RF Just Can't Take That Much

[metal_head]

I've noticed that there's something like an effect limit, because recently I've been geting crashes when adding new effects to effect.ini. i'm pretty sure that it's not the effect definitions or their names, that's causing the problem...RF just crashes if there are too many effects, but why is that?

[Jay]

How many did you add? The maximum of effect types is 200, at least from a quick look at the code.

[QuestOfDreams]

As Jay already mentioned there's currently a limit of 200 effects, however RF should just ignore additional effects but not crash ... Did you have a look at the log file? Does it report any problems?

[metal_head]

Well that's the thing, the log just stops at random places after a crash... I have about 50 effects, don't think it's more than that...honestly not sure if even 50 is the number (could be less). Also sometimes the log file repeats itself several times - the whole thing starts over and over again and the log file becomes super - long...

I also assume that it could be my computer - from the day I got it, RF sometimes crashes and tells me that an MCI device failed to initialize or something, that happens if I got a lot of sounds in the level for example, but dunno about the effects, they shouldn't be bothering the MCI devices - my effects are mainly spouts and sprites, no sounds at all

[Jay]

I am not sure what it could be. I have a number of ideas:

1. How many effects do you have in the level? Overall?
2. Did you add the 2 lines at the end of the ini file?

[metal_head]

1 - Well, it's not only one level that RF crashes on... when I add effects, RF starts crashing at one moment and I gotta delete the last effect/effects I've added, it crashes on whatever level I try to load. I can start counting my definitions, but I'm sure they are far from 200. Renaming also doesn't work, I just have to delete the definitions I've added.

2 - Oh, I got about 7-8 blank lines in the end, shouldn't be a problem, I got 7-8 on each .ini file in my install folder

[Jay]

I can imagine that RF ignores the additional effects, but then when it tries to find them (use them) and cannot find them, it crashes. I would set the maximum higher and compile, then post here, but i have added some experimental stuff and it might be that your levels are not compatible. Just so that we can be sure that it is not the maximum of effects.

[metal_head]

How can I set the maximum of effects higher? I don't have RF's source and I'm not familliar with C
I counted my effects, I have 56 effects so far, that's far away from 200...

What do you mean by my levels are not compatible? O don't get it, not compatible with what?

[Jay]

I don't have RF's source and I'm not familliar with C

Then you cannot increase the maximum of effects. The change is in the source code where one value has to be changed.

What do you mean by my levels are not compatible? O don't get it, not compatible with what?

I have added some experimental features which changed the Entities (they have fields in the editor now), and since you have another 'version' of the entities, it could be that your levels are not compatible with the test version. If it crashes, we don't know if it was the number of effects, or that the levels are not compatible.

EDIT: Wait, i have an idea.

[Jay]

Ok, i doubleposted so that you can see something has changed.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=baff ... 2bd5edc68e

Backup your Realityfactory.exe and the source folder (don't just rename the GameEntityDataTypes.h, this confuses the editor) and then unzip into your RealityFactory folder before installing.

Re-compile your level and test if it works.

[metal_head]

Thanks, it may take some time for me to post back the results, because I first need to get that crash, righ?
I'll be adding some effects and I'll try the test.rar immediatly if I get a crash
Stay tuned

[Jay]

Are you sure you're adding Effects and not Explosions??? The maximum of Explosions is at 50, i have just seen. For 200 Effects, this is a bit low. Can easily be fixed. It's very probable that you added effects, then explosions after that.

[metal_head]

Hmm well if RF crashes if I add more than 50 explosions and not just ignores that fact, than yes, it has to be the explosions.

[Veleran]

It could be the numerous dynamic lights which do the crash-which is maximum 8 lights limit (inside the camera view i guess) -spotlight-dynamiclight-dynamicSpotlight,
that are used in the predefined explosions and projectile effects and flames.

[Jay]

This bug is already fixed, it was the explosion count. By the way, genesis3d uses its own dynamic lighting system which can use up to 30 lights. They are rendered to the lightmaps, which is a feature graphics hardware does not support, therefore it does not use the hardware method (Dynamic lights are rendered in software onto the lightmaps) and is not restricted to the normal 8 lights active restriction.