Application:setBackgroundColor(color) a draw call?

NatWobble

Hi Guys,

Gideros is nice and fast and we don't really have any performance issues, but my understanding from using other engines is that drawing the background counts as a draw call and the number of layers you draw will effect performance if you have too many layers.

The docs state that the default background colour is white, so I'm assuming that a draw call is made to draw a white layer even when you use your own backgrounds and you don't set a colour, which is pretty much a waste.

Is it possible to set the background to nil and save a draw or turn it off somehow, or could this be implemented? We noticed a big difference when we were developing HTML5 games. It might help with performance on low spec devices and will probably make a noticeable difference with HTML5.

Thanks

SinisterSoft

Here you go...

stage:setClearColorBuffer(false)

ar2rsawseen

@SinisterSoft didn't it have problems on Android?

SinisterSoft

Not if you have a replacement background.

I was hoping to do some effects where I slight-sine-spin and decay the stage itself to make some nice 'Jeff Minter' style psychedelic effects.

They worked on Windows, but Android is always optimising the video memory including how/where the eventual frame buffer is tat the user sees (because of its layering system).

But like I said, if you cover the 'empty' space with something you will not have a problem.

ar2rsawseen

Then we need to add it to reference manual

ar2rsawseen

Does this sound correct?
http://docs.giderosmobile.com/reference/gideros/Stage/setClearColorBuffer#Stage:setClearColorBuffer

SinisterSoft

Perfect.

totebo

What would be a good example of "covering whole background with image". Would a Shape be redrawn, or would it have to be a bitmap?

SinisterSoft

I mean so that none of the real background is show - usually this is easily done with a huge screen sized bitmap, or a tilemap that is 100% filled, etc...

totebo

Would a Shape or Mesh also work (as in use less CPU)?

NatWobble

@SinisterSoft Thanks. That was just what I was looking for.

SinisterSoft

@totebo You only save if you already cover the screen so no need to clear it in the first place...

Otherwise the initial clear call is the fastest way to clear the screen memory.

totebo

Okay, gotcha!