InstancedStaticMeshComponent... how to use?

[Eisregen]

Hi guys,

another day, another thread with a question I really tried hard to find more information about this, but no success :/
In a few previous threads I asked about spawning a DynamicSMActor_Spawnable during gameplay which worked out fine. But now I've come to another problem.. when I spawn about 200++ Blocks of the DynamicSMActor_Spawnable Class, the performance drops.
Then I search uncodex for some cool parameters which would help me with instancing so I came to the InstancedStaticMeshComponent. As far as I have seen the rendering information ingame, the problem are the StaticMeshComponents of the DynamicSMActor_Spawnable, cause they are drawn seperatly. I read about this stuff, and the possibility to call the draw call only once for a staticmesh and then use its instances, which will improve the performance greatly.
My DynamicSMActor_Spawnable class looks like this:

defaultproperties {
Begin Object Class=StaticMeshComponent Name=TestSMComp
		StaticMesh = StaticMesh'BlocksPackage.DefaultBlock46'
		LightEnvironment = MyLightEnvironment
		BlockRigidBody=true
		CollideActors=true
		BlockActors=true
End Object
	CollisionComponent = TestSMComp;
	StaticMeshComponent = TestSMComp;
	Components.Add(TestSMComp);
	bMovable=false
}

Now I've tried to change the Object in the defaultproperties to Class=InstancedStaticMeshComponent... without success... the compiler doesn't throw any error, but no mesh is showing up.
In the Unreal Editor I set the option "Used for instancing" of the DefaultBlock46 to true, but it doesn't help :/
I think I have to tell the StaticMeshComponent, that it should be instanced.. but I really have no idea how...
Probably anyone has made any experience with this and could help me Thanks a lot!

Eisregen

[Solid Snake]

As far as I know, this is used for procedural buildings right now. I don't think you can create them normally. Be nice if you could though.

What I recommend you do instead, is to add new static mesh components to an actor. Components have less overhead than actors.I usually have a static mesh collection actor which manages sixty four or so mesh components.

[Eisregen]

So if we talk in blocks again.. to make a flat plain with 10 x 10 blocks, you mean I should spawn a 640x640x64 DynamicSMActor_Spawnable and add a StaticMeshComponent (my block with 64x64x64) to it, and repeat this until I have added the 10 x 10 blocks as StaticMeshComponents to the DynamicSMActor_Spawnable? But how could I control the location of the StaticMeshComponents inside the SMActor? You ain't got any code snippets which worked for you I could take a look at?
All this sounds damn interesting! I would love to hear more about it

[Solid Snake]

Primitive components can be offseted against the actors location, or just use absolute location. Look it up in the primitive component source code.

[Eisregen]

Sounds nice, thanks a lot Solid Snake I will test it asap to check performance... hopefully it will bring the desired effect!