XNA: Huge Tile Map, long load times
- by Zach
Recently I built a tile map generator for a game project. What I am very proud of is that I finally got it to the point where I can have a GIANT 2D map build perfectly on my PC. About 120000pixels by 40000 pixels. I can go larger actually, but I have only 1 draw back. #1 ram, the map currently draws about 320MB of ram and I know the Xbox allows 512MB I think? #2 It takes 20 mins for the map to build then display on the Xbox, on my PC it take less then a few seconds.
I need to bring that 20 minutes of generating from 20 mins to how ever little bit I can, and how can a lower the amount of RAM usage while still being able to generate my map.
Right now everything is stored in Jagged Arrays, each piece generating in a size of 1280x720 (the mother piece). Up to the amount that I need, every block is exactly 40x40 pixels however the blocks get removed from a List or regenerated in a List depending how close the mother piece is to the player. Saving A LOT of CPU, so at all times its no more then looping through 5184 some blocks. Well at least I'm sure of this.
But how can I lower my RAM usage without hurting the size of the map, and how can I lower these INSANE loading times?
EDIT:
Let me explain my self better. Also I'd like to let everyone know now that I'm inexperienced with many of these things.
So here is an example of the arrays I'm using. Here is the overall in a shorter term:
int[][] array = new int[30][];
array[0] = new int[] { 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 };
array[1] = new int[] { 1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 };
that goes on for around 30 arrays downward. Now for every time it hits a 1, it goes and generates a tile map 1280x720 and it does that exactly the way it does it above.
This is how I loop through those arrays:
for (int i = 0; i < array.Length; i += 1)
{
for (int h = 0; h < array[i].Length; h += 1)
{
}
{
Now how the tiles are drawn and removed is something like this:
public void Draw(SpriteBatch spriteBatch, Vector2 cam)
{
if (cam.X >= this.Position.X - 1280)
{
if (cam.X <= this.Position.X + 2560)
{
if (cam.Y >= this.Position.Y - 720)
{
if (cam.Y <= this.Position.Y + 1440)
{
if (visible)
{
if (once == 0)
{
once = 1;
visible = false;
regen();
}
}
for (int i = Tiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
Tiles[i].Draw(spriteBatch, cam);
}
for (int i = unWalkTiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
unWalkTiles[i].Draw(spriteBatch, cam);
}
}
else
{
once = 0;
for (int i = Tiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
Tiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
for (int i = unWalkTiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
unWalkTiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
}
}
else
{
once = 0;
for (int i = Tiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
Tiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
for (int i = unWalkTiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
unWalkTiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
}
}
else
{
once = 0;
for (int i = Tiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
Tiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
for (int i = unWalkTiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
unWalkTiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
}
}
else
{
once = 0;
for (int i = Tiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
Tiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
for (int i = unWalkTiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
unWalkTiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
}
}
}
If you guys still need more information just ask in the comments.
