Memory increasing question

[Leif]

Hi )
I noticed, that memory, used for GE game, slow increases during runtime. I mean - export game, run exported file, run task manager- and see, that in 15 minutes memory use raise from 30Mb to 200Mb.
It happens, bot not with 100% of games. Some games aviod this.

Why it happens?
How can I avoid troubles with it in future?

[again]

I learn to bypass this problem with the games I developed by deleting and creating charactor on view. Meaning I only have actors that I need on the screen my controlable charactor is on. Once an actor or clone is not needed , I have code in place to delete those actors.

[akr]

Can u send me a small example I can reproduce the problem? I am willing to check this.

[Leif]

Finally i get it !!
Problem localized. I made small program and found memory bug is happening.
I think it's because numerous getclone repeatings.
Akr, i'll e-mail it to you.

Lightning.zip

(15.08 KiB) Downloaded 100 times

[EvanBlack]

Can you elaborate a bit. I just don't understand what you mean exactly. The getclone function doesn't cause memleakage for me? Or is that only when you using exe version?

Of course, I only use as many actors as I need to display but I call getclone() many many times?



Do you ever free buffer? You are allocating a lot of memory here and I don't see it ever getting freed.. Instead it just makes a new pointer to a new space.

Code: Select all

char*
getFullName (const char *cname, int cindex)
{
    char* buffer = calloc(50,1);
    sprintf(buffer,"%s.%i",cname,cindex);
    return(buffer);
}



[Hblade]

The memory most likely increases with how far the distance of another actor is. For example if you have a scrolling actor, and you avoid him, he keeps going "left" for example, just keeping on going. His X variable keeps decreasing, below -105,105,105 for example. This causes high load.

[EvanBlack]

Fixed: No leak in this code

Code: Select all

int i;
int Xprev=0;
int dMax=30;
int Xnew;
Actor*L;




for (i=0;i<480;i++)
{
char buffer[50];   //Create char array
sprintf(buffer, "p_lightning_b.%i",i);  // attach clone index number to actor name.
L=getclone(buffer) ;
L->x=Xprev+rand(6)-3;
if (L->x<0-dMax) L->x=-dMax+rand(2);
if (L->x>dMax-0) L->x=dMax-rand(2);
Xprev=L->x;
}

Xprev=0;

for (i=0;i<480;i++)
{
char buffer[50];
sprintf(buffer, "p_lightning_y.%i",i);
L=getclone(buffer) ;
L->x=Xprev+rand(6)-3;
if (L->x<0-dMax) L->x=-dMax+rand(2);
if (L->x>dMax-0) L->x=dMax-rand(2);
 
Xprev=L->x;
}

Your memory leak was due this code:

Code: Select all

char*
getFullName (const char *cname, int cindex)
{
    char* buffer = calloc(50,1); //This allocates space
    sprintf(buffer,"%s.%i",cname,cindex);
    return(buffer); // this sends off the address.
}


That code right there causes a memory leak because that position never gets freed. You just allocate more and more space and never release it.


But the rest of you code needs to be fixed too, replace all those calls to that function with:

Code: Select all


char buffer[50];   //Create char array
sprintf(buffer, "p_lightning_y.%i",i);  // attach clone index number to actor name.
L=getclone(buffer) ;



[Hblade]

Genius.

[skydereign]

I would suggest instead of using getFullName to using a function that gets the Actor * directly. But even if you don't, then just changing your function so you don't use calloc would be better. That way you keep the function.

[Leif]

wow !!!!!

Thanks, EvanBlack !! It will really help. Now I know? , that it's not GE bug, but mine )))

Btw, what's the function that gets the Actor * directly ?

[skydereign]

Code: Select all

Actor *
getclone2 (char * cname, int cindex)
{
    char buffer[50];
    sprintf(buffer, "%s.%d", cname, cindex);
    return(getclone(buffer));
}

[Leif]

Well, thanks...
Skydereign, can you write part of code with using it ? For me it's not clear

[Leif]

Hmm... this does not work...what's wrong ?

Code: Select all

getFullName (const char *cname, int cindex)
{
   //char* buffer = calloc(50,1);
   //sprintf(buffer,"%s.%i",cname,cindex);
   //return(buffer);
 
   char buffer[50];   //Create char array
   sprintf(buffer,"%s.%i",cname,cindex); // attach clone index number to actor name.
   return(buffer);
}

[EvanBlack]

Most likely because buffer clears after the function runs. Meaning it doesn't exist. But more than likely.... if you didn't just remove it by accident.

char getFullName ( const char *cname, int cindex)

Use this:

Code: Select all

Actor *   //set function to return actor pointer
getclone2 (char * cname, int cindex)
{
    char buffer[50];
    sprintf(buffer, "%s.%d", cname, cindex);
    return(getclone(buffer)); //return actor pointer to clone
}

You would use it like:

Code: Select all

Actor* L;

for(i; i < number; ++i)
{
    L = getclone2( "p_Lightning_b", i);
)


[Leif]

Ок, thanks )

I'll use it from now on.

But...I already have thousand of getFullName functions in code (another game). How can I remake this function to work properly ? It's almost impossible to rewrite code for getclone2 instead of getclone(getFullName... )