LevelHelper question - Possible to get smooth parallax?

Games
#1

I just bought LevelHelper and have been going through their Jetpack Joyride with Corona tutorial, which is very well written. Overall, the tool seems great, but when I test the parallax on the Corona simulator, it appears to be pretty jerky and jumpy. I’ve played around with the speed and haven’t been able to get a smooth parallax to function (although it is better at 30fps).

Can anyone shed light on this? Has anyone gotten a smooth parallax to function using LevelHelper and, if so, what might I be doing wrong? I’ve double-checked that I’ve followed the tutorial steps and everything else seems to be working fine. But I can’t make a parallax game that has jittery scrolling. [import]uid: 135391 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 323644[/import]

#2

Hi,

I have never had any problems with this - and the best way to get an answer is to post the question at Bogdans site. He will assist you and he can also take a look at your project.

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 94900[/import]

#3

Hi Nate,

I just purchased LevelHelper & SpriteHelper to do the Jetpack tutorial as well.

I wish I saw this post first.

I completed part 1 and the scrolling is jittery. I could never release a game that way. Have you come across an answer to this?

It would be really disappointing if I not. [import]uid: 22392 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104024[/import]

#4

Use Bogdans support forum instead - I don’t think he hangs around here. I am sure that he will help you out - if he gets the attention :slight_smile:

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104028[/import]

#5

I saw this SAME issue in the SAME tutorial few time ago but I did not say anything because I thought it would be my fault BUT NOW am seeing that the “jittery” was not only me! o.O [import]uid: 89165 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104030[/import]

#6

The problem of the continuos scrolling parallax comes from the fact that you constantly move physical objects.

This means that those physical objects will never go to sleep (sleep is a state of box2d objects) and so physical calculation will always be performed. This will impact performance.

You can do scrolling background very nice by moving the group in Corona - which is kind of simulating a camera movement.

Thats ok, because you don’t actually move the physical object and as such, objects that don’t move go to sleep so physics is not calculated for them.

But continuos parallax scrolling means, group stays the same, but you actually move the physical objects. This means all objects (physical) will never go to sleep, so physical calculation will always be performed. This impacts performance.

I will do an update that will only move the physical objects that are on screen.
This will improve performance.

LevelHelper and SpriteHelper don’t do just continuos parallaxes, i hope you know that. This in fact is just a small part that LevelHelper can do.

I know about this jitter in the continuos parallax and Corona, i was about to fix it, but then Ansca change the sprite api, so i was forced to move my attention in another direction because code was not working anymore because of the changes done in Corona.

Time has passed and i have changed the implementation for LevelHelper in corona 3 times till now. Its almost ok, but still has some issue because of all the changes in Corona. Im waiting for some fixes for more then a month now. In some areas my hands are tied.

In the case of the parallax, this will be fixed very soon.

The implementation of the tutorial, i have tested it on iPhone 4s and iPhone 2G and in my case it was running good. 60fps on iPhone 4s and 20-25 on iPhone 2G. Now, this is not a benchmark because people have told me that in some cases for them it does not run the same.

I think jkrassman can confirm to you that i work on LH and LH supporting code for corona almost daily and every time he contacted me I had a fix for him in couple of hours.

For future, please post LevelHelper questions on the dedicated forum so that i can answer fast. I only came here because Joakim told me.

I promise you I will do my best to make continuos parallax scrolling much better. [import]uid: 38119 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104047[/import]

#7

@vladu,

Thank you for hearing us so fast!
I trust your work mate, like so I support you.
Cheers,
Rodrigo. [import]uid: 89165 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104050[/import]

#8

I can also confirm that Vladu works like crazy on this and has great customer support. Hopefully, Corona gets the bugs fixed and a SOLID stable build that we can use for production releases soon. Then LH can be completely updated and attuned to Corona.

It’s not Vladu’s fault that there hasn’t been a new stable build of Corona since around Christmas time. Hopefully the new engineering schedule around here will fix that. [import]uid: 135391 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104051[/import]

#9

I posted on his forum and he got back to me right away.

I’m happy to see such good support! Can’t wait til this is fixed because my next game relies on it. [import]uid: 22392 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104032[/import]

#10

In the meantime I’ll play around with the other features of LH. Looks like a really cool product! [import]uid: 22392 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104057[/import]

#11

Bogdan is running a small business with the best support you can imagine. Send him an email and you will have an answer within minutes, if he is not sleeping.

But I guess this guy never sleeps, he’s “one man” show is creating great products, that normally needs bigger teams to accomplish. Look at the upcoming tools at he’s site, a dream for us developers.

Joakim
[import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104066[/import]

#12

Hello guys,

I have been investigating this parallax scrolling issue. I have come to the conclusion that Corona has a frame drop issue. No matter what i do, this is an issue. I think its because the garbage collector or something.

I have created 2 projects. One that uses pure Corona code and one that uses LevelHelper code (which is still corona code)

You can download the pure corona code from here
http://www.levelhelper.org/app/temporary/CoronaFrameDropTest.zip

and the LevelHelper code project from here
http://www.levelhelper.org/app/temporary/CoronaFrameDropTestLevelHelper.zip

You will see that both projects behaves the same.

There is a slight better performance if you set the fps in config.lua to 30
I want to make myself clear that I’m not here to point fingers, i just want to ask maybe someone knows how to make this better. Maybe an ansca stuff can put some light into this problem.

Searching for how to solve this problem i have also come to other peoples having the same issue
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7981125/corona-fps-stutter
[import]uid: 38119 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104606[/import]

#13

@Vladu,

Many thanks for the reply!

BTW I think that you`re right when you say that it does not look like that the “fault” is of LevelHelper app (being some lag on parallax).

SO, what would we do to see it look like better when scrolling? (wait Ansca look deep into it I think) :\
Cheers,
Rodrigo. [import]uid: 89165 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104608[/import]

#14

My problem is that my animation data from flash is exported to 30FPS and thats critical for me. One solution do, was to set the framerate to 60FPS in the config.lua - and then force my animation engine to run in 30FPS by code.

That worked for me and the parallax is moving smooth, but I can see some framedrops - but it could be related to the issue that I am loading thousands of lines with data in realtime - feeding my animations. The framedrop is not noticeable, just measurable - so I am find with this

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104634[/import]

#15

I just reported this as a bug with no #14030

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104636[/import]

#16

Confirmed, it is a bug!

Reply from Ansca:

Hello, we have tested this and believe it is a bug. This has been passed onto our engineering team.

Regards, Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104869[/import]

#17

Well, this is a VERY significant bug considering it will affect every side-scrolling game made.

Is there any way we can get Ansca to prioritize this bug?

Thanks for checking this out guys! [import]uid: 22392 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104898[/import]

#18

@Joakim, Thanks for getting in touch with Ansca closely! :slight_smile:
I appreciate the info.
Cheers,
Rodrigo. [import]uid: 89165 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 104946[/import]

#19

Hey guys… I can see this bug is still in the “Whats Next” section… since May!

@Joakim… did you get anywhere with a solution mate or anything back from Ansca?

I’ve been tearing my hair out on this one for a while and came across your bug this mornin… Not sure I am glad its been confirmed as a bug in Corona or not though, because its out of my hands now…and the bug is just sitting waiting… meaning I cant released in the meantime, unless I want to make my players a bit sick from looking at vibrating images fly by!

I thought there would be some progress on this since May… considering its an issue with the most basic requirement of a parallax scroller… ie. objects scrolling past the screen.

My subscribtion was up this month… and this is gonna be a deal breaker… My game is almost finished. So such an important bug sitting in the queue for the 4th months…! Well, Cocos2D is becoming more attractive by the minute… Ansca??? Whats the story with this???

Cheers
Richie [import]uid: 81664 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 120474[/import]

#20

Hey guys… I can see this bug is still in the “Whats Next” section… since May!

@Joakim… did you get anywhere with a solution mate or anything back from Ansca?

I’ve been tearing my hair out on this one for a while and came across your bug this mornin… Not sure I am glad its been confirmed as a bug in Corona or not though, because its out of my hands now…and the bug is just sitting waiting… meaning I cant released in the meantime, unless I want to make my players a bit sick from looking at vibrating images fly by!

I thought there would be some progress on this since May… considering its an issue with the most basic requirement of a parallax scroller… ie. objects scrolling past the screen.

My subscribtion was up this month… and this is gonna be a deal breaker… My game is almost finished. So such an important bug sitting in the queue for the 4th months…! Well, Cocos2D is becoming more attractive by the minute… Ansca??? Whats the story with this???

Cheers
Richie [import]uid: 81664 topic_id: 23644 reply_id: 120474[/import]