How much does force models speed up your computer?
 

You all ready know my question.

I see about a 7-8 increase in FPS by using Force Models. This is significant when you usually don't top 20 FPS, like me.


Zone

What exactly does force models do? I think mine is unchecked.

Force Models allows you to choose one skin for the Allies and one skin for the Axis. This increases your system's performance since it only has to draw two skins, instead of multiple ones.

Plus, it's kinda cool to see a squad of Canadian infantry taking on a legion of Black-clad SS troopers..heh heh.


Zone

or see your poorly trained squad of ronald mcdonald lookalikes storm omaha beach with bazookas

Ahh.. So if I put on the snow suit and entered a mp server I would see everyone in snow suits and whatever allied uniform i had?

Yeah, there's that ugly side to it too, Strik0r...heh heh.

Yes, you would Night Hawk. One skin for each team. Some servers are running force model detection and will not let you use some skins they deem inappropriate (read: neon bright). This is cool in my books. If you want to add a skin to the aa.com server, just ask rudedog. He added my Canadian Forces skins no problem.

Don't expect him to upload that Ronald McDonald one, tho..heh.


Zone

correct

LOL that sounds like a nitemare i once had..

i rarely get over 30 fps and if i turn off force models it drops by 5-10 depending on how many people are playing and if they are using a variety of skins. it would be a waste for me to play the game if you took away force models.

Be careful with the force models though...

I done it with the Ronald Mcdonalds but when I went with the kids to get some fast food I had the urge to blow the staff away!

I can't eat there anymore,

Just kidding

about not eating there anymore hehe.

It increases my speed as I have to share a connection!

None.

How exactly does force models mean your pc is rendering less skins for each cycle? It has to render each model and each skin for every player no matter what skin they have. Just because it takes the info for each model from a slightly different address in the memory doesn't mean it will improve performance.

Each facet and each pixel has to be rendered no matter what it looks like.

FPS changes at every frame in a fight so there is absolutely no accurate way to measure it. The only way to do it accurately is by staying still and having 16 players stand in front of you, each with different skins.

Then click force models on and I'll bet you the FPS doesn't budge by 5-10.

This is surely a myth as there is no logical reason that the rendering process will be reduced by changing the appearance of a skin. Some models might take longer to render than others, but that would be negligable difference (and in theory, if you happen to choose the model that takes longest to render, you are effectively forcing your PC to render it more times than it has to - This could lead to slower FPS - But like I said, the difference is so negligable this won't make a visual difference).

I get on average about 20 FPS and it makes bugger-all difference if I have FM on or not.

It won't save memory to have it on, either. When you turn FM off does the PC take a moment to load the models from Disk? No, of course not. It does that when the map loads and all of the models on your PC are resident in RAM at all times.

Until someone who created the game comes on here and tells me there is a viable reason why FM would improve performance to the degree that you all claim I will continue to believe my own eyes.

And they tell me FM does nothing to FPS on a permanent and consistent level.

I don't see how it would affect a network, either. I doubt the netcode sends your skin value with every cycle. When you change your skin I'm sure it sends the info then, but otherwise it'd be a waste of bandwidth to tell the server and every client what skin you are using. And Force Models probably wouldn't stop that info being sent, at any rate.

Force models is just for visual preference.

in matches you get to see everybody standing there. and yes I DO see a difference. i always watch my fps (force of habit). you might not, good for you. but i do.

Well, you can talk all the technical mumbo-jumbo you want, but I notice a difference. I can't explain it...maybe it a frickin' placebo.

mmm...placebo...


Zone

It's not that technical, it's just common sense. Numbers of models rendered will affect FPS directly, the quality of the textures and models will affect FPS directly, but having them all look the same shouldn't.

It doesn't affect maps so why should it affect models? (That is, if I changed all the textures of my map to one texture it wouldn't change the performance, each pixel still has to be rendered).

If you notice a difference then cool, but it doesn't make any sense.

I think what Ydiss is trying to say - at least from my perspective, is that the TEXTURE of a skin (which is all it is) wont affect the FPS since the base polygon's dont change.

Now there are some textures that of course would take longer to load than others, but I haven't seen any skins that do this.

If someone can create a skin that lowers FPS - let us all know see we can download it (or I can come September 20th - god 2 weeks)

hehe, Thinking of force models, I got a funny story, sort of.

My old man plays this game a lot, and he has to play with force models -- the ugly side of them, But well its funny, cause his eye site is rahter poor, and it barely helps him any.

But i told him about DogMeats Mod, and he was rather happy, not too sure why though. He is the type with the logic, others do it, why shouldn't i?

but anyway, i thought it was an intersting story, oh how they could come in handy.

On a side note, he doesn't use them as much anymore.

[quote="MR. SPECIAL ED":8eb37]I think what Ydiss is trying to say - at least from my perspective, is that the TEXTURE of a skin (which is all it is) wont affect the FPS since the base polygon's dont change.

[/quote:8eb37]
Kind of, Ed. The texture quality and model quality will effect FPS, though. What I am trying to get at is that having one texture on one model and a different texture on another model won't drastically alter rendering times because, at the end of the day, your pc has to render both models no matter what they look like.

Seeing as all models are loaded into the game when the map loads I just can't see how having every player look the same will speed anything up.

People seem to get better performance from using force models so that's good, but it makes no difference to me and I can see clearly why it doesn't.

In my opinion my computer isn't going to say "Hmm, this model is the same as the last one, best not bother rendering it then".

It does, of course, as each model is performing its own animations and is in its own position, so it still takes just as long to perform each task as it would if they all looked different.

It won't go "This model is different to the last, best take longer to render it". It just renders it. It doesn't have to load anything, all the data it needs will be loaded into RAM (Memory).

I don't mean to patronise but that's about as simple as I can put it.

After this discussion I'd be interested to find out if I am right. Pity it's not so easy to get hold of 2015 staff these days. After all, if they told me I was blatently wrong I'd gladly hold my hands up.

However, I'd have to then ask them why it helps everyone but me mwah:

Hey how bout this?

The FPS dosen't change with the models because they're all the same, wether you force em or not.

Now wasn't that easy? heh

Hnestly though, I don't see a change with it on or off.

I see what you are saying ydiss, but consider this...would it equate to the same logic as a jpeg. It still has to render the same amount of pixels (or whatever) but the instructions would be smaller. Very simply and crudely the instructions would be for force models - "put skin a here, here and here" vs "put skin a here, put skin b here, put skin c here, etc"?

Just killing the cat...

umm those intructions should make zero difference...

i don't notice a difference on my pc on or off

and when i thought about it myself a long time ago i came to the same conclusions as ydiss and mr. special ed forcing models should not have a significant effect on fps...

What you guys say makes sense. I will have to test it when I get a chance. If it actually does make a difference, it should matter more on a busy server and should make little or no difference on a 3 or 4 person game. My fps are low enough that a half dozen fps would be significant. I will try to remember to let you know what I find.

geez, I'm a noobie....I don't even know where to check my fps rate...

oOo:

But do you think not forcing would contibute to lag when I get in a big fire-fight??

there might be lag in a big firefight but no it shouldn't be affected by forcing models on or off..

lag in a big firefight can be caused by either your computer, by the server, or by both... hard to tell... if it is caused by your computer turning down your settings like maybe resolution would help... if it is caused by the server then setting the max players lower should help...