FPS problem, help?

Discussion in 'Halo and Forge Discussion' started by CaptainSnowy, Oct 25, 2010.

  1. CaptainSnowy

    CaptainSnowy Ancient
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    So I as many other forgers out there am working on my submission for the Bungie Forgetacular Contest but I'm having a problem with the FPS at only one part of the map. The map overall in general is deffinatly the best I've ever made and its not done so when I discoverd that at a crucial part of the map theres a slight FPS problem that I have no idea how to fix. Its at a balconey thats a semi circle with about a 10degree-15degree angle made out of Brace Tunnels. The middle one is at 90degrees and there is three on each side in variations somewheres between 10-15degrees(it changes because for somereason bungie doesn't like me and the roll/yaw/something aren't opposite like they should be.) When I made the floor for that part I had to make a semi circle for some of it and then finished with a rectangular floor but where the two different floors connect theres a problem with the FPS and it blinks. I know for a fact that a map with an FPS problem as small as that one will be disgarded but I also know that I'm not the only one with this problem. Anyone have any ideas for how to fix this problem? I'm going to try and get a picture or video of it up as fast as I can but I'm pretty busy right now.
     
  2. MidnightGenesis

    MidnightGenesis Forerunner

    Messages:
    53
    Likes Received:
    0
    It's called z-fighting. When two objects are merged and have the exact same depth, they will fight for the top layer. This is easily solved by moving one piece down or up very slightly, using Left Stick.
     
  3. xWooden leafx

    xWooden leafx Ancient
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,316
    Likes Received:
    0
    its called z-fighting, when two pieces are competing to show their texture over the other. the only way to fix is to try different objects, or have one the tiniest bit lower than the other.
    and what does fps mean? framesper second? if it affects that than you NEED to fix it, framerate issues are annoying as mess.
     
    #3 xWooden leafx, Oct 25, 2010
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2010
  4. DavidJCobb

    DavidJCobb Forerunner
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    596
    Likes Received:
    18
    Z-fighting: When two objects intersect at exactly the same Z (depth (distance from the camera)). For each pixel in the intersecting area, the game randomly picks one to render in front of the other... So bits of one show up in front of bits of another, and it changes every time the camera moves or the scene is redrawn.

    Fix this by very slightly changing the depth in some areas. Depending on the lighting in the map and the size of the affected area, though, it might not be noticeable enough to need a fix.

    I had Z-fighting in a few small spots on my map; I barely noticed it, and nobody I know who's played it has raised the issue, so I didn't bother trying to fix it. (I also didn't know that "fine editing mode" requires you to click in the LEFT thumbstick, so I couldn't've, anyway.)

    FPS: Frames per second. FPS errors ("low frame rate") are when the camera gets jerky and things render slowly with "gaps". This happens when a large amount of complex objects are on-screen. Some objects are more problematic than others. Whereas Z-fighting happens from any angle and distance, an area with FPS problems may only trigger the problems when viewed from certain angles or distances.

    FPS problems will ruin a person's ability to aim when they look at the affected area. They are very bad for gameplay and you should always try to fix them.
     
  5. Monolith

    Monolith Ancient
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,455
    Likes Received:
    4
    It's called z-fighti-

    Oh wait, I think he got the idea already...

    Anyways, good luck!
     
  6. Lunarian

    Lunarian Forerunner

    Messages:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    I don't really mind "Z" fighting issues in maps. Yeah it looks a bit awkward but at the same time would you rather have blocks/buildings slightly uneven? If your a symmetricalism(or w/e) ***** like me...its worth seeing objects distorted...rather than uneven. I hate seeing uneven buildings/blocks/ramps/etc. **** looks ghetto lol.
     
  7. Facts

    Facts Forerunner

    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    0
    Some of the lag created in Forge is not the product of Z fighting. Some of the pieces inherently lag and it really is a sad thing. Any piece with A) Glass or B) Lights will probably lag your scene.

    My way of fixing this is to go ahead and build everything how I originally want it, even with the lag.. then go thru and pick things that I will NOT change because I like the aesthetic or the function too much to try and make it similar/as good. Then after I have my list of stuff to not change (I try to be flexible so I can actually make changes) I go about deleting things and replacing objects 1 by 1 to see if there is any difference.

    Some objects lag whether you can see them or not, like Large Ramp Bridge... others such as shield doors can be covered from view and not affect frame rate. This info is useful if you NEED to use a shield door or other such item in 1 area but you can see it from cross map... just place something to block its draw from wherever you experience a frame drop.
     
  8. Nutduster

    Nutduster TCOJ
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,475
    Likes Received:
    38
    Yes. Z-fighting hurts my brain, I'd MUCH rather have a barely noticeable 2 mm difference in height. If done properly, those small differences won't cause a bump when you run over them and aren't even that visible unless you are staring at them as closely as possible. Z-fighting on the other hand jumps out at you, especially when there are big patches of it.
     
  9. SirPalesAlot

    SirPalesAlot Forerunner
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    24
    Likes Received:
    0
  10. Juggernaut

    Juggernaut Ancient
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,759
    Likes Received:
    0
    It would have been nice if Bungie gave more priority to specific items to render before other ones. It would have fixed this problem easily.
     
  11. DavidJCobb

    DavidJCobb Forerunner
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    596
    Likes Received:
    18
    Z-fighting: A depth-related rendering error.

    Low frame rate: Too many objects on-screen or being rendered; slows frame rate. It's what you described.

    Lag: Packet loss due to poor network conditions. Information is miscommunicated between consoles and then corrections are issued, causing people to jerk and warp.

    The objects don't cause actual lag -- they don't glitch players around. They just cause an annoying drop in frame rate.
     
  12. CaptainSnowy

    CaptainSnowy Ancient
    Senior Member

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Ok thanks for the responses mates, I always thought it was an FPS issue because right next to the floor is a merged balcony so I thought the game just said no its too much. But I'll get right on that and I'll tell you chaps when its done. Thanks again for answering that question so fast.
     

Share This Page