#header.image can cause high CPU (4 Viewers)

[Paranoid Delusion]

I rename a problem-png (and rename in xml so same file is used) - problem gone
Rename it back - Problem back

Can you give some examples of troublesome png's please, that may lead to finding which part is causing the high cpu and which screen it relates to specifically.



edit; just notice you edited your post, are you now not finding changing the png names does nothing.

 

[tourettes]

One possible cause is that GPU runs out of memory and when one (big enough) texture is disabled it doesn't need to swap between RAM and GPU memory (which is a preformance killer of cource).

So you could try to reduce the dimensions of that problematic skin picture.

 

[Swede]

This rename thing was wrong... If I deleted cache the problem was back BUT if I use same picture with a new name and use the plugin MyRefresh - problem gone until I delete cache & restart MP. Maybe something with cache handling??? Obviously the chipset CAN view the png's without problem anyway - but something happens.

videos_logo.png in myvideo.xml
Top and bottom green button in settings_general.xml
togglebutton-off-nofocus.png in mytvhomeServer.xml
tetris_logo.png

It' not the size of the png anyway. I changed videos_logo.png to preview.png witch is much larger and no problem. Maybe the size of the cache files?


Still testing... Latest test: Crop the empty space in a problem file with Microsoft Office Picture Manager and save it again - Problem gone - even after a restart and deleting cache - looks promising...
Before CPU 50% in idle MP Filmstrip view + choppy mouse + everything choppy, after 6% + everything smooth.

It's really weird, but this cropping the png's is working. I only have to find out why. Maybe different picture-editors save png's in different ways.

 

[Swede]

With a program called TweakPNG I can see that the metadata differs in my cropped files from the original
See TweakPNG

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

It's really weird, but this cropping the png's is working. I only have to find out why. Maybe different picture-editors save png's in different ways.

Wonder if there are any side effects, about the only way of knowing, is do all the skin files (yawn) and see if you have a fully functional, low resourses skin at the end

 

[Swede]

Yep, every time I download a new SVN or another skin ...sounds fun!

No really... hopefully I will find that there are some way a png is NOT to be saved. My guess is it has to do with metadata.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

I really cannot remember the name of the software that Harley uses to create these, I know it is one of the professional ones, but whose to say they are perfect.

Anyway, I have posted a link to here in the Team forum, so might raise some more interest in this discussion.

 

[tourettes]

DirectX itself doesn't care about the metadata or any differences in the packing (even file format) during rendering. It has been already converted into DirectX texture at that phase.

All that can make difference is the picture dimensions (and thats why the cropping seems to help) or amount of bits per pixel.

 

[infinite.loop]

I really cannot remember the name of the software that Harley uses to create these

I "think" it was PhotoImpact from Ulead.
Maybe its time to donate him a full Photoshop CS4

 

[Swede]

Maybe it's not the metadata, but I get much more metadata when I save my cropped files. I shall try not to crop, but change in some other way, and see if that makes any difference. I mean there are very similar pictures, like the buttons, that have the same size, but only one ot two of them causes the DX9-error (in this chipset).

One example is Videos_logo and Settings_logo. They have the exact same size and metadata, but only Videos_logo makes trouble. I REALLY wish I could find what differs in those two files

Here is my list of problemfiles soofar:

videos_logo.png
wikipedia_logo.png
tetris_logo.png
weather_logo.png
togglebutton-off-nofocus.png
Top and bottom green button in general settings. Don't know witch so I fixed them all.
small_button_focus.png
hp_selectionbar_focus.png
album_background_focus.png
button_small_imdb_focus.png
button_small_settings_focus.png
button_green_focus_165x32.png
button_green_focus_150x32.png
menu_list_focus1.png
menu_list_focus.png

Similar but OK, but why?
alarm_logo.png
basichome_logo.png
settings_logo.png
movieinfo_logo.png
music_logo.png
music_menu_logo.png
mynumberplace_logo.png
pictures_logo.png
plugins_logo.png
radio_logo.png