IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS [done]

IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS [done]

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jK
Spring Developer
Posts: 2299
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 07:30

IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS [done]

Post by jK »

Add an unsynced heightmap which respect the current players/ally LOS, so you cannot see factories terraforming the ground on the other side of the map.

optimization ideas:
* use quadmap to reduce needed checks of LOS changes

notes:
* making it synced is an idea, too. But could need a little bit too much memory (the heightmap of the map `Epic` needs 25MB!!!)

needed things to touch:
* readmap
* grounddrawer
* lua
Last edited by jK on 16 Apr 2013, 12:17, edited 1 time in total.
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hoijui
Former Engine Dev
Posts: 4344
Joined: 22 Sep 2007, 09:51

Re: IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS

Post by hoijui »

i think the game-play wise optimum solution would be, to have one synced heightmap per ally-team. but as you mention... that would likely be too performance heavy :/.
Maybe a blended height-map would make sense?
As in, blended between the original height-map and the real/current one, so that one sees the real one for in-LOS only, and everything out-of-LOS is always the original one, even if changes have been spotted already. This would likely have to be an optional system (mod setting). This solution would not need any additional ram (to speak of).
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Pxtl
Posts: 6112
Joined: 23 Oct 2004, 01:43

Re: IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS

Post by Pxtl »

How to handle the tearing as you reveal terrain?
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SinbadEV
Posts: 6475
Joined: 02 May 2005, 03:56

Re: IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS

Post by SinbadEV »

Pxtl wrote:How to handle the tearing as you reveal terrain?
heightmap is stored by point so you would just draw the polygon based on the points seen and not seen... this would make for a few "strange shear cliff" formations at the boundary, but there would be no more then you'd get with some maps (haven't played in a while so the "speed****" is the only example I can think of)
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KaiserJ
Community Representative
Posts: 3113
Joined: 08 Sep 2008, 22:59

Re: IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS

Post by KaiserJ »

this would be a massive boon to my project (the bit about not revealing terraformed terrain until you are in LOS of it)

synced/unsynced wouldn't matter for me i dont think as all players will be allied

this would also improve the quality of ZK in particular, as they tend to have a fair amount of terraform going on...

from the "deforming under factories" i would blame the quality of maps more than i would a engine problem; always annoys me to see those "99% flat areas" where the deform takes place. were the map correct in the first place, it would cease to be an issue (that particular aspect at least)

anyway, +1
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KaiserJ
Community Representative
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Joined: 08 Sep 2008, 22:59

Re: IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS

Post by KaiserJ »

just wondering if anything was going forward with this? (hope i'm not being a pest by bumping; the idea is a great one)
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knorke
Posts: 7971
Joined: 22 Feb 2006, 01:02

Re: IDEA: unsynced heightmap that respects LOS

Post by knorke »

i think this forum/thread is just for collecting ideas so that new potetential engine developers have a place to start.
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