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Dark GDK / Mysterious performance dropping (FPS)

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South Wind
19
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Joined: 4th Dec 2004
Location: Kriti
Posted: 17th Jul 2006 11:35
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Hello !
Maybe someone has become the some problem and knows a solution:
Since January this year the FPS for Dark SDK (examples like Dark Dungeon) and additional a DarkBasic project from last year are droppet to aprox. 30%.
Okay, because I stopped with Dark Basic and the SDK-examples were older, it was not a problem for me until now.
But now I come with my new SDK-project to the first testings, and the same thing happens here again ( aprox. 4 FPS for a menu screen with around 50 buttons...)
I use a fast and high performace Labtop (Dell 9100 with a lot of extras) and a ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9700 with the latest updates.

As I told you, before January 2006 everything works three times so fast (FPS) and I have NO PROBLEMS WITH OTHER GAMES - only games compiled with DSK or Dark Basic Prof !

The only thing which I changed from my side was the installation of the DirectX SDK from December 2005, which was required for the Dark SDK (what on additional, regulary XP updates from Microsoft came I don't know and what they could have be changed).

It's a little bit mysterious and maybe someone has a idea what could have happend or how I can fix it (or is a other DirectX SDK required or have I to wait for the hopefully next SDK-Update which fixes possible DirectX-Update-Problems ?)

Thanks
Norman
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IanM
Retired Moderator
21
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Joined: 11th Sep 2002
Location: In my moon base
Posted: 17th Jul 2006 11:55
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Maybe you can give us an idea of how you have implemented your menu system. If you are using sprites, then have you disabled the backsave for them?

For free Plug-ins and source code http://www.matrix1.demon.co.uk
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South Wind
19
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Joined: 4th Dec 2004
Location: Kriti
Posted: 17th Jul 2006 12:17
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Thanks, but it has nothing to do with this.
Fact is, that the same DarkBasicPro-Appilcation worked 3 to 5 times so fast before January 2006 since now.
It looks like a problem with DirectX, the DirectX SDK im using since this time or a driver update for the ATI RADEON card.
The same is for the Dark Dungeon: the maximum FPS I get are around 14, only if I'm staying direct in front of a wall (so that nothing in the deep has to be rendering) I get a higher FPS result (around 30).

That's very bad for a 3.2 GH with a 128MB ATO-card, isn't it ?

The latest games, like PANZERELITE ACTION, are running in the best visible modes very quick and well.
Additional, I downloaded now the latest Dark BAsic Pro-Version and compiled the game from last year, but with the same result: instead of 20 FPS I get only 4 to 6 FPS now.
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South Wind
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Location: Kriti
Posted: 17th Jul 2006 13:43
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UPDATE of the unbelievable Mystery:

I did in the meentime the following:

1.
Removing the DirectX SDK from December 2005 and reboot.
Result: 'Dark Dangeon' reaches now 40 FPS during Firing and Moving and 70 FPS in front of a wall.
Dark Basic Pro is back to 60% (12 FPS) of it's old speed (better than nothing...) and fixed some bugs with mesh objects after my update to 6.2b.

2.
Then I downloaded the latest DirectX SDK (one is still required for Dark SDK...) from June 2006, installed it and reboot:
RESULT: 'Dark Dangeon' drops now to only 8-12 FPS (slower than with the DirectX SDK from December 2005) and the Dark-Basic-Pro-Project is nearly not more running !


THIS MEANS:
The Dark SDK must be updated REGULARY after each DirectX SDK to be working properly and not every x years !!!

In the meantime, maybe someone can tell me which DirectX SDK is optimized for Darks DK 1.1.1 Beta (the latest one I use) ???

Thanks for help and stopping wasting my time.

Norman
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South Wind
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Posted: 17th Jul 2006 18:34
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UPDATE (Solution) - if someone is interested in it -

After I spend a few more time of my working time I found the basic, as everytime undocumentated but important, problem.
The DirectX SDK changes some DirectX-Properties and uses some Debug-DLLs instead of the optimized DLLs.
At System Properties it's possible to change the DirectX-Settings, where for Direct3D, DirectInput, DirectMusic and Audio to the 'Retail Version'.
After this, the FPS are around 3 times so fast.

I tested different DirectX SDKs, and anyway, it looks so that Dark SDK and DarkBasicPro-Programms become slower (around 10-15% from April 2005 DirectX SDK to June 2006 SDK) with the latest DirectX SDKs.

So, I think there should be a recommended DirectX SDK for every version of the Dark SDK and a information to change the settings of DirectX after the installation.
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OSX Using Happy Dude
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Joined: 21st Aug 2003
Location: At home
Posted: 17th Jul 2006 23:18
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Sounds like you didn't check the DirectX System Status after an install - the SDK has a nasty tendancy to always install the debug version.

After installing I always run the RunTime system, to get it all back to normal.

Come to the last Unofficial DBPro Convention (http://convention.logicstudios.net/)
Dont do anything I wouldn't do. But if you do, take pictures.
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Zeal
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posted: 18th Jul 2006 01:37 Edited at: 18th Jul 2006 01:38
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Shoot! I knew I had a similar problem, but couldnt remember what caused it. I had this EXACT problem in the past! Glad you figured it out!

I know your compilers debug mode will help catch some errors, but since we arent really using directx (directly at least), is there ANY point in running with the directx debug dlls?

All you need is zeal
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OSX Using Happy Dude
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Posted: 18th Jul 2006 10:01
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Nope - none at all.

Come to the last Unofficial DBPro Convention (http://convention.logicstudios.net/)
Dont do anything I wouldn't do. But if you do, take pictures.
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Kaiyodo
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Posted: 18th Jul 2006 22:27
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Unless you're actually writing your own DirectX code there's no need to run with the Debug DLLs. They provide all sorts of useful useful information and validation (hence why they're slow), but they're no use to you if you're just using the DGSDK.

Kaiyodo.
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