3 replies to this topic

[superx140]

When using GMS for ios games, there is a maximum of 5 texture sheets of 1024x1024 for the game's graphics. I know that it's possible to load sprites from files externally, but will this use a lot of memory and slow down the game - and how do I do it correctly?

I think it will use the device's videomemory (how much videomemory does an iPhone 4 have?). When using PNG-files, the file size is bigger if you use a lot of colors and make a lot of details, while a rather big PNG-image (many pixels) that only use a few colors and big brushes can have a pretty small size. Is it the file size of the png file that uses the memory in GMS or is it the number of pixels that count?

And by the way: Will the help file include a list of things to do and things not to do regarding speed on the small devices?

[alpha_centauri]

When using GMS for ios games, there is a maximum of 5 texture sheets of 1024x1024 for the game's graphics. I know that it's possible to load sprites from files externally, but will this use a lot of memory and slow down the game - and how do I do it correctly?

I think it will use the device's videomemory (how much videomemory does an iPhone 4 have?). When using PNG-files, the file size is bigger if you use a lot of colors and make a lot of details, while a rather big PNG-image (many pixels) that only use a few colors and big brushes can have a pretty small size. Is it the file size of the png file that uses the memory in GMS or is it the number of pixels that count?

And by the way: Will the help file include a list of things to do and things not to do regarding speed on the small devices?

I thought 5 texture sheets of 1024x1024 was just a limitation of the past, for people who wanted to publish their gm 8.1 games onto the mobile platform through YoYoGames.

because I've loaded well over 5 texture sheets of 1024x1024 with gm studio and it seems to load all the graphics fine still in the test runner on the mobile device

[dadio]

There is a limit. Depends on the device. It's more than 5 for iPhone 4.
Afaik, it is the "number of pixels" as the op put it that count - not the compression/filesize - but rather the "physical?" size of the images/texture pages.
Hopefully someone who knows better will chime in eventually with more details for ya...

Best thing ya can do is get into the habit of re-using your art as much as ya can, & using proper "tiles", & thinking in terms of how your images are gonna fit best on those texture pages (ideally in terms of 16x16, 32x32, 64x64, 128x128 etc.) Sneakily, squiggly images with a lotta "blank space" (alpha) take up as much space as solid huge images with no alpha, so sometimes it's best top chop larger images into "pieces" & try to minimise the space used for "blank space"/alpha (if that makes sense).

(I'm sure at some point in the future in the help there will be a pile more info on texture pages & optimising techniques).
Hope that helped

Edited by dadio, 20 March 2012 - 08:07 PM.

[alpha_centauri]

yeah I would like to understand the process of these limitations. Like does it limit how many sprites you can have in your game? Because it seems that through testing there is no limitations on how many sprites you can use. Also I haven't been able to find anything on this through android or apple developer web pages...only on some game maker pages...