The sky-attribute: A new way to optimize levels

[Jay]

After some testing, i found out that the sky attribute on a face just causes the level compilation process to not create faces. Before we all thought it was for having a sky in the game - well, that's true, the sky attribute can do that, but let me tell you some story:

In older versions of RF and Genesis, there was no skydome, only a skybox. The skybox was a rotating big box that was placed at the exact position of the camera as its center. So, no matter what, the skybox would be rendered after a certain distance. And what happens if a face has the 'sky' attribute? While compiling, the editor skips this face, so that in the game, there will be no face, no polys. If there is nothing blocking the view, this leads to showing the black void that is outside of the level, but what is there? THE SKYBOX! So, instead of rendering the black void (This really happens when you have no Skybox and no Skydome and use the sky-attribute on outer faces of the level), it just renders the skybox. It's exactly the same with the skydome, only that the skydome does not move along with the camera, but is fixed in space.

So, what does this tell us?
1. The sky-attribute removes faces -> less polys in your games if used wisely
2. This could be a workaround for the camera bug that happens when you're standing next to a wall. Just make the outer walls of your rooms sky-faces.
3. The sky-attribute is one of the most powerfull tools when optimizing your levels, because it ENSURES that the face will be cut away from the level, this is way better than to hope that 'Full Vis' will do a good job.
4. There is absoulutes no difference in framerates between a 'Sheet' brush and a brush with one side visible and 5 sides flagged as sky.

I think i have stumbled across one of the secrets of RF.

[fps]

I have used this before. Its really effective.

[AndyCR]

2. This could be a workaround for the camera bug that happens when you're standing next to a wall. Just make the outer walls of your rooms sky-faces.

I don't think that would work, since the vis process would simply optimize away the outer face you changed. Good find, though!

[Jay]

Some people put a hollow box around the level and then the vis process does not work anymore

(Of course, the hollow box is the problem then, i suspect this even is the cause for this 'bug', but if there isn't another way than to use a hollow box, just make the box 'sky' and it will vanish)