Larger Saves

  • Fusionftw
    21st Apr 2020 Member 5 Permalink

    Ok, this has also been suggested before and rejected due to performance reasons. But, I've come up with a clever way to optimize this, so even the best computers won't suffer a large performance drop.

     

    2 Extra Save Types:

    • Double Wide, or 1206x375.
    • Double Tall, or 603x750.

     

    You could change the size of your save in the simulation settings with a dropdown. The dropdown choices would be: Original (603x375), Wide (1206x375), Tall (603x750).

     

    To navigate this extra area, small scrollbars (hidden when pressing H) either on the left (for tall saves), or the top (wide saves).

     

    Particles are updated in this new area, and can move freely between on-screen and off-screen parts. The particle limit stays the same.

     

    Edges are not present at the boundaries between the original save area and the added area. So, there won't be a void at the top when scrolled all the way to the bottom in Tall mode. And, if you scroll all the way to the left in Wide mode, there won't be a boundary to the right.

     

    To prevent performance loss due to this larger area:

    • Newtonian Gravity is only rendered every other frame in off-screen areas.
    • Air is only rendered every other frame in off-screen areas.
    • Physics/Moving objects could possibly be rendered every other frame when off-screen?
    • DECO and View-mode effects are not rendered until the area is in view.

    Uses:

    • More powerful computers. It would now be easier to make larger, more powerful computers without worrying about running out of space. You could even have more room for peripherals.
    • Larger creations. Ever wonder about making a giant factory that proudces some complex thing? Well, with larger saves, you would be able to make that factory.
    • Empire/Federation saves. Ever want to showcase all of the planets/ships/allies in a save for your empire? Well, you would now have the space to do so.
    • Demonstration saves. Do you want to show off an element that has TONS of uses? Do you want to showcase a bug that happens in many different ways? Do you want to explain a new feature? Well, with larger saves, you could.
    • Landscape/City saves. Want to make a large city, one to rival the most liked one? Well, now you can with larger saves!
    • Puzzle saves. Want to make a giant puzzle, or a large maze? Well, with larger saves, you can!
    • Parts saves. Want to make several parts for people to use, but you don't want to spread them out across 2 or 3 saves? Well, with larger saves, you don't have to.
    Edited 4 times by Fusionftw. Last: 23rd Apr 2020
  • East_Europe3339
    21st Apr 2020 Member 1 Permalink

    I agree! 

  • tests_acc
    22nd Apr 2020 Banned 0 Permalink
    This post is hidden because the user is banned
  • Brandon8ball
    24th Apr 2020 Member 1 Permalink

    me too! i fell like this can help us alot on doing saves like: a city, a lab, a computer, and some big houses

  • INFINITY-BOI
    24th Apr 2020 Banned 1 Permalink
    This post is hidden because the user is banned
  • QuanTech
    24th Apr 2020 Member 2 Permalink
    @INFINITY-BOI (View Post)
    exactly how much data storage capacity do you need?
    fun fact: you can store up to 3 letters in a single pixel of FILT. PM me if you wanna learn how
    Edited once by QuanTech. Last: 24th Apr 2020
  • INFINITY-BOI
    24th Apr 2020 Banned 1 Permalink
    This post is hidden because the user is banned
    Edited once by INFINITY-BOI. Last: 24th Apr 2020
  • phox
    24th Apr 2020 Member 1 Permalink

    ite,r

  • INFINITY-BOI
    24th Apr 2020 Banned 1 Permalink
    This post is hidden because the user is banned
  • jacob1
    28th Apr 2020 Developer 0 Permalink
    This is rejected, because the simulation size is a hardcoded constant in the game. Besides that though, there are several other reasons. The scrollbar thing sounds clunky. I hate horizontal scrollbars on webpages, and I'd hate a vertical scrollbar in TPT if not even my mouse wheel moved it. It would be hard to focus on what you are looking for, and annoying things would be hidden offscreen in saves all the time.

    Presuming the scrollbar idea is thrown out the window:
    I use double scale mode, now every time I change the size it's going to have to disable double scale mode (annoying). Most people's computers would not be able to support 4x as many particles. Very few people's phones would be able to support 4x as many particles, or, even the larger size.


    Also, rendering isn't the bottleneck, simulation is, so your efficiency improvements wouldn't do too much.

    I think a larger screen would have to wait a long time, we'd especially want multithreading first.
Locked by jacob1: rejected