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New "low" mode explained - Page 2

Forum Index > SC2 General
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eviltomahawk
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States11135 Posts
August 01 2012 18:22 GMT
#21
So the new low textures in 1.5 are actually less performance-intensive than the old low textures before 1.5? Huh. That's pretty interesting.
ㅇㅅㅌㅅ
Kaitokid
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
Germany1327 Posts
August 01 2012 18:22 GMT
#22
the old graphics were way better imo.. also the new fog of war is terrible-_-
leo23
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States3075 Posts
August 01 2012 18:24 GMT
#23
On August 02 2012 03:22 eviltomahawk wrote:
So the new low textures in 1.5 are actually less performance-intensive than the old low textures before 1.5? Huh. That's pretty interesting.


can someone please confirm with some benchmarking?
banelings
EdenPLusDucky
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
571 Posts
August 01 2012 18:30 GMT
#24
The new textures dropped my fps down to 70s early on, edited that line in variables.txt and the old textures give me 120 fps+ early on the same map when im the only player in the game. Results might be different for others though.
Stratos_speAr
Profile Joined May 2009
United States6959 Posts
August 01 2012 18:34 GMT
#25
Am I the only one getting significantly more lag now? My graphics are set in the low/medium range, and I'm getting really bad lag spikes when I get into big battles (especially in team games). It's incredibly frustrating because I had perfect performance two days ago.
A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this World: he that has these two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be little the better for anything else.
[F_]aths
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Germany3947 Posts
August 01 2012 18:38 GMT
#26
On August 02 2012 03:17 Existor wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +

You're a bit wrong about special low textures. There ARE new SPECIAL low-textures dds-files. They are sharpened that regular textures and have some lighting on it already.

Here are some examples. See, that textures are like high detalized textures, but it's only flat one layered texture without any special effects on it

[image loading]

[image loading]


And here are screenshot from ingame resources, where we can see, that they added special low textures, that has no special effects, because those effects already "Photoshoped" to those textures. And those files are smaller, that means you're using less RAM when using these textures.

[image loading]

I edited the OP to reflect your finding. Thank you!
You don't choose to play zerg. The zerg choose you.
leo23
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States3075 Posts
August 01 2012 18:43 GMT
#27
On August 02 2012 03:38 [F_]aths wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 02 2012 03:17 Existor wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +

You're a bit wrong about special low textures. There ARE new SPECIAL low-textures dds-files. They are sharpened that regular textures and have some lighting on it already.

Here are some examples. See, that textures are like high detalized textures, but it's only flat one layered texture without any special effects on it

[image loading]

[image loading]


And here are screenshot from ingame resources, where we can see, that they added special low textures, that has no special effects, because those effects already "Photoshoped" to those textures. And those files are smaller, that means you're using less RAM when using these textures.

[image loading]

I edited the OP to reflect your finding. Thank you!


Which one is better performance wise

low or new low
banelings
Existor
Profile Joined July 2010
Russian Federation4295 Posts
August 01 2012 18:44 GMT
#28
The new textures dropped my fps down to 70s early on, edited that line in variables.txt and the old textures give me 120 fps+ early on the same map when im the only player in the game. Results might be different for others though.

It drops your FPS only because you're loading it first time.

Every game resource when loaded first time, causes FPS drops.

Those new textures have smaller file size.
DarKcS
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Australia1237 Posts
August 01 2012 18:48 GMT
#29
They added some new graphics tweaks in the variables.txt. This new texture setting is the unlikely culprit, only one new variable is on by default I believe.
They are :
bakeTerrainLighting=
ambientenvironmentmap=

one of these might be causing the FPS drops (yes I believe my FPS is even worse now).
Die tomorrow - Live today
EdenPLusDucky
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
571 Posts
August 01 2012 19:15 GMT
#30
On August 02 2012 03:44 Existor wrote:
Show nested quote +
The new textures dropped my fps down to 70s early on, edited that line in variables.txt and the old textures give me 120 fps+ early on the same map when im the only player in the game. Results might be different for others though.

It drops your FPS only because you're loading it first time.

Every game resource when loaded first time, causes FPS drops.

Those new textures have smaller file size.


No I don't think you understand what I mean by that. I said that the newer textures gave me less fps than the older ones and reverting it back using variables.txt made it better and also gave me less delay lag that I was experiencing with the new ones. Might be placebo though.
NeMeSiS3
Profile Blog Joined February 2012
Canada2972 Posts
August 01 2012 19:18 GMT
#31
Great writeup, I didn't even know! : D so many hidden updates in this patch, I feel a bit of jitters in the game still though, also I dislike how everyones text is the same color in chat channels : ( but that's offtopic, good job.
FoTG fighting!
schlamp96
Profile Joined September 2011
United States11 Posts
August 01 2012 19:24 GMT
#32
Is there a way to go back to the old graphics/texture settings on the higher graphic settings? I don't like the new one as much.
Tailss
Profile Joined November 2010
Sweden233 Posts
August 01 2012 19:26 GMT
#33
On August 02 2012 04:24 schlamp96 wrote:
Is there a way to go back to the old graphics/texture settings on the higher graphic settings? I don't like the new one as much.


That is exactly what this thread is about...
Iranon
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States983 Posts
August 01 2012 19:34 GMT
#34
Good lord that's an ugly fog of war. Did anyone really have a problem with not being sure if a unit you couldn't see was a centimeter from where you thought it was?

Remind me of
[image loading]
Absurd Bunny
Profile Joined June 2011
168 Posts
August 01 2012 19:35 GMT
#35
On August 02 2012 04:26 Tailss wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 02 2012 04:24 schlamp96 wrote:
Is there a way to go back to the old graphics/texture settings on the higher graphic settings? I don't like the new one as much.


That is exactly what this thread is about...

He's talking about the high quality graphic settings...
This is for low, not for medium and high and whatnot.
Babru
Profile Joined September 2010
196 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-08-01 20:04:26
August 01 2012 19:36 GMT
#36
+ Show Spoiler +
On August 02 2012 03:17 Existor wrote:
You're a bit wrong about special low textures. There ARE new SPECIAL low-textures dds-files. They are sharpened that regular textures and have some lighting on it already.

Here are some examples. See, that textures are like high detalized textures, but it's only flat one layered texture without any special effects on it

[image loading]

[image loading]


And here are screenshot from ingame resources, where we can see, that they added special low textures, that has no special effects, because those effects already "Photoshoped" to those textures. And those files are smaller, that means you're using less RAM when using these textures.

[image loading]


So if i want to take use of the texture that uses less ram i must have "alternateLowTextures=1" in my variables.txt? It doesnt apply when im using "alternateLowTextures=0"?

I would like to increase my performance, so i like the low ram usage, i dont like how the new low graph (that looks close to previous mid graph) looks though. All in all though, i only want what gives the best fps.
mirkz
Profile Joined March 2012
Italy43 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-08-01 19:54:51
August 01 2012 19:53 GMT
#37
On August 02 2012 03:48 DarKcS wrote:
They added some new graphics tweaks in the variables.txt. This new texture setting is the unlikely culprit, only one new variable is on by default I believe.
They are :

bakeTerrainLighting=
ambientenvironmentmap=


one of these might be causing the FPS drops (yes I believe my FPS is even worse now).




thank you very much to the OP for the really interesting thread!!!

Now can anyone test & explain what are the new lines indicated above adding???

For what concerning the alternateLowTextures=0 thing , it is curious how Blizzy says that it uses less memory and we all get performance problems ... !!??!?!
VapouR.
Profile Joined March 2011
United Kingdom14 Posts
August 01 2012 20:37 GMT
#38
I could use some help, i set the alternateLowTextures=0 in the variables.txt file but when i try to launch the game i get:

'An internal error occured, please restart. If problems persist please contact customer support.'

Any ideas what i've done wrong?
Existor
Profile Joined July 2010
Russian Federation4295 Posts
August 01 2012 20:50 GMT
#39
On August 02 2012 04:36 Babru wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
On August 02 2012 03:17 Existor wrote:
You're a bit wrong about special low textures. There ARE new SPECIAL low-textures dds-files. They are sharpened that regular textures and have some lighting on it already.

Here are some examples. See, that textures are like high detalized textures, but it's only flat one layered texture without any special effects on it

[image loading]

[image loading]


And here are screenshot from ingame resources, where we can see, that they added special low textures, that has no special effects, because those effects already "Photoshoped" to those textures. And those files are smaller, that means you're using less RAM when using these textures.

[image loading]


So if i want to take use of the texture that uses less ram i must have "alternateLowTextures=1" in my variables.txt? It doesnt apply when im using "alternateLowTextures=0"?

I would like to increase my performance, so i like the low ram usage, i dont like how the new low graph (that looks close to previous mid graph) looks though. All in all though, i only want what gives the best fps.

Theoretically yes. Those low-textures have smaller sizes, so you should try to stay with standart low settings and allow game to load all content.

Probably you will have lags only 1st time, when you're loading these textures.
KawaiiRice
Profile Blog Joined May 2007
United States2914 Posts
August 01 2012 21:14 GMT
#40
op is a hero. \ o /
@KawaiiRiceLighT
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