Irrlicht Engine

createCollisionResponseAnimator kills my framerate, I add all static models on my level (their triangle selectors) to this animator and my FrameRate drops from 200fps to 30fps.
should I use simplified models for this collision detection and make them invisible in the scene? is that how this is done?

Most people use a physics library to speed up things. The triangle selectors are not developed for heavy use. Also depends on the types of selectors you use, and the actual geometry of course.

thanks!

Use simplified meshes for level collision, and use octree triangle selectors to optimize the access to the level geometry. Normally that gives enough boost for a relatively decent amount of level-player collision detection (for quake III levels is enough). If you want more complex feedbacks, like ballistics, or intense object-object interactions, a physics lib is your best friend.