gifAnimation library: removing GIF from memory

creepco

gifAnimation library: removing GIF from memory

in Contributed Library Questions • 1 year ago

I'm working on a project that uses the gifAnimation library to load numerous local animated GIFs. It's working great, but I'm getting an OutOfMemoryError after loading a large number of GIFs (over 100).

I'm removing the GIF objects from draw() when I wish to remove them from the screen, but I can't figure out how to remove them from memory.

I'm storing a reference to the each GIF in "ArrayList<Gif> gifObjectList" and calling the function below in an attempt to remove them from memory, but it doesn't seem to be working:

void deleteAllAnimatedGif() {

for (int i = 0; i< gifObjectList.size(); i++) {

Gif currGifToNuke = gifObjectList.get(i);

println("currGifToNuke = "+currGifToNuke); //comes back with reference like gifAnimation.Gif@115c974

currGifToNuke = null;

println("currGifToNuke = "+currGifToNuke); //comes back with null

gifObjectList.set(i,null);

}

gifObjectList.clear();

}

I tried setting the value of the object to "null", which was what I found searching the forums, but I continue to get OutOfMemoryError using this method.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Brent

Replies(4)

PhiLho

Re: gifAnimation library: removing GIF from memory

1 year ago

Your cleaning code is very redundant, but I suppose it is to ensure it really delete objects...

The problem is that you can clear references to the animation on your code, but perhaps the library keeps a reference somewhere.

So, I looked at the source code of the library (I have it installed). The Gif class is a Runnable, ie. a class able to run in a separate Thread (ensuring it can do its animation without blocking the main sketch).
If you just set the reference to such object to null, it would make it available for garbage collection (that would free memory) because the thread is still running.
But this class offers a dispose() method that stops the loop and thus exits the thread. Try and call it before setting the reference to the class to null.

creepco

Re: gifAnimation library: removing GIF from memory

1 year ago

Hi PhiLho, thanks for your response!

Yes, I put all of that cleaning code in there to cover all the possible ways I knew of to delete the object from memory

Thank you for taking a look at the source code of the library, that is really good information and I can stop banging my head against the wall I've hit. Extending the Gif class is beyond my current code skills, and any example you can come up with would be really helpful.

Thanks again,

Brent

PhiLho

Re: gifAnimation library: removing GIF from memory

1 year ago

Please, re-read my answer: it seems I updated it while you was reading the first version!

creepco

Re: gifAnimation library: removing GIF from memory

1 year ago

Thanks PhiLho, I tried the dispose() method but still had problems removing the data from memory.

I ended up using the Gif.getPImages(this, "yourGif.gif"); method and loading the images into a preset number of PImage arrays, loading new Gifs into those same PImage arrays, and just running through the frames when placed on screen.

This seems to be working, I've flipped through several hundred Gifs this way and haven't had the OutOfMemoryError show up.

Thanks again for your help, greatly appreciated!

Brent

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