Mapping/Problems and improvements

This page will list generic problems regarding maps and large scale development that affects mapping process.

Generic map related problems

There are some problems that pose like map problems, but most likely are bugs somewhere in code. Fixing such things per map is not possible.

• Actors entering actorclips

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1710034&group_id=157793&atid=805242
Usually caused by func_breakable somewhere near.

• Out of sync server/client.

Sometimes confirmation path shows one line, actor moves in other, tile can be selected as the target, but soldiers do not move there, soldiers manage to walk into seemingly solid walls...
All of these problems have in common being unable to easily reproduce.
Some of the issues that most probably are caused by this :
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1829618&group_id=157793&atid=805242
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1849539&group_id=157793&atid=805242
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1864713&group_id=157793&atid=805242

• Unpassable tiles without a reasonable explanation, at least so far - testcase at http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1801104&group_id=157793&atid=805242

Map infrastructure improvements

There are also some larger proposed changes related to mapping :

• Reworked pathfinding

Not strictly mapping, but closely related, as this will fix a lot of problems and also create a new ones.
Currently pathfinding does not take into account all brushes, so additional actorclips are required, and there are other limitations. More information at http://lists.cifrid.net/pipermail/ufoai/2008-March/000391.html.

Initial merge to trunk committed in revision 19210.

• Edit-time or compile-time map part inclusion

Some objects have to appear on a lot of maps, and single change to such object currently involves changing all of those maps individually. Such objects include dropship and ufos. More information at http://lists.cifrid.net/pipermail/ufoai/2008-March/000392.html.

• Setting nodraw flag for invisible faces

Brush faces that are not visible can be set nodraw - that improves map performance. Doing that for all surfaces manually is a very tedious work, especially for older maps that are cleaned up. The mapcompiler recognizes cases where surfaces faces downwards and are not seen from birdsview - they have set the faces to be nodraw automatically, but there's more to gain by setting all the hidden faces to nodraw automatically. This is being implemented - get design information.