Proxies, why?

[rvirding]

I have been reading through the forum and I think I understand how to use proxies, even got them visible in O2.

My question is why use them at all? Why not just merge the other models directly into your model? You can't DO much with a proxy, just change its position and orientation, and the Geo LODs don't work.

So why?

[ag_smith]

Proxied Geo LODs do work.

[Messiah]

mainly because proxies add a single face into the model, whereas placing the actual model of what the proxie represents will add a hell of alot more.

its a way of reducing pollies and hopefully improving performance.

[TeRp]

Proxies ensure better performance, because the single models added by the proxy "decide" on their own, which LoD of them will be shown.

[Soul_Assassin]

more like a reference card for things which are used on many occasions. Like using a template library. Just tell it what u want and position it. thats it really. I dont believe its for performance reasons (maybe for bulldozer as it seems to crash at too many polies) cuz ingame u still render same amount of tri's in the end.

[rvirding]

Might be useful then after all. http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/wink_o.gif

Experimented a little last night, adding a tree to a forest. I had no problems at all with Buldozer; I could have both proxy:\t1d\smrk_siroky.p3d.01 and proxy:\t1d\smrk_siroky.01 in O2 and Buldozer displayed the model. Binarizing went well and I could see the proxy in WrpTool. At least I could the little triangle showing that there was a proxy.

However the game didn't display anything. It didn't complain or anything, just didn't display it. I am using VBS1 but hopefully they behave the same way here. I add the proxy to all LODs except Path.

Anyone have any ideas? What happens if you DON'T add the proxy to a LOD?

One interesting piece of information: if you look in p3d file after it has been binarized you find the original (my original anyway) "proxy:\t1d\smrk_siroky.p3d.01" string and near to it you will also find the string "\t1d\smrk_siroky". This is the same if you exclude .p3d from the proxy name. Interesting.

[UNN]

I think it's because your trying to add a p3d that is not in the default OFP data. You have to define your proxy in the config, under CfgNonAIVehicles.

Something like this, I think?

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">class CfgNonAIVehicles
{
class Proxysmrk_siroky
{
simulation = alwaysshow;
model=&#34;&#92;t1d&#92;smrk_siroky.p3d&#34;;
};
};[/QUOTE]


Then in O2 you name it as:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">proxy&#58;smrk_siroky.01[/QUOTE]

The idea was mentioned here:

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....proxies (http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard311/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=48;t=43208;hl=proxy+or+proxies)

This worked for me. You will not see the proxy in Bulldozer using this method, unless you copy your object to the same place as all the other O2 proxies.

BTW proxies are very handy things, just look at how usefull the driver,gunner,cargo and weapon proxies are. Not to mention some other stuff that has not been exploited yet in OFP.

[rvirding]

I tried this, in OFP as well, but it didn&#39;t make any difference. Nothing is displayed and no errors are reported. The proxy class definition is read, I tested this by adding a non-existent model which gave an error when the loading.

I still don&#39;t know whether the problen is that I am using a forest or whether I want a tree as a proxy. Or whether I have made another mistake. http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/smile_o.gif

Testing continues.