[Bug] Change Tileset Issue (now with 1.5.0/1.5.1/1.6.1/1.6.2) [SOLVED!!]

[Oscar92player]

UPDATE!!: There is a way to fix this issue. Refer to this post to know more about it!

User: Oscar92player
Maker Version: RPG Maker MV 1.5.0/1.5.1 (Steam Version)
Bug: When you use the command Change Tileset to make an animated map (instead of using the TileA1 for water animations), the frame rate will be inconsistent, creating lag and screen tearing.
Additional note: This bug was reported in 1.3.0 version of MV, and it was fixed with 1.3.3 and later versions. However, it seems that the last PIXI update that comes with 1.5.0 version of MV brokes the previous fix.
How to Replicate the Bug:

• Unrar the project.
• Open it and start the game.
• Press the F2 key when you enter the map, and see how the FPS works with the animation.
• The FPS will be inconsistent, below 60FPS (between 45-50FPS).
• You can see the map and the event that makes the animation in the editor.

Sample project link: Tiny MV Project (v1.5.0) Change Tileset Issue
Other:

• As said before, this bug was solved in previous versions of the Maker, so this needs to be reported and solved again.
• The tilesets used in the sample project are only an example of how to make map animations without using the TileA1 for seas or rivers.
• The animation made with this tilesets uses 4 frames, so it cannot be made inside the TileA1 without loosing 1 frame. This method of doing maps was discussed in this old threat before (in this message and this one too), so I hope you can understand it.
• The project weight cannot be more compressed than 10.4Mb, exceeding the maximun of 5Mb requisite.
• Thanks to SRDude for the tiny MV project.

Computer details:

Processor:​

• AMD A10-5745M APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics
• 2.1 GHz
• 4 cores

Video Card:​

• AMD Radeon HD 8670M
• 1.0 GB of Dedicated Memory
• 1024 MB of Total Memory
• Pixel Shader Version 5.0
• Vertex Shader Version 5.0

Video Card #2:​

• AMD Radeon HD 8610G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics
• 3.0 GB of Dedicated Memory
• 4.0 GB of Total Memory
• Pixel Shader Version 5.0
• Vertex Shader Version 5.0

RAM:​

• 8.0 GB

OS:​

• Windows 10 Home (64-bit) Build 1703 (a.k.a. Creators Update)

Update with three sample videos showing the FPS Meter:

• The first video shows a tiny project without plugins, using the same method to animate maps:

• This video shows my own project using the change tileset animation in the world map. Not even a preload plugin can help to solve this:

[

• This video shows my own project too, but using 1.4.1 update instead. You can see the difference between the latest PIXI update (1.5.0), and the previous version (1.4.1):

You can see that the FPS works better with 1.4.1 version than 1.5.0. The animation is smooth, and there are almost no FPS drops.

 

[Oscar92player]

Updated thread with three sample videos showing the FPS Meter:

• The first video shows a tiny project without plugins, using the same method to animate maps:

• This video shows my own project using the change tileset animation in the world map. Not even a preload plugin can help to solve this:

• This video shows my own project too, but using 1.4.1 update instead. You can see the difference between the latest PIXI update (1.5.0), and the previous version (1.4.1):

You can see that the FPS works better with 1.4.1 version than 1.5.0. The animation is smooth, and there are almost no FPS drops.

 

[bgillisp]

Could you test it with 1.5.0 and Yanfly's newest plug-in and let us know if that fixes it please?

 

[Oscar92player]

Could you test it with 1.5.0 and Yanfly's newest plug-in and let us know if that fixes it please?

I just tested it, but nothing new happens.

This issue is probably related to the new PIXI update that comes with 1.5.0. Thing is that the map animation with the Change Tileset method worked with the previous version. Also, I helped Archeia and Hackerham reporting this issue long ago, was implemented along the new PIXI version in 1.3.3, but it seems they forgot to implement those changes in the new update 1.5.0.

 

[bgillisp]

Or, maybe it is coming in version 1.6 instead, as it wasn't ready to implement when 1.5.0 came out?

 

[Oscar92player]

Or, maybe it is coming in version 1.6 instead, as it wasn't ready to implement when 1.5.0 came out?

No, no. I mean I helped them with the previous version of PIXI, so this method can be used with it. That's why in 1.4.1 this method was working very well. To be more especific, the PIXI version that works with the Change Tileset animation, was the one that comes with 1.3.3 update.

 

[bgillisp]

So, yes, probably something changed on the way to recreate it. And this is why we have this old joke in programming:

99 bugs in the code
99 bugs in the code
Take one down, patch it around
216 bugs in the code...

In all seriousness, because of how interdependent everything is in code, fixing one bug can create 5 - 10 more, and some of them are never found for years. For example, there is an old bug in all programs made with Turbo Pascal which caused the code to send an error 52 bug and crash the program...if you run that code on a computer faster than 300 MhZ. It took until computers got there to find this bug though, which was years after that code was made and used.

So, either way, any fix is probably in version 1.6. Just be patient, as the dev team is really busy right now.

 

[Oscar92player]

So, yes, probably something changed on the way to recreate it. And this is why we have this old joke in programming:

99 bugs in the code
99 bugs in the code
Take one down, patch it around
216 bugs in the code...

In all seriousness, because of how interdependent everything is in code, fixing one bug can create 5 - 10 more, and some of them are never found for years. For example, there is an old bug in all programs made with Turbo Pascal which caused the code to send an error 52 bug and crash the program...if you run that code on a computer faster than 300 MhZ. It took until computers got there to find this bug though, which was years after that code was made and used.

So, either way, any fix is probably in version 1.6. Just be patient, as the dev team is really busy right now.

Hope this is fixed when it comes. Performance issues are the worst when making a game, and I don't remember those frame drops on older Makers when opening menus, change tilesets or showing pictures (even without using anti-lag scripts).

 

[Archeia]

When you change the tileset, it has to redraw the entire map. If you're using that to "make animations" the FPS is going to tank since you're making your game redraw the entire map every game loop. This is not something we can fix especially with the change in image loading for mobile support. So the best way is to contact @Hackerham directly and see if he can do something about it.

 

[Oscar92player]

When you change the tileset, it has to redraw the entire map. If you're using that to "make animations" the FPS is going to tank since you're making your game redraw the entire map every game loop. This is not something we can fix especially with the change in image loading for mobile support. So the best way is to contact @Hackerham directly and see if he can do something about it.

The thing is, Archeia, that this issue was fixed in previous versions of MV, just changing something inside PIXI since the update 1.3.0, and the fix was working okay until now, with the 1.4.0 and 1.4.1 updates, and because of the 1.5.0 version, this issue has reappeared.

Why is it not working well now? Because you have updated PIXI again, but forgetting to implement the improvements made in the previous version. And I don't know if it is related somehow with the mobile deployment or mobile optimizations, but if it was working before on PC, I don't understand why it cannot work with the newest updates.

 

[Archeia]

The thing is, Archeia, that this issue was fixed in previous versions of MV, just changing something inside PIXI since the update 1.3.0, and the fix was working okay until now, with the 1.4.0 and 1.4.1 updates, and because of the 1.5.0 version, this issue has reappeared.

Why is it not working well now? Because you have updated PIXI again, but forgetting to implement the improvements made in the previous version. And I don't know if it is related somehow with the mobile deployment or mobile optimizations, but if it was working before on PC, I don't understand why it cannot work with the newest updates.

If it's just PIXI then contacting @Hackerham is the way to go since he's the PIXI dev. But I doubt that's the only problem. As I said, Image loading changed as a whole so it's taking a lot longer to load images now to accommodate to Mobile Toaster specs. Alternatively contact the community fix from Japan since they're the one who changed it.

MV's fixes are collaborative between PIXI dev, English devs and Japanese devs. The merging is dependent on KADOKAWA.

 

[Oscar92player]

I have big news and an update for this issue!

Thanks to the support from @Hackerham, we finally found a way to fix this once and for all.

WARNING: This fix REQUIRES WebGL to have 16 texture units that are not available on some of mobile devices, if WebGL Mode is switched ON there. This means that, if you are using WebGL Mode on a mobile port of your project (instead of the default Canvas Mode), this fix will not work.

INCOMPATIBILITIES:

• So far, the only known incompatibility is with bblizzard's Ultra Mode 7 plugin. So, if you are going to use this fix, keep in mind that you won't be able to use it along the plugin, or your project will crash.

INSTRUCTIONS:

If this problem is affecting you, these are the steps you need to do:

• First of all, you need to download the "pixi-tilemap.js" from this link PIXI Tilemap JS, and overwrite the file inside the js/lib folder of your project (Don't forget to make a backup first!!)
• Then, you can follow one of this ways to fix this (more important information can be found on this page for those who have more knowledge about programming with PIXI):

1. The first way (recommended one) is to add this lines to the beginning of the "main.js" file inside the js folder:
   

   PIXI.tilemap.Constant.boundCountPerBuffer = 1;
   PIXI.tilemap.Constant.maxTextures = 16;

   Just like in the picture:
2. The second way (not recommended, but equally functional), is to change the values on the "pixi-tilemap.js" file. Just search for this lines of code (Don't forget to make a backup of this file first!!):
   

       pixi_tilemap.Constant = {
           maxTextures: 4,
           bufferSize: 2048,
           boundSize: 1024,
           boundCountPerBuffer: 4,

   And change them with this:
   

       pixi_tilemap.Constant = {
           maxTextures: 16,
           bufferSize: 2048,
           boundSize: 1024,
           boundCountPerBuffer: 1,

   Just like in the picture:

This way, the problems when using the Change Tileset command will disappear, and the project will run smoothly, even if you change the Tileset every 10 frames continuously.

All the credits goes to @Hackerham for all the support to this problem, and the definitive solution to it.