How to make VX Ace less framerate dependant?

[DaOwl]

Hello!
Glad to be here.

I currently work on VX Ace and something is really tearing me down with it.
When I use a script call Graphics.frame_rate = 120, all the game speeds up by 2. And vice-versa when I set it to 30, etc.

I would be glad to know how to make VX Ace less "Framerate dependant". Namely, that the game only gains fluidity when I set Graphics.frame_rate to 120, and feels laggy when I set it to 30.

I also started to think about that and tried to write a lil script that is available here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f440k9tw6pfcyli/AACRP80nB7_4h1abf6jLpllva?dl=0

Spoiler

module BoubouEngine
  module_function
  def frame
  (Graphics.frame_rate/60.0).round(2)
  end
end

# Fix Parallax moves

class Game_Map
  def update_parallax
    @parallax_x += (@parallax_sx / 64.0) / BoubouEngine::frame if @parallax_loop_x
    @parallax_y += (@parallax_sy / 64.0) / BoubouEngine::frame if @parallax_loop_y
  end
end

# Fix fade and weather effects

class Game_Screen
  def start_fadeout(duration)
    @fadeout_duration = duration * BoubouEngine::frame
    @fadein_duration = 0
  end
 
  def start_fadein(duration)
    @fadein_duration = duration * BoubouEngine::frame
    @fadeout_duration = 0
  end

  def start_tone_change(tone, duration)
    @tone_target = tone.clone
    @tone_duration = duration * BoubouEngine::frame
    @tone = @tone_target.clone if @tone_duration == 0
  end
 
  def start_shake(power, speed, duration)
    @shake_power = power
    @shake_speed = speed
    @shake_duration = duration * BoubouEngine::frame
  end

  def change_weather(type, power, duration)
    @weather_type = type if type != :none || duration == 0
    @weather_power_target = type == :none ? 0.0 : power.to_f
    @weather_duration = duration * BoubouEngine::frame
    @weather_power = @weather_power_target if duration == 0
  end
 
end

# Fix characters move

class Game_CharacterBase
  def distance_per_frame
    (2 ** real_move_speed / 256.0) / BoubouEngine::frame
  end
 
  def update_animation
    update_anime_count
    if @anime_count > (18 - real_move_speed * 2) * BoubouEngine::frame
      update_anime_pattern
      @anime_count = 0
    end
  end

end

# Fix some Battle animations

class Sprite_Battler
  def start_effect(effect_type)
    @effect_type = effect_type
    case @effect_type
    when :appear
      @effect_duration = 16 * BoubouEngine::frame
      @battler_visible = true
    when :disappear
      @effect_duration = 32 * BoubouEngine::frame
      @battler_visible = false
    when :whiten
      @effect_duration = 16 * BoubouEngine::frame
      @battler_visible = true
    when :blink
      @effect_duration = 20 * BoubouEngine::frame
      @battler_visible = true
    when :collapse
      @effect_duration = 48 * BoubouEngine::frame
      @battler_visible = false
    when :boss_collapse
      @effect_duration = bitmap.height * BoubouEngine::frame
      @battler_visible = false
    when :instant_collapse
      @effect_duration = 16 * BoubouEngine::frame
      @battler_visible = false
    end
    revert_to_normal
  end
end

# Fix some things about Windows

class Window_Base < Window
  def update
    super
    update_tone
    update_open if @opening
    update_close if @closing
  end
 
  def update_open
    self.openness += 48 / BoubouEngine::frame
    @opening = false if open?
  end
 
  def update_close
    self.openness -= 48 / BoubouEngine::frame
    @closing = false if close?
  end
 
  def draw_text_ex(x, y, text)
    reset_font_settings
    text = convert_escape_characters(text)
    pos = {:x => x, :y => y, :new_x => x, :height => calc_line_height(text)}
 
    # ---
 
    if Graphics.frame_rate < 60
      g = ( 1 / ( BoubouEngine::frame ) ).to_i
      process_character(text.slice!(0, g), text, pos) until text.empty?
    else
      process_character(text.slice!(0, 1), text, pos) until text.empty?
    end
  end
 
  def process_character(c, text, pos)

    # ---
 
    f  ||= 0
    p  ||= BoubouEngine::frame
 
    if Graphics.frame_rate >= 60
      while f < p
        Fiber.yield unless SceneManager.scene_is?(Scene_Battle)
        f    += 1
      end
      f = 0
    end
 
    case c
    when "\n"   # New line
      process_new_line(text, pos)
    when "\f"   # New page
      process_new_page(text, pos)
    when "\e"   # Control character
      process_escape_character(obtain_escape_code(text), text, pos)
    else        # Normal character
      process_normal_character(c, pos)
    end
  end
 
end

But during this little script session, I found that some animations, fade effects and such were coded in the built-in modules and classes, so they aren't easy to patch...

Among other, I can list:
- The cursor blink effect in all the Window_Selectable instances. [OK]
- The Message's "Pause" icon animation (the little arrow at the bottom of the window_message) [OK]
- The Scene_Menu fadeIn and fadeOut effects.
- Battle Animations
- Transitions (nah, it's okay. There is an argument "duration" for Graphics.transition)

My "priorities" would be:
- The cursor blink effect [OK]
- The Message's Pause Graphic animation [OK]
- The Battle Animations [ No Idea :/ ]
- (Eventually) the Transitions [ No Idea :/ ] [it's OK]

Does anyone know how to patch those elements of this listing to make them less "framerate dependant", as I started to do in my script for characters' moves and so on?


I'm looking forward to reading your responses,
Regards.

 

[mlogan]

I've moved this thread to Script Support. Please be sure to post your threads in the correct forum next time. Thank you.

 

[gstv87]

by default, the engine is *mostly always* *simply refreshing everything*.
"simply refreshing everything" being one issue, and "mostly always" being another.

the only way to make it less refresh-intensive, is to go into the code, and turn each window into collections of sub-objects rather than collections of texts and shapes that need to be refreshed every time.
as in, you don't need to redraw the whole window every time the cursor is moved, you just need to pick up which item the cursor is selecting, clear (if possible) *the cursor* from it, or (if not possible) *the item itself*, alone, redraw the one item, and redraw the cursor, not the whole list on top of which the cursor is being drawn.
that would take care of the "refreshing everything" part, and tuning it so that it happens only after a significant change on the window other than simply blinking the cursor, would take care of the "mostly always".
the code *can* do that...... it's just, it wasn't coded that way.

but that requires a big overhaul, of the whole code, and that might cause it to conflict with 3rd party plugins, which are often based on this, faulty, not-optimal code.

 

[DaOwl]

Yeh, thank you!

Indeed, it is possible to clear the cursor, and then hard-code a new one.
I'll check it out...

that might cause it to conflict with 3rd party plugins, which are often based on this, faulty, not-optimal code.

I know right, and I weighed the pros and cons. :/

 

[astracat111]

From using both VX Ace and MV, I think I remember enjoy MV due to it having a better frame rate, but then it would have performance issues (although it's been 3 years so maybe they fixed it with the updates by now).

 

[Poryg]

@astracat111 No, it's still as crap as it was before optimisation-wise. And it's not going to change to ensure compatibility with 3rd party plugins.

 

[gstv87]

@DaOwl I don't want to blatantly self-advertise here, but you could try my Window Replacement plugin.
I tweaked it a bit to increase performance, but it's still largely untested.
it *should* help with basic Window-related problems, and you could potentially design a window skin that would be as lightweight as conceivably possible..... but you'd have to make your own plugins, based on that, for battle scenes and animations.

since I wrote a brand-new Window object, you could tap on that to help you tweak the other windows, but .....
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
*untested*

 

[DaOwl]

@gstv87
dude, this is crazy!

just wrote a lil patch below your script... ~

class Window < Object
  def update
    if self.active
      refreshCursor
      @animationCount += (1.0/BoubouEngine::frame)
    end
    updateTransform
  end
end

I'm not a really good programmer but it should be OK, I guess...


EDIT:

*thought bubble with the gallons of coffee and tea I drank fixing it*

You're a gentleman. :3

 

[gstv87]

ah yes.... the self.update call..... heh....
*thought bubble with the gallons of coffee and tea I drank fixing it*

yeh.... heheh....