Hi,
with the 2.2.0 release barely out of the door, we are already preparing
for a 2.2.1 update, which brings few new end-user features, but adds major
performance-related improvements (and a few bug fixes). The big change is
in the rigid body streaming optimization, which was already discussed here
previously. The reason it was omitted from 2.2.0 was due to it lacking
some testing, but also to provide a close release for regression testing,
since the 2.2.0 and 2.2.1 releases are otherwise largely the same.
For the 2.2.1 version, we have also been profiling and improving
performance on the scene loading front. Three big offenders were
identified. One of them is already fixed in
https://github.com/LudoCraft/Tundra/commit/bcaf56c6823f16edaaf090d0f98914939b5e30fd
(also related
https://github.com/LudoCraft/Tundra/commit/69880cd14c410a15a0f79359d914df8ccb5e4761#L1R990
) . This one caused a CPU hit of ~30msecs per HTTP asset that was loaded.
The second one relates to asset loading on the local filesystems. Querying
the local asset storages for files is creating excessive disk operations.
This causes a consistent 5-30msec pause on my SSD system, and I expect a
larger hit on non-SSD drives. While no fix is yet in, this is tracked at
https://github.com/realXtend/naali/issues/327 , also see the item for
workaround. We are trying to get a fix for this in for the 2.2.1 release.
The third one, and currently by far the biggest item, was found from the
interaction of an asynchronous asset loading thread and main thread, due
to how Ogre behaves internally. This one will be quite a burden to fix
(and not due to 2.2.1), but is nevertheless tracked at
https://github.com/realXtend/naali/issues/332 . See also
https://github.com/realXtend/naali/issues/333 .
Finally, since loading assets will take some time even after all of the
above were fixed, there is now a loading screen that is shown when you log
in to a scene. Currently it is a very simple one, but nevertheless, it
gives a good sense of progress when you open up a scene. See
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40949268/Tundra/LoadingScreen.png . Not all
applications may find it nice to have such a loading screen pop up
(especially since it is now treated modal), which is why it is implemented
as a script file that can be removed for custom application builds, if you
are making one.
If you can't wait for the 2.2.1 update, you can always head to
http://tundra.ludocraft.com/builds/nightly/, and grab a nightly build.
Builds newer than 20120201 will contain the abovementioned fixes.
(PS. Also coming up in post-2.2.1 is a necessary fix to
https://github.com/realXtend/naali/issues/334, which will break the
physics script API in some way)
jj
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