Look up Mimic v1.2. It is full of occlusion blocks, and is a perfect example of how to use them.
The point of using them is to get moe frames per second out of you maps, making them playable across a wide range of PCs.
Occlusion blocks make the objects on the other side 'invisible', so the graphics card doesnt have to work as hard rendering objects. Put them in solid walls that the player cant see past anyway.
I recommend opening up the editor and playing with them. take a large one and put it in front of a small colonial fence, then go into test mode. With the occlusion block between you and the fence, the fence will not show up. RUn towrds the occlusion block and through it, and the fence will appear when you get through the block. Remember, once you enter test mode, the block will be invisible, not blue.
just download it from Ubi Community server in game. Go to custom map search and enter the name. I also have a few other maps advertised right here, and all of them are prime examples of how to use occlusion.
Its really hard to describe; it would take a lot of screens and a few vids to fully explain how to use them, and I havent got around to making them even though I intended to for quite some time now. I very highly recommend learning to use them effectively, since very few mappers on PC know how to. This is what sets my maps apart from many other mappers, regardless of style. My maps run as smooth as very basic maps because of occlusion blocks, and they can make the difference between a playable map and a work of art unplayable beyond low settings.
Thanks for your imput, it is as I suapected. Occlusions blocks work on Internal space. I am not to sure how UBI used it in open spacial environments, that is if you ever would, I cant see the point. Perhaps somebody from UBI could give us a hint?????
another trick with occlusion blocks is that you can prevent objects from drawing shadows. Just place the block above the object that you don't want to produce a shadow. Granted there is a max height away from the object (I can't remember it for the life of me). This can be really help out indoor maps to not only improve frame rate but to increase the amount of light inside the area as well. Look at Kraken or Lost Beacon to see what I'm talking about.
Also you can use occlusion blocks to prevent the ground from being drawn. This will make it so you will see the sky instead, it looks best at night. Look at Star Cry Instincts to see how this can be used.
Finally another use is an extending walkways,, you can do this by just placing the occlusion to cover a small object like a water pump pipe. From a distance you won't see it but when you step on it it becomes visible. Neokinesis did this in one of his 360 maps (Temporal I think).
Another thing to think about that was just revealed to me, is to place the Occlusion blocks at the time of construction. Not after you complete the build. Apparently they are more effective when done this way -vs- adding them after construction.
Ive done both, but generally I add them after the main construction is complete. I added them during construction a while back, and I ended up spending just as much time fine tuning them at the end as I would have just adding them last. Also, I dont map with any exact layout in mind, which leads to several changes during the course of making a map most of the time. Occ blocks just add to the adjustments for me, though I guess it would depend on map style as to how useful it would be to add them as you go.
As for using them in open environments, about the only way I could thinkof to do it right would be to put them in hills and stuff, or some of the large 'cliff' brushes.
Also, bigger is better with occ blocks. One 20x30 block will do much better than several small ones snapped or melded together. Use the biggest possible block for the job any time you can. Smaller ones do well in corridors where the block isnt more than a couple feet away on either side, but as for larger areas they dont give much of an increase. (unless you gave many small brushes composing a larger custom)
I find it's best to consider where the Occlusion blocks are going to go when determining the layout, especially if I know the center of the map is going to have heavy customization. Occlusion and draw distance are two major factors for me now when coming up with my basic map layout.
My 360 Map Collection: Suspendead, Curve Damage, Doom Dome, Fatalitrees, Spherikill, Pyramayhem, Valley Ho, No Quarter, Purpose Unknown
Another thing to think about that was just revealed to me, is to place the Occlusion blocks at the time of construction. Not after you complete the build. Apparently they are more effective when done this way -vs- adding them after construction.
I'd sorta agree with this after making the mistake of spending ages making a detailed map only to have it fail because the walls weren't thick enough to hold occlusion blocks effectively. Now if i do make custom construction type maps then walls are purposely built around occlusion blocks and space between one floor to the next also is made thick enough for the blocks. Another mistake i made was tunnel vision with the map ie. having doorways or main entry points line up so that everything is rendered from the start to the end of a map when standing in line with the opening. For the sake of framerate its best to offset the doors etc so occlusion blocks can overlap.
As far as how ubi use them they would have a different style in single player since you only need to view it from one angle not from multiple ppl. In one of the examples in the youtube vids he places one inside a building to block out furniture and stuff inside, from a single player perspective it would work and increase fps but multiplayer couldn't have this because anyone inside would be invisible. Having said that i dont think they really needed occlusion in the game anyhow since the engine is optimized for open areas and since its set in africa the game is made to be sparse and run well.
