All Networks [FPS++] Replace Particles with 3D Models (Effects and Cosmetics)

[TBroz15]

When this change took effect, both the overall gameplay and performance will be slightly better.

Some effects that heavily relies on particles will lag for low-mid end devices. Such as in Lucky Block Skywars, the effect on revealing the items like Shotgun Bows uses too much particle and it is visually painful...

I am not saying it should completely replace particles with 3D models, just make sure the particles are lightweight in performance and easy to see just like 3D Model Effects.

Anyways to the non believers, I've compared the FPS of particles and 3D Model Effects. That I prove particles are much more laggy than 3D Models.

Particles (Middle-Right FPS counter)

3D Model (Bottom-Center FPS counter)

 

[Hoshi]

3D models are heavier on performance than 2D spritesheets though… 2D particles also look that much more slick. I’d argue 3D particles would look horrible, as well as heavily decrease performance further.

 

[TBroz15]

3D models are heavier on performance than 2D spritesheets though… 2D particles also look that much more slick. I’d argue 3D particles would look horrible, as well as heavily decrease performance further.

Please see the 3rd paragraph, I am not saying dont completely replace it.

I am not saying it should completely replace particles with 3D models, just make sure the particles are lightweight in performance and easy to see just like 3D Model Effects.

Particles should be replaced when its heavily used and not always when.

 

[Hoshi]

Please see the 3rd paragraph, I am not saying dont completely replace it.

That’s the thing though, the 2D particles are pretty much as lightweight as they can get. Like I said, 3D effects are heavier on the performance which is why the 2D mechanic works better. The problem is that each particle is either an animated sheet that plays, or is an individual particle that is ‘pasted’ in the same way normal Minecraft particles do. There really isn’t much to it or much they can change. It’s not as simple as just “improve”.

Particles should be replaced when its heavily used and not always when.

If this is about only replacing the “heavier” particles aka large explosions of them, how would you suggest this works? Also carefully consider what consequences your idea has on the overall look of the particles, and how they are made functional.

 

[TBroz15]

Ok, just to make it less controversial and more understandable, this thread was created because I've been getting FPS drops when opening a Lucky Block showing the Shotgun bow. I expect that the effect caused me to lag to around 50 FPS or less just to let know.

If this is about only replacing the “heavier” particles aka large explosions of them, how would you suggest this works? Also carefully consider what consequences your idea has on the overall look of the particles, and how they are made functional.

Lets split into two kinds of particles, Native and Server-side.
TL;DR: Native particles are good particles. Server-side particles are sometimes bad particles.

Native particles came from Minecraft the game itself or from resource packs. It is optimized for large amounts of particles when running once. Large explosions like TNTs are one of the native particles so it won't hurt performance much.

Server-side particles are just like Native particles but its spawned by the server through a code, which Cubecraft uses. In a few effects I discovered, it probably runs too much code and spawns too much particles that it could lag both the server and the player. But most of them does not need to be replaced such as kill effects, which runs once.

I could send a quick video later of how it could drop some FPS.

 

[TBroz15]

Here is an example of a bad use of particles, its a win effect from a Christmas Cosmetic. At the near end of the video, it reduces the FPS count from around 200 to a hundred (look at the middle-right of the video).

 

[TBroz15]

In 3D models, it does not need to be complicated. It could be a dummy NPC player and give a few animations with a few cubes in that model.

 

[Hoshi]

Native particles came from Minecraft the game itself or from resource packs. It is optimized for large amounts of particles when running once. Large explosions like TNTs are one of the native particles so it won't hurt performance much.

You have clearly never exploded a bunch of TNT at once. It really doesn’t matter what kind of particle it is. Too much of either one can lag your game.

Also, particles do not come from texture packs or the game. They come from the game, always, then load the texture on top of it, meaning it always needs to go through both processes.

In 3D models, it does not need to be complicated. It could be a dummy NPC player and give a few animations with a few cubes in that model.

3D models are much more complicated, and that’s coming from a texture artist who also uses Blockbench to create voxel art for Minecraft.

Whereas for 2D sprites it only has to load one or two sides and the texture associated with it (which can be an animated texture but most often isn’t), 3D models require loading more surface area, meaning more texture UV boxes, as well as animating the model. 2D particles are just that, they work the same as in Minecraft. In fact, in a bunch of these cosmetics, including the one you showed, it uses these Minecraft particles, not even custom ones.

It doesn’t matter whether you eat and leave particles or the server spawns a win effect on you, both need to be processed by the server and both show up on the player’s screen.

 

[TBroz15]

You have clearly never exploded a bunch of TNT at once.

(recommended to watch the whole vid and lower your volume a bit)

It really doesn’t matter what kind of particle it is. Too much of either one can lag your game.

Correct.

Also, particles do not come from texture packs or the game.

They do come from the game.

They come from the game, always, then load the texture on top of it, meaning it always needs to go through both processes.

Yes, just load the textures.

3D models are much more complicated, and that’s coming from a texture artist who also uses Blockbench to create voxel art for Minecraft.

The code for creating particle effects just like the Christmas win effect is even more time consuming.

Since as the developer, we have to manually code the particles on where it should be spawned one by one.

Or either be a math addict (breaking bad reference) and calculate where to put the particles such as in a circle from the win effect I showed.

Java is a fairly hard programming language (in my experience with it) and it is mainly used by Cubecraft to make their games and effects, which adds even more complexity to it.

Whereas for 2D sprites it only has to load one or two sides and the texture associated with it (which can be an animated texture but most often isn’t), 3D models require loading more surface area, meaning more texture UV boxes, as well as animating the model. 2D particles are just that, they work the same as in Minecraft. In fact, in a bunch of these cosmetics, including the one you showed, it uses these Minecraft particles, not even custom ones.

Here is an example of an complex 3D Model effect (Cityscape) in Cubecraft that uses animations and textures. I'm still getting solid 300 FPS before and after I win. While in the Christmas cosmetic that uses loads of particles, it decreased my FPS to 100.

Minecraft particles has simple linear animation and fades away by opacity. But in the Christmas win effect, it uses tons of particles to animate each of it that causes an performance overhead. While in the Cityscape effect, it uses a few of it.

It doesn’t matter whether you eat and leave particles or the server spawns a win effect on you, both need to be processed by the server and both show up on the player’s screen.

Yes, but it depends on the use case of how it should show the effect. It does not mean eating particles should be replaced by 3D Models.

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In all seriousness, this suggestion is absolutely going no where.

While it can be a good idea for me, the rest of people thinks its kinda stupid. It's fine for me if it won't be happening, since Cubecraft wanted to focus more on the money than the experience. I just need to work on editing videos, I am absolutely wasting my time making this suggestion.