preload_mode

Determines whether entities are loaded into video memory at creation time, or when they are visible; also determines the behavior of cloned enties. Preloading entities at creation increases the level loading and entity creation time, but prevents a little 'jerk' when an entity becomes visible the first time.

Range:

1 - Don't preload entities (default).
2 - Preload all entities placed in the level.
3 - Preload all entities placed in the level or created by ent_create.
+4 - Pre-calculate the entities' environment light. This increases the entity creation time, but makes the entity appear faster when it's visible the first time. A7.79
+8 - Keep cloned entities in the level cache. This speeds up ent_clone and ent_remove of cloned entities, but consumes more nexus and video memory, and increases the level change time when many entities were cloned. A7.79
+16 - In the release version, load entities and levels only from a resource, not from an external file. This prevents users from replacing entities with their own files. A7.81

Type:

var

Example:

void main()
{
  ...
  preload_mode = 2+4; // preload level entities and precalculate their environment light.
  level_load("level1.wmb");
  ...

See also:

map_subents, ent_preload, ent_purge, ent_create, ent_clone, ent_remove

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