Optimization priorities?

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  • wpatenwpaten Member, PRO Posts: 281
    I've changed my priority, spawnlag should be number one in my opinion.
    I had spawnlag a couple of years ago, fairly nasty, got some antibiotics from my doctor, seemed to clear it up.
    I am 99.99% sure that is not the type of Spawnlag they are referring to Socks. ;-)

  • MSEagle2MSEagle2 Member, PRO Posts: 98
    I am going to agree with the spawn lag. I tried out corona last weekend and was impressed how it would spawn a 100 block grid instantly (for loop). In gamesalad that just doesn't happen. In my current game I spawn a grid that is 16-100 blocks total. Its setup so that spawns are first priority so that the level will load until they are all spawned. This takes 3 seconds for 16 block grid, and 6-8 seconds for the 100 block grid (on android, kindle first gen, 10.2. iPhone 5 was showing similar times) I simply do not understand why it takes so long to spawn in gamesalad compared to corona. Just to note in corona it was also doing about 60 other lines of code for each iteration including creating the sprite and putting it into an array with listeners.

    The times listed are for the case where I do not use a loop, but instead have 16-100 spawn behaviors, with loop its even slower.
  • SnapFireStudiosSnapFireStudios Member Posts: 1,603
    @BBEnk - Do you mean the bug where once you place an actor and nudge it, the size becomes unlocked from the original? I hate that one.
    - Thomas
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  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    @BBEnk - Do you mean the bug where once you place an actor and nudge it, the size becomes unlocked from the original? I hate that one.
    - Thomas
    Yes!!!! OMG that is annoying
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  • SnapFireStudiosSnapFireStudios Member Posts: 1,603
    @BBEnk - Do you mean the bug where once you place an actor and nudge it, the size becomes unlocked from the original? I hate that one.
    - Thomas
    Yes!!!! OMG that is annoying
    Especially when you're moving around 256 actors.. blah :(
    - Thomas
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  • BBEnkBBEnk Member Posts: 1,764
    @BBEnk - Do you mean the bug where once you place an actor and nudge it, the size becomes unlocked from the original? I hate that one.
    - Thomas
    Yes thats the one.
  • Benjamin_m5Benjamin_m5 Member Posts: 646
    @BBEnk - Do you mean the bug where once you place an actor and nudge it, the size becomes unlocked from the original? I hate that one.
    - Thomas
    Yes please fix that!!!!
    ---
    Benjamin
  • CluvCluv Member Posts: 229
    "less important" improvements:

    - Option for Load bar instead of load wheel (people keep pressing the screen while they wait)
    - Color coding of functions in the creator
    - Re-ordering variables in the creator

    "more important" improvements:
    - load times
    - spawn "memory leak" *
    - timer functionality

    *The spawn memory leak seems to be that whenever you spawn an actor, the actor is still stored in memory after it has been destroyed so that little by little, all the memory gets eaten up. I know a lot of people tend to recycle actors due to that issue.

    On a side note, I really appreciate this thread. It is very exciting to watch this discussion on improvements!

    Thanks,
    -Charlie
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    edited April 2013


    *The spawn memory leak seems to be that whenever you spawn an actor, the actor is still stored in memory after it has been destroyed so that little by little, all the memory gets eaten up. I know a lot of people tend to recycle actors due to that issue.
    @Cluv

    Do you have an example file showing this problem, it comes up from time it time, but no one has ever been able to follow it up with an actual project that displays the issue ?

    Personally I've run tests that have spawned (and destroyed) hundreds of thousands of actors with no issues at all.

    Have you got anything you might be working on, or perhaps an old project or test file, that suffers from this issue that I could take a look at ?
  • CluvCluv Member Posts: 229
    edited April 2013
    @Socks : I actually have a project that was looked at by GS and they told me that they weren't sure why it was happening and said it could fall on either my side or theirs... I am working pretty heavily on a new project, which I don't think has the issue, but let me see when I get a break if I can dirge up an old version of that particular project for you to check out.

    *Edit: I am running a heavier project and put some extra beef on it to see and I still seem to be having the issue, but I am not sure exactly how to test it. I am assuming you aren't using timers, correct?
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    . . . let me see when I get a break if I can dirge up an old version of that particular project for you to check out. . . .
    @Cluv

    Cheers, if you do get the chance to send it, it'd good to check it out.
  • SnapFireStudiosSnapFireStudios Member Posts: 1,603
    @BBEnk - Do you mean the bug where once you place an actor and nudge it, the size becomes unlocked from the original? I hate that one.
    - Thomas
    @CodeWizard - Do you think you could give us some insight on what causes this problem? My guess is that it is some sort of bug and is not intentional?
    - Thomas
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  • CodeWizardCodeWizard Inactive, Chef Emeritus Posts: 1,143
    @SnapFireStudios
    I haven't looked into this problem yet. I'll add it to my list of stuff to check it out. It's likely a bug or oversight.
  • 8bitninja8bitninja Member Posts: 367
    edited April 2013
    Hey Stephen, this timer issue should probably be looked into.
    http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/44707/timers-are-for-chumps-gs-optimization-tips/p1

    Thanks.

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  • HoneyTribeStudiosHoneyTribeStudios Member Posts: 1,792
    Having a loop function would be nice.

    At the moment you can use an 'every 0 seconds' timer but that seems to process things very slowly.
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  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    @HoneyTribeStudios
    Having a loop function would be nice. . . . .
    Yeah, agreed, a simple loop with a counter would be insanely useful . . . also in a similar vein: on 'Spawn' it would be really useful to have a count, so you set your Spawn parameters and then specify how many actors you want spawning, imagine you are building a randomised landscape and want to place a couple of dozen trees, it would be great to enter the X and Y positions (in this case random), the actor you want to spawn, the direction, layer position and all that stuff . . . . and then how many of these you want spawning.
  • BluemoonstudiosBluemoonstudios Member Posts: 156
    edited April 2013
    @CodeWizard - i don't know if this counts as optimization but id like a version of GS creator that doesn't keep crashing on me. Especially when your on a roll and you dont think to save. Perhaps there could be an option to auto save? Anyway if this doesn't count as optimization then i would say Load times :).

    I would also love a feature where we can see the code being written that way whenever i add behaviours and attributes i can go behind the scenes and see the code and learn it. That would be awesome.
  • The_Gamesalad_GuruThe_Gamesalad_Guru Member Posts: 9,922
    Just another bug to add to the list is the pause behavior. We were just talking about it in another thread. It screws up the camera and multitouch among other things after you un pause.

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  • WbokoWboko Tennessee, USAMember, PRO Posts: 621
    Being able to select multiple actors in a scene by using shift button would be pretty awesome.
    I would like that and to be able to zoom in and out on the stage....

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  • hunter.shunter.s Member Posts: 25
    I think that the loading times would be great! Also, less ram usage would be good too!
  • ChakkuChakku Member Posts: 1,513
    @CodeWizard (assuming it's not too hard/time-consuming to make, as there are more important things you should do first!)
    @CodeWizardEspecially when your on a roll and you dont think to save. Perhaps there could be an option to auto save?
    Yes! (Autosave, but autosave as a separate project in case you want to undo a larger change)

    Chakku
  • SnapFireStudiosSnapFireStudios Member Posts: 1,603
    @Chakku - Just in case you didn't know, they have said before that they are "working" to include auto-saving. I'd love the feature also.
    - Thomas
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  • playbackappsplaybackapps Member, PRO Posts: 11
    Hi guys, i absolutely love GS.. i've tried Stencyl, Construct 2, Gamemaker.. and all of them can't seem to match the simplicity and ease of use of GS.. but..

    When is GS going to get a new User Interface? If it had simple things like a;

    1. A Grid
    2. Snap to function
    3. Zoom in/out
    4. A way to organize actors (groups or folders)
    5. Copy and paste actors
    6. More default behaviors

    these are just a few things i think could make GS better than it already is and much more accessible to the average indie game developer..
    Can't we do a petition or Kickstarter campaign to get more features implemented and more updates regularly added..

    anybody agree or have any thoughts?

    regards,

    Simon
    Playback Apps
  • SlickZeroSlickZero Houston, TexasMember, Sous Chef Posts: 2,870
    edited April 2013
    @playbackapps - Merged your post into this thread. It was created for this kind of input.

    And also check out this post from @CodeWizard - http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/56063/state-of-gamesalad-on-4-17-2013#latest
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  • playbackappsplaybackapps Member, PRO Posts: 11
    Thanks Slick :)
  • SlickZeroSlickZero Houston, TexasMember, Sous Chef Posts: 2,870
    My pleasure!

    Sorry it seemed your posts were disappearing, I tagged you in this thread hoping you would see it, but it's hard to tell when a moderator moves one of your posts.
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  • blue_elephantblue_elephant Member Posts: 505
    edited April 2013
    .

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  • playbackappsplaybackapps Member, PRO Posts: 11
    on a second note.. do you know who is in charge of GS updates and feature add ons?
  • The_Gamesalad_GuruThe_Gamesalad_Guru Member Posts: 9,922
    @codewizard is Vice President of software engineering. He is the man.

    Guru Video Channel   | Lost Oasis Games | FRYING BACON STUDIOS  

  • jonmulcahyjonmulcahy Member, Sous Chef Posts: 10,408
    edited April 2013
    thought I'd bump this thread to add something that would make my life (and the job I just completed) much easier.

    it would be nice to be able to move multiple objects in the Scene -> Layers tab. I just had to move 20 objects from one layer to another, and had to do it one at a time. big pain :)

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