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DarkBASIC Professional Discussion / Speed Problems....

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andru
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Posted: 8th Jun 2003 21:48 Edited at: 8th Jun 2003 21:51
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I remember trying the "Fast3d" demo when I was using Win2k on my last system, and getting very poor results (under 10fps on a GF2mx) and I put it down to the fact I was using win2k - well known for not being the ideal gaming system, and as such, decided not to buy DBPro at that time. Since then my system shorted out, making me replace everything but the harddrive, and for a long time I carried on using 2k on this machine (similar setup to my old one), but I've finally caved in and upgraded to XP (simcity 4 made me!).
I decided it'd be worth giving the "Fast3d" demo a go again, but with equally disapointing results. It peaks at around 15FPS on the following system...
Geforce 2 MX 64meg (running in AGP 4x mode)
256MB RAM
800Mhz Duron
DirectX 9.0a
Nvidia GeForce 6.14 Drivers (latest)
(just reinstalled the above two)

Considering the demo's supposed to be able to run "on a GeForce256 (32meg) on a P3-450" at "50 frames per second" something is clearly wrong.
There's also an additional problem of there being a cyclic "pause" in the sound occompanied by the system hanging for a split-second, every second or so, yet the rendering is unaffected.

I'm keen to resolve this, as I'm wanting to work with DarkBasic, but don't want to lay out the money if it's going to have problems on mine, and possibly many other peoples systems.

Any ideas?

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MrTAToad
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Posted: 8th Jun 2003 22:39
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Well, it doesn't help having a Duron - they are laughably poor.
The GF2MX is very slow too, try getting a GeForce4...

Good news everyone! I really am THAT good...
http://www.nickk.nildram.co.uk/ for great plug-ins - oh my, yes!
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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 8th Jun 2003 23:26
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I'm running a GeForce 2 MX graphics card here, try my Asteroids game and see if that is slow - or any other finished DBPro game. That will give you a better indication of whether your machine is up to the task.

Incidentally pressing BACKSPACE in Asteroids will give you the fps count.

Pneumatic Dryll
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andru
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 00:04 Edited at: 9th Jun 2003 00:15
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Thanks Pneumatic, I'm downloading that as we speak, so hopefully I'll get ok results out of that.

MrTAToad: Yeah, durons are undeniably crappy, but the fact remains that if 50fps is achievable on a p3 450 with gf256, i should at least be able to match that. Especially considering I can run games like black and white, max payne, q3 etc absolutely fine.

Additionally, I'm looking to buy dbpro this with commercial ventures in mind. Telling my potential customers that their gf2/ati rage card is very slow and that they should get a gf4 isn't going to go down brilliantly. Especially considering I have no intention of aiming for the "high spec" market.

Edit: Ok, downloaded and played asteroids. It seemed to stick around the 26FPS mark, which is also pretty poor (unless you're frame limiting) considering it appears to be just sprite manipulation.

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CloseToPerfect
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 04:04
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"I'm looking to buy dbpro this with commercial ventures in mind." better read some more problem posts, you can drop that idea fast.
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CloseToPerfect
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 04:10
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hey, don't feel bad. I just d/l the fast3d demo and I get 35-33 and that on this 1gig celeron with a savage 2000 card. well must be this crap system, but then why don't it rock in UT or quake? hmmmm.
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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 08:05
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Quote: ""I'm looking to buy dbpro this with commercial ventures in mind." better read some more problem posts, you can drop that idea fast."


Sometimes I wonder why you even bother with DBPro CTP as you only ever seem to come here to flame it, you obviously aren't happy with the language but why do you persist.

Quote: "It seemed to stick around the 26FPS mark, which is also pretty poor"


I agree that is poor as I get around 400 fps here. There's something on your system that it doesn't like.

Could you, for the rest of our sakes, email [email protected] please with the results that you have had, because if there is an incompatability there i'd like it fixed too.

Pneumatic Dryll
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Codger
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 08:33
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WHAT ARE YOU USING FOR 400 FPS.

Fast 3d runs at a real smooth 60 to 80 FPS. on my PIII 600 with GForce 4 440 mx

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Andy Igoe
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 10:33
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Nah nah I said Asteroids runs at 400fps Infact slightly more at around 440. I just tried Fast3D and got 95-110fps.

AMD 2Ghz, 512mb Ram, UDMA100 VMM, GeForce 2 MX.

Pneumatic Dryll
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Rob K
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 13:48
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@andru

With the "Fast 3D" demo, it is not the framerate that really matters, but the number of polys on screen.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_102.zip
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andru
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 14:31
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Thats what makes it even worse, rob. It's saying it's only displaying 7200. Now I realise they're all alpha'd (not sure whether theyre alpha mapped or just transparent), which is going to give a significant hit on the fps.
Even so, the fact remains that if they can get 50FPS on the test system, I should be getting a great deal more on mine.

I can't stress enough that I can get 30+FPS in Q3 at 1024x768, and around the same in black and white, and my 3dMark score compares with other computers in my spec-range. Ontop of this, blitz3d runs like a dream on my system, but I'm frustrated with it's lack of dx9 support (meaning I can't use .x, and instead have to find a way to export to b3d)

Pneumatic, what details would you like me to email you with? I'd be happy to supply you with any information you need, but i really think it's an incompatibility with the dbpro engine on my current setup rather than a fault with your coding.

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MrTAToad
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 14:45
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If its using an alpha mode/transparency, it would be worth downloading the source code, modifying the appropriate lines and see what happens.

Dont forget the EXE's are probably still the ones that were around before Patch 4.

Good news everyone! I really am THAT good...
http://www.nickk.nildram.co.uk/ for great plug-ins - oh my, yes!
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Rob K
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Posted: 9th Jun 2003 18:44 Edited at: 9th Jun 2003 18:44
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@andru

You are probably using the pre-Patch 4 exe or if you are using the demo, it is pre patch 4. Before P4, DBP really struggled with lots of objects, now it can handle them faster than Blitz, because the 3D pipeline was completely redone. If you don't have the full version, I can email you a P4 exe for the Fast3D demo, which should see a speed increase.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_102.zip
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andru
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Posted: 10th Jun 2003 01:42
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Rob, if you could do that, it'd be great. If you could email it to [email protected] I'd really appreciate it!

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Rob K
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Posted: 11th Jun 2003 18:49
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Only just saw the post today. Will do.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_102.zip
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Viper
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 12:11
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I got an 800Mhz Duron as well but with a GForce3 128mb,
and I run at 55 and 60fps.
Also with Directx 9
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Rob K
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 12:36
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@andru

Checked an older PC, can you try recompiling the demos in FULL SCREEN EXCLUSIVE mode? - On some of my demos, I got 2FPS in Windowed Fullscreen mode, 100+ in Fullscreen Exclusive. This difference will only affect older PCs though.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_102.zip
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MrTAToad
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 13:03
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Its another advantage of going to DX9 - you can set the refresh rate for FSEM.

Hopefully the appropriate commands will be included...

Good news everyone! I really am THAT good...
http://www.nickk.nildram.co.uk/ for great plug-ins - oh my, yes!
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Rob K
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 13:51
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No chance.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_102.zip
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MrTAToad
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 14:21
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D'oh!

Good news everyone! I really am THAT good...
http://www.nickk.nildram.co.uk/ for great plug-ins - oh my, yes!
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Inkybro
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Posted: 12th Jun 2003 23:39
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Where can I get the Fast3d thing?

It's better to be pissed off than pissed on, eh?

Current DBPro Savings Report: $1.28 Saved
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andru
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Posted: 13th Jun 2003 02:54
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Rob, thanks for sending that over. I think it must be the windowed mode that's giving me problems, as in fullscreen I'm getting around 30FPS (still not amazing, but eh, good enough i suppose), where I drop back to 10-ish (with the cylcic pauses again) when switching to windowed mode.

That's certainly more reassuring - as I have no intention on making windowed games anyway, but I'd still expect more than 30fps, especially at such a low resolution.

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Rob K
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Posted: 13th Jun 2003 16:02
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@andru

Considering the number of polys it isn't too bad. You'll find that in a game environment, you should get much higher than that.

Do you want Windows menus in your DBP apps? - Get my plugin: http://snow.prohosting.com/~clone99/downloads/tpc_menus_102.zip
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CloseToPerfect
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Posted: 14th Jun 2003 10:32
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"Sometimes I wonder why you even bother with DBPro CTP as you only ever seem to come here to flame it, you obviously aren't happy with the language but why do you persist."

No, I like DBpro but there are several commands that don't work right, there are several compatiblity issue with it. I may say something every now and then about something not working as it should but I don't think I would condsider it flaming. DBpro is a good language and I think(well hope) the bugs will get worked out, the compatiblity issues, hmm not to sure about. I have talk to lee though emails about several items. And I have helped several people around here with problems. There are many functions in this forum that I have written for people when they couldn't get something to work. I like helping people, but maybe I do get carried away pointing out the negitive features of DBpro,(maybe if we keep them on the surface, then they will be fixed faster), but I think there are others who say more negitve stuff, more negititly then I every have.
Enough said, hopefully no one will take offences to it as I really don't want to upset anyone personally.


Goodnite all,
CTP
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