Trouble With Hydrax in Python (images included)

I understand there's supposed to be some sort of slowdown due to python, but I don't think this was what was intended. I'm a newb, so forgive me if I made any glaring mistakes, overlooking something.

http://imagebin.org/54451 Python
http://imagebin.org/54452 Binary demo .5 (notice huge jump in framerate, and difference in quality)

Environment:
Fresh Windows XP Pro install, updated to SP3.
Python 2.6
PythonOgre 2.5 with 2.6 upgrade
- I didn't install Python 2.5, only installed 2.6 because I didn't want several versions running around my comp atm, so I installed PythonOgre package (the 94mb one) let it do its thing, and then ran the upgrade to put the demo files into the 2.6 site-package directory.
DirectX 8 installer that game with python ogre
VCdist that came with installer
VCdist 2005 (MSVC++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable Package, to make hydrax work, seems I dad to do this bit extra from searching the forums. Was getting "Application Failed to Start" errors prior to installing that)

I think that about covers it. Does anyone have an idea what's wrong and how to fix it? Hydrax is the main reason I decided to start playing with Ogre

Anyone have a clue what I could be doing wrong?

hello,

I'm not sure what it is the problem you are having. Hydrax seems to load up, right?
Is it the slow down?
When I ran hydrax, I get about 20 fps with Nvidia 8800 card. Most of
the other apps I get over 500 fps.

Hydrax is very CPU intensive, you can disable some of the features
such as reflection, etc to make it run faster.

Skorpio

They both load up, but look at the difference in frame rate and features on the two.

The second one is full 45fps, with reflections on the surface of the beach, etc. That's the binary demo.
The first one is the python ogre one. No reflections, no smooth gradient of blue to beach. You can even see some clipping- as if only bits and pieces of hydrax got activated.

I know there should be a slow down, but 45fps to 15fps with significant loss in quality leads me to believe there's something wrong on my end rather than python ogre. I just can't figure out what. Could it be due to using Python 2.6?

Are your running the Hydrax binary and python-ogre demo with the same ShaderMode? I think by default it's set to CG under python-ogre and set to HLSL for the Hydrax source distro. I don't know if that will make any difference.

If you mean the OpenGL/DirectX option at the beginning, DX is the only available option in the Demo, and with DX PythonOgre still has the same problem.. (and OpenGL won't even start for it).

If not, where can I change it?

If you mean the OpenGL/DirectX option at the beginning, DX is the only available option in the Demo, and with DX PythonOgre still has the same problem.. (and OpenGL won't even start for it).

If not, where can I change it?

No I meant the shader mode in HydraxDemo.hdx and the differences in the materials/shaders between the binary and python-ogre demo. Anyway a quick way to test if it makes any difference is to point the python-ogre demo resources.cfg file to the binary media dir and run with DirectX e.g:

..
FileSystem=<yourpathto>/Hydrax-v0.5_Demo1/media/materials/programs
FileSystem=<yourpathto>/Hydrax-v0.5_Demo1/media/materials/scripts
FileSystem=<yourpathto>/Hydrax-v0.5_Demo1/media/materials/textures
FileSystem=<yourpathto>/Hydrax-v0.5_Demo1/media/models
Zip=<yourpathto>/Hydrax-v0.5_Demo1/media/packs/SkyBoxes.zip

[Hydrax]

FileSystem=<yourpathto>/Hydrax-v0.5_Demo1/media/Hydrax


Ok just to be sure I just ovewrote the HDX file that came with PythonOgre with the demo one- and everything is activated! ..but it's still extremely slow. :\

http://imagebin.org/54555

I'd have expected maybe a 10 frame drop, but, a 33 frame drop? That's harsh .-.; any more tricks up your sleeve?

I believe that this is indeed an issue with the wrapper or the way it's been built -- I can see the FPS difference on my machine and so will take a look as what's causing it...

Andy

That would be awesome if you could bring the frame rate back up. C++ is kind of daunting >_>;

Any news on the slowdown?

This is likely to take a couple of weeks (at best) as I'm working on Ogre 1.7 which has numerous changes...

Andy

Ah ok thanks. Is it possible that this is something that effects framerate overall, and not just something hydrax specific?

I believe it to be hydrax specific -- typically comparing frame rates between the c++ demos and the Python ones the rates are identical...

And you really won't start to see differences until you are doing a lot of python code inside the frame listeners which is not the case in the Hydrax demos..

Regards

Andy