From 5cb5e76872a052ac2c373d74377d41baf202c4c5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Alibek Omarov <a1ba.omarov@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2026 06:07:21 +0500
Subject: [PATCH] engine: add new needload flag specifically for cleaning up
 unused models and use unreferenced for free slots.

---
 engine/client/cl_game.c   |  9 +++++++--
 engine/client/cl_parse.c  |  2 +-
 engine/common/mod_local.h |  7 ++++---
 engine/common/model.c     | 17 +++++++++++------
 4 files changed, 23 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/engine/client/cl_game.c b/engine/client/cl_game.c
index f1c97085..215cef9c 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_game.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_game.c
@@ -1114,7 +1114,12 @@ void CL_ClearSpriteTextures( void )
 	int	i;
 
 	for( i = 1; i < MAX_CLIENT_SPRITES; i++ )
-		clgame.sprites[i].needload = NL_UNREFERENCED;
+	{
+		if( clgame.sprites[i].needload == NL_UNREFERENCED )
+			continue;
+
+		clgame.sprites[i].needload = NL_FREE_UNUSED;
+	}
 }
 
 // it's a Valve default value for LoadMapSprite (probably must be power of two)
@@ -1348,7 +1353,7 @@ static model_t *CL_LoadSpriteModel( const char *filename, uint type, uint texFla
 
 	for( i = 0, mod = &clgame.sprites[start]; i < MAX_CLIENT_SPRITES / 2; i++, mod++ )
 	{
-		if( !mod->name[0] )
+		if( mod->needload == NL_UNREFERENCED )
 			break; // this is a valid spot
 	}
 
diff --git a/engine/client/cl_parse.c b/engine/client/cl_parse.c
index 2375cc2e..990b56d1 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_parse.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_parse.c
@@ -1808,7 +1808,7 @@ void CL_RegisterResources( sizebuf_t *msg, connprotocol_t proto )
 			// release unused SpriteTextures
 			for( i = 1, mod = clgame.sprites; i < MAX_CLIENT_SPRITES; i++, mod++ )
 			{
-				if( mod->needload == NL_UNREFERENCED && COM_CheckString( mod->name ))
+				if( mod->needload == NL_FREE_UNUSED )
 					Mod_FreeModel( mod );
 			}
 
diff --git a/engine/common/mod_local.h b/engine/common/mod_local.h
index 0f1778aa..735b77d6 100644
--- a/engine/common/mod_local.h
+++ b/engine/common/mod_local.h
@@ -57,9 +57,10 @@ typedef struct
 } model_info_t;
 
 // values for model_t's needload
-#define NL_UNREFERENCED	0		// this model can be freed after sequence precaching is done
-#define NL_NEEDS_LOADED	1
-#define NL_PRESENT		2
+#define NL_UNREFERENCED 0
+#define NL_NEEDS_LOADED 1
+#define NL_PRESENT      2
+#define NL_FREE_UNUSED  3 // this model can be freed after sequence precaching is done
 
 typedef struct hullnode_s
 {
diff --git a/engine/common/model.c b/engine/common/model.c
index 1829c6ff..b7190e40 100644
--- a/engine/common/model.c
+++ b/engine/common/model.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static void Mod_Modellist_f( void )
 
 	for( i = nummodels = 0, mod = mod_known; i < mod_numknown; i++, mod++ )
 	{
-		if( !COM_CheckStringEmpty( mod->name ) )
+		if( mod->needload == NL_UNREFERENCED )
 			continue; // free slot
 		Con_Printf( "%s\n", mod->name );
 		nummodels++;
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ Mod_FreeUserData
 static void Mod_FreeUserData( model_t *mod )
 {
 	// ignore submodels and freed models
-	if( !COM_CheckStringEmpty( mod->name ) || mod->name[0] == '*' )
+	if( mod->needload == NL_UNREFERENCED || mod->name[0] == '*' )
 		return;
 
 	if( Host_IsDedicated() )
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ Mod_FreeModel
 void Mod_FreeModel( model_t *mod )
 {
 	// already freed?
-	if( !mod || !COM_CheckStringEmpty( mod->name ) )
+	if( !mod || mod->needload == NL_UNREFERENCED )
 		return;
 
 	if( mod->type != mod_brush || mod->name[0] != '*' )
@@ -230,7 +230,10 @@ model_t *Mod_FindName( const char *filename, qboolean trackCRC )
 
 	// find a free model slot spot
 	for( i = 0, mod = mod_known; i < mod_numknown; i++, mod++ )
-		if( !COM_CheckStringEmpty( mod->name ) ) break; // this is a valid spot
+	{
+		if( mod->needload == NL_UNREFERENCED )
+			break; // this is a valid spot
+	}
 
 	if( i == mod_numknown )
 	{
@@ -429,9 +432,11 @@ static void Mod_PurgeStudioCache( void )
 	{
 		if( mod_known[i].type == mod_studio )
 			mod_known[i].submodels = NULL;
+
 		if( mod_known[i].name[0] == '*' )
 			Mod_FreeModel( &mod_known[i] );
-		mod_known[i].needload = NL_UNREFERENCED;
+
+		mod_known[i].needload = NL_FREE_UNUSED;
 	}
 
 	Mem_EmptyPool( com_studiocache );
@@ -482,7 +487,7 @@ void Mod_FreeUnused( void )
 	// never tries to release worldmodel
 	for( i = 1, mod = &mod_known[1]; i < mod_numknown; i++, mod++ )
 	{
-		if( mod->needload == NL_UNREFERENCED && COM_CheckString( mod->name ))
+		if( mod->needload == NL_FREE_UNUSED )
 			Mod_FreeModel( mod );
 	}
 }