Graphics Memory Problem

[martynd]

i wander if anyone can help, i am making a map editor for a RTS game, at the moment i am loading each of the 2000 differnt tiles (32x32 pixels per tile) into an array and name each tile according to the tile value in the map file, this way as the map file is processed all the editor has to do it load the same name as what is highlighted in the map file, i did it this way to save it checking other values and it works out much faster. I have had this editor workin 100% in win NT win 2k and win XP but on win 9x and win ME it wont even load half of the 2000 images into the array before it has a memory problem i know nt based operating systems and 9x based systems handle memry differntly but i was wandering if there is a differnt method i could use to load them into the array that will solve my 9x memory problem

[Machaira]

You have 2000 different tiles?!?! Is there anyway you can group them by type (terrain, structures, natural objects, etc) and only load them when necessary?

[martynd]

the problem comes when loading the map, if they are already in memory then it loads the map very quick, but with so many variations it will take an age to load all necisary tiles

[Sastraxi]

Restrict your maps to, say, 100 different tiles. Then, each map can have its own 'tile set'. Then, upon loading a new map, change the tileset and load the tiles.

[martynd]

it isnt a game i made, its for a game that has already been released by an actual company

[Sastraxi]

Well, how much space do the tiles take up on the HD then? Are they compressed?

[martynd]

they are only a couple of meg, but when loaded in 32x32 sections it runs outta mem

[mlewis]

Don't load the tiles all at once; sacrifice a bit of speed and load each tile into memory when it is used, and then destroy it if it is no longer being used.

[martynd]

some maps use nearly all 2000 tiles, is there a fster way to load than loadpicture? ill b there for hours otherwise

[mlewis]

If the tile pictures aren't changing, you can load them into a DLL using the resource editor, and then have a simple function in the DLL that returns a picture based on an ID; it would take some work but not too bad if you write a script to build the .RES file for you.

[martynd]

hmm res files might work, can u bitblt image data from, resource files?

[Machaira]

Originally posted by martynd
they are only a couple of meg, but when loaded in 32x32 sections it runs outta mem

How can that be?

[mlewis]

Originally posted by martynd
hmm res files might work, can u bitblt image data from, resource files?

No; but you can use LoadResPicture to return a StdPicture just like the LoadPicture function does.

[martynd]

cheers, loading it then using bitblt mite make it a little slower but having it working in the 1st plaec is my main goal