Uncache and Recache

[utunnels]

Well it is an old subject.

I just got an idea. Leave the cache entries (sound or sprites) empty if the user forces a model to be uncached (either via script or a command), leaving only the file pathes.

Since strings are relatively smaller than sprites or samples, this may save lots of resources.

When the engine requests a sprite from an invalid handle, it can reload it according to the path, or you can use a recache command to reload resources from a model.

Thoughts?

[MatMan]

I just got an idea. Leave the cache entries (sound or sprites) empty if the user forces a model to be uncached (either via script or a command), leaving only the file pathes.

I would imagine that this would be the easiest solution to this feature with out the need to re-writing things and I can't imagine it ever being a problem for mods that have no inclination to use this feature at all.

When the engine requests a sprite from an invalid handle, it can reload it according to the path, or you can use a recache command to reload resources from a model.

I would imagine it reloading it on error by itself would be best but a option to disable it could be added and having a log entry would be very usefull as well.

Can't really add more as I don't know the back end of openBor.

Another thought, would it be possible to add entity loading via a thread using this solution?

[utunnels]

Threading is another story. If a program uses thread, it is likely many things need to be reworked,  like locking certain resources until a thread is done using them.
 And I don't know how portable it is, at least SDL has threading support, not sure about other platforms (it doesn't really matter if they don't, since there are already several features that can only be used on PC).

[volcanic]

I totally agree with you, UT.
This reminds me the hard time when I optimized and shrike ATOV just to make it run on my Dingoo. I unloaded everything that uses only once but no luck lol.

To be a mature engine, it’s quite necessary to release resources as need.
Perhaps this is not that necessary for PC, but for most platforms especially consoles and heldhands which don’t have as much RAM as PC has, this is definitely essential.
But I don’t think you should leave the samples and scripts which might also occupy a lot of resources especially as the Mods go heavier and heavier with scripts nowadays. And the samples , needless to say, might be a better consumption of RAM.

[Plombo]

Threading is another story. If a program uses thread, it is likely many things need to be reworked,  like locking certain resources until a thread is done using them.
 And I don't know how portable it is, at least SDL has threading support, not sure about other platforms (it doesn't really matter if they don't, since there are already several features that can only be used on PC).

I think all the platforms have support for threads.  But they all have different threading systems, of course.

It might be possible to implement a common interface on top of the different threading systems for each platform like we do for sound, video, timer, etc.  But I don't know how well that would work since threading systems work in different ways.

[utunnels]

I've made the changes.

In next build you should be able to change the second parameter of the load command to 2 or 3 (in level txt or model txt, I don't recall other places).

While 1 unloads the model it self, 2 unloads sprites and 3 unloads both. Those level decorations (animated backgrounds) should be safe to use 3 and unused characters can use 2 to cut the reload speed (recaching animation sprites is much faster than loading the entire model).

I haven't considered mask sprites, but guess they are rare enough to be ignored for now.
And subclassed models are not taken care of either. (or should they?)


No script support yet, so if you want to unload a model, you have to wait until current level ends.


Edit*

This should work for script users to change the unload flag.

Code: [Select]

loadmodel("data/chars/someone.txt", 2);

[volcanic]

Really appreciate that UT.

[Bloodbane]

 What's the difference between unloading model and unloading sprites?

 Anyways, thanks !

[utunnels]

Unloading model will keep the sprites.
When you reload the model later, the sprites are taken from previously loaded ones.

[MatMan]

Thanx uT. Will put this to the test ASAP!