Please help explain how Pimage works in draw() getting out of memory errors

Programming Questions

fxmech

Please help explain how Pimage works in draw() getting out of memory errors

in Programming Questions • 7 months ago

I am trying to create a splash screen that comes up, displays a logo at the center of the screen,

then after a pause fades to white...

This code below works when I create an application file but within processing I get out of memory errors.

This is part of a larger program that uses G4P so I used that library to handle the fading. it aso goes on to change the size of the window when the splash screen routine is done. That's the reason for the frames

I know I am missing the concept of how images are displayed and loaded and am probably loading them many times...

Any help fixing this or pointers will help me a lot... Having a hard time jumping from arduino to processing environment... Arduino seems to do what I tell it to but processing is drawing at its own pace and that might be where I am completely lost....

import g4p_controls.*;
int opacity=255;
int splashFlag=0;
int startFlag=1;
PImage img;
void setup() {
size(1800, 760);
img = loadImage("coversm.jpg");
}
void draw()
{
// SPLASH screen Display IMAGE and then fade to white
if (startFlag==1) {
    G4P.setGlobalAlpha(0);
    frame.setSize(1800, 760);
    frame.setLocation(85, 1);
    PImage img;
    img = loadImage("coversm.jpg");
    background(255);
    tint(255, opacity);
    image(img, 650, 300);
    splashFlag++;
    if (splashFlag==5) {
      delay(2500);
      splashFlag=6;
    }

    if (splashFlag>=6)    opacity=opacity-2;
    if (opacity<=0) {
      startFlag=2;
      opacity=255;
      delay(1000);
    }
}
}

Replies(5)

PhiLho

Re: Please help explain how Pimage works in draw() getting out of memory errors

7 months ago

Some general remarks:
- Why do you load again coversm.jpg? Your img in draw() hides the global one because you declare it again.
- Don't use delay(). See http://wiki.processing.org/w/Technical_FAQ
- You probably hit the bug https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/1391 because you are loading the same image over and over.

fxmech

Re: Please help explain how Pimage works in draw() getting out of memory errors

7 months ago

Oh...

If its an unresolved issue maybe I will leave the splash screen out for now or try dropping the frame rate and see if I can get past it without errors...

If I finish the splash screen routine, will the memory stay filled??

Just wondering if I can squeeze past the bug and still be fine for the rest of the programs functions since the splash screen will never come into play again after that initial run.

PhiLho

Re: Please help explain how Pimage works in draw() getting out of memory errors

7 months ago

Fix the first two issues I mentioned, it should solve the issue with the bug: load the image only once, it won't cache multiple instances of it.
And use millis(), not delay(). It is unrelated to the issue, but don't forget that splash screens were made to make the user to wait while the program slowly loads its files. If you add artificial delays, the users waits for nothing! A splash screen makes sense if, for example, you need to load lot of bigs images in setup() or in a thread. Otherwise, it is only a useless and frustrating visual effect.

fxmech

Re: Please help explain how Pimage works in draw() getting out of memory errors

7 months ago

It turned out my problem was with a little jingle that played along with the logo on startup... The solution was exactly as you stated except it applied to the sound being loaded over and over again not the image.

As for the delay do you say not to use delay() as a rule of thumb?? I only used it because the program needed to halt for a second and nothing else needed to happen simultaneously.... and it seemed easier than the multiline millis() solution...

but Im wondering if it would have negative side effects even under these very simple circumstances?

As for the splash screen... its there to show a logo like at the start of a film, but also to give the arduino ProMicro time to boot up since it starts up much slower than other arduinos (its slow like Leonardos)

PhiLho

Re: Please help explain how Pimage works in draw() getting out of memory errors

7 months ago

" Im wondering if it would have negative side effects"
Yes, it blocks the Processing program, which does nothing during the delay. The user sees a non-responsive program. It is generally better to show some (simple) action, like a spinning stuff, progress bar or something, to show the program isn't stuck.
I was judged from your simplified code (good idea to simplify, BTW), but if the long init comes from another program / hardware, it should be OK.

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