State of GameSalad on 4-25-2014

CodeWizardCodeWizard Inactive, Chef Emeritus Posts: 1,143
in GameSalad Kitchen

Row row row your boat, gently towards release... Merrily merrily merrily merrily, bugs are but a treat!

Yeah, as you might have guessed, this week's work is focused mostly on getting 0.11 out the door. From where I'm sitting, it looks like we have one iOS IAP crash to resolve and then we can push this mother out. This release is jam packed with so much stuff, it's crazy! Our next release will be smaller and will come out sooner, for sure. But, hot damn, 0.11 is awesome!

I'm sure you're all keeping an eye on our release candidates. It looks like 0.11.0.10 is the last RC for this build. This release has been like birthing an elephant, but the labor pain is almost over! :)

If I were a betting man I'd say 0.11 will go live Monday. Please, release gods, don't punish me for my hubris in claiming a date!

Beyond that, we've made some excellent progress on the new renderer. We've tossed our old graphics engine into the trash and replaced it with something faster, sexier, and awesome! That new code has been put in our development branch and we're working through the various issues before pushing it out into a nightly build. We've seen scenes of ridiculous sizes being rendered smooth as glass with this new code. Get ready for that!

We're going to have some (hopefully) exciting news on our currently mothballed async multiplayer feature very soon as well. Can't wait to tell you what's been going on there!

We've also recently added two more developers to our web team. We've got some big stuff coming down the pipe on the web side and need all the help we can get. It's always a pleasure to see the team growing, bugs getting fixed, features coming online, etc. I love it when a plan comes together!

You're going to notice a new face on the forums as well. @ForumNinja‌ has joined us to help out with customer service issues and to help manage the forums. Give him a warm welcome!

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Comments

  • DuesDues Member Posts: 1,159
    edited April 2014

    image

    Thanks for the awesome job you guys are doing!! :)

    Welcome @ForumNinja‌ !!

  • Braydon_SFXBraydon_SFX Member, Sous Chef, Bowlboy Sidekick Posts: 9,273

    Another great update! I like it!

    Hey, hey! A new GS member! Hey @ForumNinja‌ ! Welcome to the mad house!

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  • Braydon_SFXBraydon_SFX Member, Sous Chef, Bowlboy Sidekick Posts: 9,273

    @CodeWizard‌ said: We're going to have some (hopefully) exciting news on our currently mothballed async multiplayer feature very soon as well. Can't wait to tell you what's been going on there!

    Oh please, yes!

    My GameSalad Academy Courses! ◦ Check out my quality templates! ◦ Add me on Skype: braydon_sfx

  • iamcarteziamcartez Houston, TexasMember Posts: 648

    Great update! I guess I'll wait on Async progress before starting then. :)

    @ForumNinja

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  • DaveinpublicDaveinpublic Member Posts: 37

    Bam! Awesome update. The 11 update is huge! Not only is there a lot more features, but most importantly it's more stable, and a different mindset. It's focused on doing what it does well - instead of delivering over hyped promises from the past.

  • ForumNinjaForumNinja Key Master, Head Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 554

    @Braydon_SFX, Thanks for the welcome :)

    @iamcartez, Hahahaha nice!

  • darrelfdarrelf Member Posts: 243

    Thanks @CodeWizard‌. Do you know if the memory issues being investigated will be sorted for 0.11?

  • NimbleBugNimbleBug Member Posts: 483

    Thanks for the awesome job :)

  • CodeWizardCodeWizard Inactive, Chef Emeritus Posts: 1,143

    @darrelf‌ I looked into the issue you reported and, I'm sorry to say that it's not a bug. I posted a response to the earlier thread, perhaps you missed it. I'll summarize it again here.

    Every image loaded by GameSalad takes 4 bytes per pixel when loaded. No matter how big your PNG is on disk, the loaded size is unchanged. If you have an image that's 1024x1024 it will take 1024x1024x4 bytes of memory when loaded. Even if it's 1k in size as a PNG.

    The issue you're seeing is that your images take up about 7MB of memory when they're loaded -- even though they're under 30k each on disk. This is normal and expected behavior.

    The other issue that we should resolve -- but won't for 0.11 -- is that images are only unloaded when you change scenes. So, if you use change image behaviors to load more images, all of those images will remain loaded until you change scenes. I've got an idea to fix that and will get to it for the next release.

    Until then, try making your puzzles out of smaller actors that you can reuse. This will reduce the memory footprint of your game immensely.

  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822

    @CodeWizard said:
    We've seen scenes of ridiculous sizes being rendered smooth as glass with this new code. Get ready for that!

    Love the sound of that !!

  • jonmulcahyjonmulcahy Member, Sous Chef Posts: 10,408

    @Socks said:

    me too, i've had an idea on hold because the scene would have to be too large

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  • darrelfdarrelf Member Posts: 243
    edited April 2014

    @CodeWizard said:
    darrelf‌ I looked into the issue you reported and, I'm sorry to say that it's not a bug. I posted a response to the earlier thread, perhaps you missed it. I'll summarize it again here.

    Every image loaded by GameSalad takes 4 bytes per pixel when loaded. No matter how big your PNG is on disk, the loaded size is unchanged. If you have an image that's 1024x1024 it will take 1024x1024x4 bytes of memory when loaded. Even if it's 1k in size as a PNG.

    The issue you're seeing is that your images take up about 7MB of memory when they're loaded -- even though they're under 30k each on disk. This is normal and expected behavior.

    The other issue that we should resolve -- but won't for 0.11 -- is that images are only unloaded when you change scenes. So, if you use change image behaviors to load more images, all of those images will remain loaded until you change scenes. I've got an idea to fix that and will get to it for the next release.

    Until then, try making your puzzles out of smaller actors that you can reuse. This will reduce the memory footprint of your game immensely.

    Thanks @CodeWizard‌ I did see your reply (really appreciated by the way) and have implemented a workaround for now until images are unloaded without change scene in a future release.

    I was referring to a different memory issue:

    I've been testing my game World Of Hidden Objects where after each level is completed, to move to the next one, the Change Scene behaviour is used. After completing around 40 levels in a row, I noticed the change scene was getting slower and slower until the app crashed. I analysed the memory usage with Instruments which confirmed the usage steadily increases.

    Bob replied and said memory issues were still being investigated (CS-282).

    Is it normal for memory to keep increasing even when changing scene at the end of a level? I really hope not....

  • CodeWizardCodeWizard Inactive, Chef Emeritus Posts: 1,143

    @darrelf‌ Eww. No. We'll keep looking into that. :)

  • JSprojectJSproject Member Posts: 730

    @CodeWizard w/team - great progress and love your dedication to good communication :)

    @ForumNinja - welcome!

  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822

    @ForumNinja‌

    Welcome and good luck !

  • ForumNinjaForumNinja Key Master, Head Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 554

    Thanks you guys! :)

  • rdlew2008rdlew2008 Member, PRO Posts: 85

    @CodeWizard‌ Did you guys do anything with user interface on 11 or is it just same thing?

  • darrelfdarrelf Member Posts: 243

    @CodeWizard said:
    darrelf‌ Eww. No. We'll keep looking into that. :)

    Thanks @CodeWizard‌
    When released, 0.11 is going to be such an awesome engine to use. Amazing amazing progress...

  • wrhmediawrhmedia Member Posts: 70

    I was just getting ready to search for information on the iOS IAP issue as I just received app rejected and I'm guessing this issue is because of the bug currently being resolved as listed at the top.

    Great news!

  • CaptFinnCaptFinn Member Posts: 1,828

    @ForumNinja said:
    Thanks you guys! :)

    As we hear the evil laughter of FinnBogg, in the background. Then everyone looks toward forumNinja, and at the same time they all say "Good Luck" Then they scurry along. ForumNinja looks back to codewizard with confusion. Code wizard with a sad look, simply taps forum ninja on the back and says......" ahhh yes... about that...... "

  • CodeWizardCodeWizard Inactive, Chef Emeritus Posts: 1,143

    @ForumNinja‌ and I go way back. He can take it... or can he?

  • PhilipCCPhilipCC Encounter Bay, South AustraliaMember Posts: 1,390

    @ForumNinja‌ Welcome.

    Were you warned about this diverse, contrary and eclectic bunch that can be fun, kind, helpful, sharing, mean, trite, snipey, irritating, brilliant, persistent, stubborn, ignorant, resourceful and much more... and some of them do it all at the same time?

    Oops! He just resigned.

    Sorry guys

  • PhilipCCPhilipCC Encounter Bay, South AustraliaMember Posts: 1,390

    @ForumNinja‌ Hey, are you going to give out black stars to people like me who wasted space on the forum making silly posts like the one above?

  • ForumNinjaForumNinja Key Master, Head Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 554
    edited April 2014

    @PhilipCC, I've been reading the forums for days now so I'm well aware ;) And I enjoy funny posts, so as long as there relevant enough I don't see an issue!

  • Braydon_SFXBraydon_SFX Member, Sous Chef, Bowlboy Sidekick Posts: 9,273

    @ForumNinja said:
    PhilipCC, I've been reading the forums for days now so I'm well aware ;) And I enjoy funny posts, so as long as there relevant enough I don't see an issue!

    Hehe, I like you already. ;)

    My GameSalad Academy Courses! ◦ Check out my quality templates! ◦ Add me on Skype: braydon_sfx

  • ForumNinjaForumNinja Key Master, Head Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 554

    @Braydon_SFX‌, Why thank you ;)

  • HopscotchHopscotch Member, PRO Posts: 2,782

    Hi @ForumNinja, welcome!

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  • GameLabs222GameLabs222 Member Posts: 197
    edited April 2014

    @ForumNinja‌ You're going to love us. And I do mean the kind of love a mother with hundreds of screaming, condescending, spoiled and needy children has for her children.

    (Not including myself, of course.)

    In other words, welcome to the family!

  • cph127cph127 Member, PRO Posts: 26

    Keep up the great work!!!

  • gyroscopegyroscope I am here.Member, Sous Chef, PRO Posts: 6,598
    edited April 2014

    @‌CodeWizard

    All excellent news, exciting stuff. :-)

    @CodeWizard said:
    If I were a betting man I'd say 0.11 will go live Monday. Please, release gods, don't punish me for my hubris in claiming a date!

    Roll on Monday, I say! And a +1 for no hubris punishment, please release gods..... :smile:

    You're going to notice a new face on the forums as well. ForumNinja‌ has joined us to help out with customer service issues and to help manage the forums. Give him a warm welcome!

    Hi @ForumNinja a warm welcome from me too. :-)

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