[Dark_Ansem]

that is still no excuse for your behaviour, such a high fuss over very little things.

besides, what is obvious for you, thanks to your technical knowledge, might not be obvious for other people, who lack tech knowledge but have other talents.

[SinbadEV]

that is still no excuse for your behaviour, such a high fuss over very little things.

besides, what is obvious for you, thanks to your technical knowledge, might not be obvious for other people, who lack tech knowledge but have other talents.

I have been the target of so much of the kind of "abuse" you seem to feel you are receiving that I think it's safe to say I am an authority on the subject.

Nobody cares about your feelings here. If someone is outright abusive then report them... otherwise suck it up. Do not, under any circumstances, engage with Smoth unless you can prove you don't suck AND aren't lazy. He will plane you.

If you can do art, show us your art. If you can code, show us your code. If you can script, show us your scripts. If you have a question, do your very best to ensure that it's not so stupid or poorly worded that people lose respect for you. If you have vague ideas and want to ramble about them in hopes that someone will make your dreams come true for you then you are in the wrong place... maybe try blogging.

I think maybe you got off to a poor start... let's try again:

Is the engine going to exploit multithreading more, and make advantage more of new technologies? like more than 2gb of ram?

Yes, the engine is constantly being refined and improved.

[Dark_Ansem]

I didn't expect any actual care. but I will not simply "suck it up". So thanks for your advice, but do not expect me to follow it literally.

thanks for the simple answer to expand upon, which is what I was looking for in the first place :)

[Silentwings]

The short answer is (1) yes (2) yes and (3) there is no point/need for that.

[smoth]

Nobody cares about your feelings here. If someone is outright abusive then report them... otherwise suck it up. Do not, under any circumstances, engage with Smoth unless you can prove you don't suck AND aren't lazy. He will plane you.

I literally snort-laughed while imagining me doing a strafing run in a byplane going: "NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERROOOWWMMM PEW PEW PEW" across the thread. Also, hey, you did come up with a GOOD idea recently..

[abma]

Is the engine going to exploit multithreading more, and make advantage more of new technologies? like more than 2gb of ram?

no plan exists. when compiled for 64 bit it can use more RAM.

[Forboding Angel]

As I said, and I'll say it again in different language... if the engine is using 2 gb of ram, that is not a good thing!

Even far more "modern engines like sc2 will top out at around 1.6gb or so, and that is a LOT.

Wrt multithreading, see my first post. I was not ambiguous when I answered your questions.

Also, since we're nitpicking, since when is "more than 2gb of ram" a "new technology"?

If you're going to ask questions like this on a developer discussion forum, then you need to have a clue of what you are talking about, else, you will be eaten alive.

[Dark_Ansem]

Better be careful then, as I am poisonous...

[Forboding Angel]

I herd u liek metaphors.

[AF]

Quick primer:

the available RAM to the OS on a 32bit machine is:

4GB - video RAM - BIOS memoryspace - various controller memory.

So that 2GB video card will halve your memory allowance even if you put 20 GB of ram sticks in there. This also applies to 32bit programs running under a 64bit Operating system, that program still needs a virtual 32bit memory space.

Windows on a 32bit system generally limits each process to 2GB in user space, even if 3 is available, to ensure it has enough for itself and that no one application consumes all there is to consume. These applications also need access to address spaces such as video etc, amongst other compatibility reasons. It becomes more complicated with Vista and later as video memory addresses became virtualised.

PAE simply removes that restriction or bumps it up, but it doesn't fix the eventual problem that just because you can have 4GB of virtual address space, doesn't mean there's 4GB available. There are also other issues that can happen as a result of PAE, it's not simply a registry flag, and makes real changes to how pointers work, changes that crash some programs

As for why there's no widnows 64bit build

Put simply, there's no reliable mingw64 buildbot slave. If you can get one up and running and crosscompiling stable 64bit windows builds then hooray, Abma will probably marry you, people will scream for joy, Forb will probably have some sort of orgasm, and Smoth may show ever so slightly less disdain for you.


In the meantime, apply common sense and courtesy and perhaps they wont rip you to shreds. A thick skin is essential here.