Create a new BSP level format? about spearmint HOT 3 OPEN

Hmm, I want to change from saving content and surface flags in bsp to saving surfaceParms strings. After issue #50, engine could convert surfaceParms to correct content and surface flags for each game/mod. Allows map to have connect content/surface flags in all games/mods.

Possible way of doing this is new surfaceParms lump (num strings, strings). Then in bsp shaders set bits for which surfaceParms. Reusing contents / surface flag variable in bsp shaders struct would give us 64 bits (64 surfaceParms per-map). Hmm, is 64 unique surfaceParms strings per-map limit reasonable?

In q3map2 (assuming I counted correct..)
Q3 has 37
ET has 56
JA has 72 (though 32 are materials, unlikely to use them all in one map?...)

Maybe make bsp shader have variable length array allowing for more unique surfaceParms?

WIP idea. Add two new lumps. Strings lump (just a bunch of c-strings) and surfaceParms lump (bunch of indexes in strings lump). Then have dshader_t just point to the info in the new lumps, for less duplication and allowing more surfaceParms than anyone will ever need (INT_MAX - number of shader strings).

typedef struct {
    char        string[1];
} dtext_t;

// dstring_t index array
typedef struct {
    int     numStrings; // this is overkill, having more than 256 surfaceParms on one shader seems nuts...
    int     stringIndex[1]; // indexes in strings lump
} dsurfaceparms_t;

typedef struct {
    int         nameIndex; // string number in strings lump.
    int         surfaceParmsIndex; // number in surfaceParms lump that contains list of indexes in strings lump

    // should these be offsets so their easier to get to the data without parsing the whole text/surfaceParm lumps?
} dshader_t;

dfog_t could also use index in strings lump for shader name too, ya'know to save 60 bytes * numFogs in the BSP. (dealing with loading SBSP/IBSP would be more painful though...)

from spearmint.

TODO: look into this.

<Ensiform> really should do something about the patch grid stuff
<Ensiform> its one of the slowest parts on map load
<Ensiform> stiching
...
<Ensiform> > why cant this be done offline

from spearmint.

RBSP support was added, 0de8aa9. No light style support, yet. New BSP format is not something I plan to do soon.

from spearmint.