fps problem

Java 2D
#1

Hi,

when I use this transparent gif: http://kurve.knot.be/gui2.gif
as the background for my game, I get an fps of 75, which is ok because I lock my fps on 75.

However, when I use this transparent gif: http://kurve.knot.be/gui1.gif as background, I get only 30-35 fps. Why could this be? This image us even smaller than the previous (5kb vs 53kb)

???

Offcourse you could say: use the first image, the other one sucks anyway. And this is true, but I used some copyrighted images in the first layout, and asked the creator for permission. And I didn’t get permission to use the images. :-/

#2

Maybe the smaller size is due to better compression and then it gets decompressed at runtime which causes the low fps.

That would be my guess.

#3

gui1.gif is 16 colors (4bpp),
gui2.gif is 256colors (8bpp).

Obviously Java2D fails to accelerate 4bpp images.

tbh I would rate that in itself as a bug.

What version JRE are you using?

#4

C:\Documents and Settings\knot>java -version
java version “1.5.0_01”
Java™ 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0_01-b08)
Java HotSpot™ Client VM (build 1.5.0_01-b08, mixed mode, sharing)

#5

The workaround (which isn’t realy a workaround at all, more like the correct way of doing it) is to load in the image through ImageIO, and then copy it into a BufferedImage obtained from createCompatibleImage.

You are then guaranteed it will be accelerated (if possible).

There are numerous threads covering this, and even a wiki entry with code example.

A quick google found it :-

http://wiki.java.net/bin/view/Games/LoadingSpritesWithImageIO