Nameplate FPS drop research

[zork]

I'm currently investigating nameplates on patch 5.4 ptr.

Default nameplates:


rDiabloPlates enabled:


rDiabloPlates enabled ... everything removed, healthbar texture replaced


So actually I gain fps on the last screenshot. I think the fps drop is not an issue with the nameplate addons in general. I think it has sth to do with how many objects you create etc.

So one has to be very carefully when building nameplate addons. They can eat your fps alive.

Currently investigating all that stuff a little bit more.

[Haleth]

I'll look into this. Something else I've noticed on the last couple of patches though - when you have certain UI panels open, like the friends list, even without addons your fps can drop dramatically for no apparent reason. Ever seen that?

[semlar]

I ran into this in my map project when I tried to draw very large numbers of textures and font strings at once. Just having them on-screen caused a noticeable dip in the frame rate, but attempting to move the frame they were attached to practically froze the game.

I had created many font strings as labels for various POIs on the map..


And displaying them for the entire continent greatly impacted frame rates.


However, since you could both drag and zoom the map, it quickly became obvious that moving or scaling the frame caused exponentially more of a problem for FPS.

When I adjusted the script to hide the labels while dragging, and showing them when finished, it completely solved the problem. As long as the regions aren't visible while they're being repositioned they have almost no impact on the frame rate.

This leads me to believe that simply recalculating the positions of the regions isn't the problem, but redrawing them every time they move is. Therefor, if you can limit how often they're redrawn you should be able to limit the impact on frame rate.

This may not make any sense, but instead of anchoring your nameplates directly to the existing one, try attaching them to the WorldFrame and using an OnUpdate script to reposition them only once per frame.

The author of kui nameplates uses this method to keep their nameplates pixel perfect, although an unexpected side effect is higher frame rates.

[Haleth]

That's a very interesting read. However...

Originally Posted by semlar This may not make any sense, but instead of anchoring your nameplates directly to the existing one, try attaching them to the WorldFrame and using an OnUpdate script to reposition them only once per frame.

Isn't once per frame refresh already the speed at which frames and regions are repositioned/redrawn? I don't see how dumping the positioning into a separate OnUpdate script will improve the situation.

Unless, of course, all UI code normally runs on the same thread, and only by using OnUpdate can you allow proper multi-threading...

Or perhaps frame/region positions might simply not be calculated at all when the object is hidden.

[semlar]

Alright, I wrote a small proof of concept that demonstrates just how much of a difference hiding the frame before you reposition it makes, even if it makes no visible difference in-game.

local Nameplates, PreviousWorldChildren = {}, 0 -- Table to hold our list of detected nameplates
WorldFrame:HookScript('OnUpdate', function(self)
    local currentWorldChildren = self:GetNumChildren()
    if currentWorldChildren ~= PreviousWorldChildren then PreviousWorldChildren = currentWorldChildren
        for _, plate in pairs({self:GetChildren()}) do
            if not Nameplates[plate] then -- Check if it's already been seen
                local name = plate:GetName()
                if name and strmatch(name, '^NamePlate%d+$') then -- Test that it's a nameplate
                    Nameplates[plate] = CreateFrame('frame', nil, WorldFrame) -- Record our new frame
                    for i = 1, 500 do -- Make a bunch of regions for a stress test
                        local fs = Nameplates[plate]:CreateFontString(nil, nil, 'GameFontNormalHuge')
                        fs:SetText('LAG')
                        fs:SetPoint('CENTER', math.random(-50,50), math.random(-12,12)) -- This is just to make it look more interesting
                    end
                end
            end
        end
    end
    for plate, f in pairs(Nameplates) do -- Iterate over existing nameplates every frame
        if plate:IsShown() then -- Check visibility
            f:Hide() -- Try commenting this out and see what happens to your frame rate
            f:SetSize(plate:GetSize()) -- This isn't necessary to call every update but it simplifies the example
            f:SetPoint('CENTER', WorldFrame, 'BOTTOMLEFT', plate:GetCenter()) -- Position our frame relative to the nameplate
            f:Show()
        else -- Hide if nameplate is hidden
            f:Hide()
        end
    end
end)

You can forget about repositioning the frame OnUpdate without hiding it first, it doesn't seem to make as much of a difference as I thought. On the other hand, this trick seems to make a huge difference.

The only downside is it lags one frame behind the default nameplate, but maybe there's a way to overcome that.

There are 2000 font strings per nameplate in this screenshot, and while it has dropped my frame rate down to around 15 fps I can still smoothly rotate the camera and run around without any issues. Attaching them directly to the nameplate completely freezes the game in this same test.

[zork]

Thanks semlar. The difference in FPS is hilarious btw. You can even see how the fontstrings move point-by-point.

I never used an OnUpdate script that runs on every frame before though.



So semlars solution to this is:

Instead of putting all your frames on the nameplate itself we create a new frame on the Worldframe that still has a link to the corresponding Blizzard nameplate. On every frame update we hide our plate first, do our calculations and show it thereafter.

Two things in his example will lag you out by a mile.

• Adding frames directly to the Blizzard nameplate
• Not hiding our new nameplate frame before doing calculations

If you want the fastest nameplates on the planet you need to build them like semlar posted.
To make it clear... on the screenshot are 500 fontstrings per nameplate. Not 5. And it still runs smoothly.

This also has a major bonus. Since we are living in the environment of OnUpdate we can do all the calculations we want. (color calculation etc.)

Thanks alot semlar that was exactly what I was looking for.

Sidepoint...if some needs the current nameplate regions. Here we go:

--do dat
    local f = NamePlate1
    f.barFrame, f.nameFrame = f:GetChildren()
    f.healthbar, f.castbar = f.barFrame:GetChildren()
    f.threat, f.border, f.highlight, f.level, f.boss, f.raid, f.dragon = f.barFrame:GetRegions()
    f.name = f.nameFrame:GetRegions()
    f.healthbar.texture = f.healthbar:GetRegions()
    f.castbar.texture, f.castbar.border, f.castbar.shield, f.castbar.icon, f.castbar.name, f.castbar.nameShadow = f.castbar:GetRegions()

[zork]

I case anyone is interested. Here is my test addon using semlars approach.

I recycled as much frames as I could.

--if 1 == 1 then return end
 
    -----------------------------------------
    -- CONFIG
    -----------------------------------------
 
    local cfg = {}
 
    cfg.width = 100
    cfg.height = 26
 
    -----------------------------------------
    -- VARIABLES
    -----------------------------------------
 
    --add a new global frame
    local RDP = CreateFrame("Frame", "PlateCollector", WorldFrame)
    RDP:SetAllPoints()
    RDP.nameplates = {}
 
    local RAID_CLASS_COLORS = RAID_CLASS_COLORS
    local FACTION_BAR_COLORS = FACTION_BAR_COLORS
    local unpack = unpack
 
    -----------------------------------------
    -- FUNCTIONS
    -----------------------------------------
 
    local function RGBPercToHex(r, g, b)
      r = r <= 1 and r >= 0 and r or 0
      g = g <= 1 and g >= 0 and g or 0
      b = b <= 1 and b >= 0 and b or 0
      return string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255)
    end
 
    local function FixColor(color)
      color.r,color.g,color.b = floor(color.r*100+.5)/100, floor(color.g*100+.5)/100, floor(color.b*100+.5)/100
    end
 
    --NamePlateOnShow func
    local function NamePlateOnShow(self)
      --new plate
      local newPlate = self.healthbar:GetParent()
      --hide level
      self.level:Hide()
      --healthbar
      self.healthbar:ClearAllPoints()
      self.healthbar:SetPoint("TOP", newPlate)
      self.healthbar:SetPoint("LEFT", newPlate)
      self.healthbar:SetPoint("RIGHT", newPlate)
      self.healthbar:SetHeight(newPlate.height/2)
      --name
      self.name:ClearAllPoints()
      self.name:SetPoint("BOTTOM", newPlate, "TOP")
      self.name:SetPoint("LEFT", newPlate,-10,0)
      self.name:SetPoint("RIGHT", newPlate,10,0)
      self.name:SetFont(STANDARD_TEXT_FONT,11,"THINOUTLINE")
      self.realName = self.name:GetText()
    end
 
    --NamePlateCastbarOnShow func
    local function NamePlateCastbarOnShow(self)
        --new plate
        local newPlate = self:GetParent()
        --castbar
        self:ClearAllPoints()
        self:SetPoint("BOTTOM",newPlate)
        self:SetPoint("LEFT",newPlate)
        self:SetPoint("RIGHT",newPlate)
        self:SetHeight(newPlate.height/2)
        --castbar icon
        self.icon:ClearAllPoints()
        self.icon:SetPoint("RIGHT",newPlate, "LEFT")
    end
 
    --NamePlateNameUpdate func
    local function NamePlateNameUpdate(self)
      if not self.realName then return end
      local cs = RGBPercToHex(self.level:GetTextColor())
      --name string
      local name = self.realName
      local level = self.level:GetText()
      if self.boss:IsShown() == 1 then
        level = "??"
        cs = "ff6600"
      elseif self.dragon:IsShown() == 1 then
        level = level.."+"
      end
      self.name:SetText("|cff"..cs..""..level.."|r "..name)
      self.level:Hide()
    end
 
    --NamePlateHealthBarUpdate func
    local function NamePlateHealthBarUpdate(self)
      local color = {}
      if self.threat:IsShown() then
        color.r, color.g, color.b = self.threat:GetVertexColor()
        FixColor(color)
        if color.r+color.g+color.b < 3 then
          self.healthbar:SetStatusBarColor(color.r,color.g,color.b)
          return
        end
      end
      color.r, color.g, color.b = self.healthbar:GetStatusBarColor()
      FixColor(color)
      for class, _ in pairs(RAID_CLASS_COLORS) do
        if RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].r == color.r and RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].g == color.g and RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].b == color.b then
          self.healthbar:SetStatusBarColor(RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].r,RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].g,RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].b)
          return --no color change needed, bar is in class color
        end
      end
      if color.g+color.b == 0 then -- hostile
        self.healthbar:SetStatusBarColor(FACTION_BAR_COLORS[2].r,FACTION_BAR_COLORS[2].g,FACTION_BAR_COLORS[2].b)
        return
      elseif color.r+color.b == 0 then -- friendly npc
        self.healthbar:SetStatusBarColor(FACTION_BAR_COLORS[6].r,FACTION_BAR_COLORS[6].g,FACTION_BAR_COLORS[6].b)
        return
      elseif color.r+color.g == 2 then -- neutral
        self.healthbar:SetStatusBarColor(FACTION_BAR_COLORS[4].r,FACTION_BAR_COLORS[4].g,FACTION_BAR_COLORS[4].b)
        return
      elseif color.r+color.g == 0 then -- friendly player, we don't like 0,0,1 so we change it to a more likable color
        self.healthbar:SetStatusBarColor(0/255, 100/255, 255/255)
        return
      else -- enemy player
        --whatever is left
        return
      end
    end
 
    --NamePlateInit func
    local function NamePlateInit(plate)
      --add some references
      plate.barFrame, plate.nameFrame = plate:GetChildren()
      plate.healthbar, plate.castbar = plate.barFrame:GetChildren()
      plate.threat, plate.border, plate.highlight, plate.level, plate.boss, plate.raid, plate.dragon = plate.barFrame:GetRegions()
      plate.name = plate.nameFrame:GetRegions()
      plate.healthbar.texture = plate.healthbar:GetRegions()
      plate.castbar.texture, plate.castbar.border, plate.castbar.shield, plate.castbar.icon, plate.castbar.name, plate.castbar.nameShadow = plate.castbar:GetRegions()
      plate.rdp_checked = true
      --create new plate and parent it to RDP
      RDP.nameplates[plate] = CreateFrame("Frame", "New"..plate:GetName(), RDP)
      RDP.nameplates[plate]:SetSize(cfg.width,cfg.height)
      RDP.nameplates[plate].width, RDP.nameplates[plate].height = RDP.nameplates[plate]:GetSize()
      --keep the frame reference for later
      RDP.nameplates[plate].blizzPlate = plate
      plate.newPlate = RDP.nameplates[plate]
      --reparent
      plate.raid:SetParent(RDP.nameplates[plate])
      plate.nameFrame:SetParent(RDP.nameplates[plate])
      plate.castbar:SetParent(RDP.nameplates[plate])
      plate.healthbar:SetParent(RDP.nameplates[plate])
      --reparent raid mark
      plate.raid:ClearAllPoints()
      plate.raid:SetPoint("BOTTOM",RDP.nameplates[plate],"TOP")
      --hide level
      plate.level:Hide()
      --hide textures
      plate.dragon:SetTexture(nil)
      plate.border:SetTexture(nil)
      plate.boss:SetTexture(nil)
      plate.highlight:SetTexture(nil)
      plate.castbar.border:SetTexture(nil)
      plate.castbar.shield:SetTexture(nil)
      plate.threat:SetTexture(nil)
      --plate.castbar.nameShadow:SetTexture(nil)
      --healthbar bg
      plate.healthbar.bg = plate.healthbar:CreateTexture(nil,"BACKGROUND",nil,-8)
      plate.healthbar.bg:SetTexture(0,0,0,1)
      plate.healthbar.bg:SetAllPoints()
      --name
      plate.name:SetFont(STANDARD_TEXT_FONT,11,"THINOUTLINE")
      plate.name:SetShadowColor(0,0,0,0)
      --castbar icon
      plate.castbar.icon:SetTexCoord(0.1,0.9,0.1,0.9)
      plate.castbar.icon:SetSize(RDP.nameplates[plate].height,RDP.nameplates[plate].height)
      --castbar bg
      plate.castbar.bg = plate.castbar:CreateTexture(nil,"BACKGROUND",nil,-8)
      plate.castbar.bg:SetTexture(0,0,0,1)
      plate.castbar.bg:SetAllPoints()
      --castbar spellname
      plate.castbar.name:ClearAllPoints()
      plate.castbar.name:SetPoint("BOTTOM",plate.castbar,0,-5)
      plate.castbar.name:SetPoint("LEFT",plate.castbar,5,0)
      plate.castbar.name:SetPoint("RIGHT",plate.castbar,-5,0)
      plate.castbar.name:SetFont(STANDARD_TEXT_FONT,10,"THINOUTLINE")
      plate.castbar.name:SetShadowColor(0,0,0,0)
      --nameplate on show hook
      plate:HookScript("OnShow", NamePlateOnShow)
      --nameplate castbar on show hook
      plate.castbar:HookScript("OnShow", NamePlateCastbarOnShow)
      --i fix
      NamePlateOnShow(plate)
      --debug
      --local t = plate:CreateTexture()
      --t:SetTexture(1,0,0,0.3)
      --t:SetAllPoints()
    end
 
    --IsNamePlateFrame func
    local function IsNamePlateFrame(obj)
      local name = obj:GetName()
      if name and name:find("NamePlate") then
        return true
      end
      obj.rdp_checked = true
      return false
    end
 
    --SearchForNamePlates func
    local function SearchForNamePlates(self)
      local currentChildren = self:GetNumChildren()
      if not currentChildren or currentChildren == 0 then return end
      for _, obj in pairs({self:GetChildren()}) do
        if not obj.rdp_checked and IsNamePlateFrame(obj) then
          NamePlateInit(obj)
        end
      end
    end
 
    --NamePlateOnUpdate func
    local function NamePlateOnUpdate()
      RDP:Hide()
      for blizzPlate, newPlate in pairs(RDP.nameplates) do
          newPlate:Hide()
          if blizzPlate:IsShown() then
            newPlate:SetPoint("CENTER", WorldFrame, "BOTTOMLEFT", blizzPlate:GetCenter())
            newPlate:SetAlpha(blizzPlate:GetAlpha())
            NamePlateNameUpdate(blizzPlate)
            NamePlateHealthBarUpdate(blizzPlate)
            newPlate:Show()
          end
      end
      RDP:Show()
    end
 
    --OnUpdate func
    local function OnUpdate(self)
      SearchForNamePlates(self)
      NamePlateOnUpdate()
    end
 
    -----------------------------------------
    -- INIT
    -----------------------------------------
 
    WorldFrame:HookScript("OnUpdate", OnUpdate)

SVN: http://code.google.com/p/rothui/sour...ePlateTest.lua

Maybe someone can check the code.

If you disable RDP:Show() at the bottom no nameplate will show up. This shows at all the reparenting and stuff has worked.

FPS-wise it works as intended.

I tried integrating the threat glow color into the healthbar color. This kind of works but I don't like it that much.

[semlar]

message redacted

[zork]

Hmm. I will recheck on that one. I tested critters and they looked ok.

What I'm probably going to add is a throttle for search/update function calls. Currently they run on every OnUpdate. But that is only needed for the reposition functionality.

[semlar]

Oh, you're right. I was actually using the scale of the bar group instead of the actual nameplate because I was experimenting with something.

Apparently the bar is scaled down, not the actual plate frame, so just disregard what I said.

On an unrelated note, I've been working on a way to show friendly nameplates but prevent you from interacting with them because I want to be able to see them without them getting in the way of what you're trying to click on.

Since you can't just :Hide() the nameplate in combat because of secure frame restrictions, I've had to get a little creative with SetCVar('nameplateShowFriends', 0) toggling them on to get the frame positions and immediately back off to prevent mouse interaction.

This actually works, but there is a 2 frame delay before plates appear after toggling them on which isn't a huge deal but it also causes the cursor to blink like crazy while it switches between states. I can probably counter that but I was wondering if anyone had any better ideas for how to do this.

[zork]

Not sure semlar, sorry.

I'm nearly finished with my new nameplate addon.

Here is what I got so far:


*edit*

Tests are finished. rNamePlates2 is released.

http://www.wowinterface.com/download...mePlates2.html