Could someone (Preben?) give me an explanation of how the draw call optimizer in Game Guru Classic works? I sort of understand what it does but, other than adding drawcalloptimizer = 1 to my fpe files, I don't really understand how to utilise it to maximum effect. I'd like to know:

- How and when I should use it?
- What steps do I have to take in preparing an entity to ensure it works with the draw call optimizer?
- Does it work for lightmapped objects?
- Does it work for dynamic objects?
- Are there certain types of entities it works best with? Likewise, are there certain types of entity that I should avoid using in the draw call optimizer?

It's just one of those features that doesn't seem well-documented yet could help us all a lot

AE

I guess you are talking about GGMax, no info about how Draw call optimizer is going to work with, just some info about GG that most likely you are already read, it does not, this link might help: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/221099#msg2620628

Sorry, I meant in Classic. Amended my original post to clarify. I would imagine any draw call optimizer in Max is built into Wicked and therefore not directly at the control of TGC.

AE

I know that duplicate models and models that share a texture cause it to work.

Also it will not work on multi-textured objects as in more than 1 material. You should set it to 0 in the FPE for models that have more than 1 material.

Actually multi-texture objects have been added now, since I complained about it Preben mailed me about it awhile ago. Not sure if it has been added to the last build or not though.
"if you put "drawcalloptimizer=1" into the fpe , it will batch it even if its multi-textured.!"
So that particular issue has been fixed or will be.

This is a very good subject to keep up to date with and have verified by developers.
"So that particular issue has been fixed or will be."

Yeah. I'm with AE here. Tests? Verification? Best uses? That is a pretty old thread
about optimizer. Someone please let us know-- because I'm seeing this odd
statement: "PE: Fix - Removed immobile objects from draw call optimizer."
HU? Why would that be? Draw call or physics optimizer? The levels I need to optimize
are almost always 100's of the same objects set to immobile.
Good handy info and use- might save a few peoples levels from the bin.

As far as I am aware, the optimiser works with static objects. It groups identical meshes and their textures together to reduce draw calls. It does not work with dynamic objects at all. By default multi-texture objects are not supported, but you can override them in the FPE, or will be able to in the next update (it's probably been updated already). I really haven't tested multi-texture recently, so can't say one way or the other.

Simple answer to the original post is static objects are supported, dynamic not at all and multi-texture are supported or in the works (with an fpe edit). Light mapped objects would not be supported either, that's a given.

I don't keep watch on GG development like I used to, so could be behind the times. But I'm guessing my answer is pretty close.

https://github.com/TheGameCreators/GameGuruRepo/issues/1070

This is a vid of the first version of the draw call optimiser

https://youtu.be/2EDVD2I6OdY

Dave

@AmenMoses;
Yeah, I got your splendid maze level and tried it. I don't know when you made the change out of the always active vs not, yesterday, today or when?
But here's what happened on my try;
Ran the level, ran around it a bit- probably ran it about 3 times.
Then...... I load another of my own levels, which in pressing test mode, it immediately crashed GG
and began to reload...
After a fresh restart and load my level back-- it ran no prob. If that info is any use?
On my level, I have to have everything always active, so I hope this gets fixed soon--
today! lol

Turn off the draw-call optimiser in the setup.ini file until it gets fixed.