[al_draw_text] really slow http://www.allegro.cc/forums/view/608131 Allegro.cc Forum Thread matthew@allegro.cc (Matthew Leverton) Sat, 20 Aug 2011 02:05:54 +0000

Hi, i'm having problems with displaying text with Allegro 5. Whenever i display a text in screen, the framerate drops from ~60 to ~12.

Here is an example i made where this is happening:

#SelectExpand
1#include <stdio.h> 2#include <allegro5/allegro.h> 3#include <allegro5/allegro_font.h> 4#include <allegro5/allegro_ttf.h> 5 6const int FPS = 60; 7int main() 8{ 9 al_init(); 10 11 al_init_font_addon(); 12 al_init_ttf_addon(); 13 al_install_keyboard(); 14 15 ALLEGRO_EVENT_QUEUE* event_queue = al_create_event_queue(); 16 ALLEGRO_TIMER* timer = al_create_timer(1.0 / FPS); 17 al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_keyboard_event_source()); 18 al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_timer_event_source(timer)); 19 20 ALLEGRO_DISPLAY *display = display = al_create_display(640,480); 21 ALLEGRO_FONT *font = al_load_ttf_font("ARIAL.ttf",20,0 ); 22 23 ALLEGRO_BITMAP* text_img = al_create_bitmap(al_get_text_width(font,"HelloWorld!"), al_get_font_ascent(font)); 24 al_set_target_bitmap(text_img); 25 al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0,0,0)); 26 al_draw_text(font,al_map_rgb(255,255,255), 0,0,0,"HelloWorld!"); 27 al_set_target_bitmap(al_get_backbuffer(display)); 28 29 char is_pressed_space = false; 30 char is_pressed_enter = false; 31 32 int TT = time(NULL); 33 int fps=0, fps_temp=0; 34 35 al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0,0,0)); 36 37 al_flip_display(); 38 al_start_timer(timer); 39 40 int redraw = false; 41 while(1){ 42 43 44 ALLEGRO_EVENT ev; 45 al_wait_for_event(event_queue, &ev); 46 if(ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_TIMER) { 47 redraw = true; 48 } 49 if(ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN) 50 { 51 if (ev.keyboard.keycode==ALLEGRO_KEY_SPACE) 52 is_pressed_space=true; 53 if (ev.keyboard.keycode==ALLEGRO_KEY_ENTER) 54 is_pressed_enter=true; 55 } 56 if(ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_UP) 57 { 58 if (ev.keyboard.keycode==ALLEGRO_KEY_SPACE) 59 is_pressed_space=false; 60 if (ev.keyboard.keycode==ALLEGRO_KEY_ENTER) 61 is_pressed_enter=false; 62 if (ev.keyboard.keycode==ALLEGRO_KEY_ESCAPE) 63 break; 64 } 65 66 if(redraw && al_is_event_queue_empty(event_queue)) 67 { 68 redraw = false; 69 70 al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0,0,0)); 71 if (is_pressed_space) 72 al_draw_textf(font,al_map_rgb(255,255,255), 100,100,0,"FPS: %d",fps); 73 if (is_pressed_enter) 74 al_draw_bitmap(text_img, 200, 200, 0); 75 al_flip_display(); 76 77 fps_temp++; 78 int tt = time(NULL); 79 if (tt != TT) 80 { 81 TT=tt; 82 fps = fps_temp; 83 fps_temp=0; 84 printf("%d\n",fps); 85 } 86 } 87 88 89 90 } 91 al_destroy_display(display); 92 return 0; 93}

When nothing is being shown the fps is 60, and it doesn't change when i show the bitmap, but when i show the text it is 12-13.

I'm linking with liballegro-5.0.4-monolith-md-debug.a, but i've also tried with the other options, but no change.
I'm using a slow netbook (1.4Ghz), but i've never experienced anything like this with Allegro4

]]> no-reply@allegro.cc (nicolas_l) Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:40:43 +0000

What video card does it have? Attaching the allegro.log file may help.

If you draw this text beforehand (to cache things), does it speed it up: "FPS: 0123456789"?

]]> no-reply@allegro.cc (Matthew Leverton) Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:10:12 +0000

it has a integrated Intel GMA500 (it's not a good card, and it sucks in openGL (could that be the cause?))

drawing the text before doesn't change anything

I've attached allegro.log

]]> no-reply@allegro.cc (nicolas_l) Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:37:17 +0000

It's using Direct3D at the moment. You can try OpenGL:

#include <allegro5/allegro_opengl.h>

//...

al_set_new_display_flags(ALLEGRO_OPENGL);
al_create_display( ... );

]]> no-reply@allegro.cc (Matthew Leverton) Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:44:46 +0000

Ok. But with OpenGL the program won't start (but that is becouse the computer, i've had problems with other openGL games (advice: never buy an netbook with gma500)

]]> no-reply@allegro.cc (nicolas_l) Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:14:35 +0000
nicolas_l said:

   ALLEGRO_DISPLAY *display = display = al_create_display(640,480);

The compiler says that line is undefined - one too many 'display's there.

I compiled your program against Allegro 5.1 SVN and had no problems at all using consola.ttf. It all ran at 60 fps. This was on a 2.1Ghz dual core Turion 64 laptop with integrated ATI Radeon X1270 though.

Oh, and please fix your code formatting next time - it's really hard to read.

]]> no-reply@allegro.cc (Edgar Reynaldo) Sat, 20 Aug 2011 02:05:54 +0000