on node-webkit freeze or input lag issue

Hello,

I'm the maintainer of the node-webkit project. Recently I receive 2 issue reports on the integration of C2 and node-webkit. I would like to resolve it soon. But I didn't get much information in the issue page, so I'm looking for help here.

The input lag issue ( github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit/issues/2176 ) is found to be related to a startup argument C2 used in package.json. After removing it the issue is gone. But that leads to another issue about freezing: github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit/issues/1991 , which I need some help here.

Could anyone post a game URL that works well in Chrome 35 (which node-webkit 0.10.x is based on), but works badly in _original_ node-webkit v0.10.2? By "original" I mean you should download node-webkit v0.10.2, launch it without any arguments, and navigate to the game URL. That would help me pinpoint the root cause. Please leave your comments in github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit/issues/1991

And please do the following:

Download this, run the executable, navigate to 'chrome://gpu' and post the result here. And also please do the same in Chrome browser and post the result if your game works well in Chrome.

dl.node-webkit.org/live-build/09-02-2014/win64_master-build-161-982168c-8c5bc86-731b9e2-0f7c844-3d94950-86728d1/node-webkit-v0.10.3-win-ia32.zip%3C%3C

dl.node-webkit.org/live-build/09-02-2014/mac64_master-build-163-982168c-8c5bc86-731b9e2-0f7c844-3d94950-86728d1/node-webkit-v0.10.3-osx-x64.zip%3C%3C

dl.node-webkit.org/live-build/09-02-2014/linux64_master-build-158-982168c-8c5bc86-731b9e2-0f7c844-3d94950-86728d1/node-webkit-v0.10.3-linux-x64.tar.gz%3C%3C

Thanks in advance.

Roger

Thanks for reaching out Roger! Super good of you to help out with this issue.

I believe in r177 Ashley implemented a workaround on C2's side to the first issue - can anyone with a mac confirm?

I've never personally encountered the second freezing issue but a bunch of folks here have, hopefully someone else can provide something.

+1. Thanks for taking an interest in the C2 community! Personally, I've never had any consistent issues with node. I think I've experienced a freeze or two in the past, but I couldn't say for sure.

The general concensus about the freezing issue is that it happens after export, but not during preview. Also, that reverting to an earlier version of node seems to get rid of the problem (version 0.8.6 I think).

Here's a thread about it: ?

Below are the names of some forum members who have reported freezing (posting their names will also alert them to this thread).

Katala

BrumanaGames

arcgen

Artsym

EddyDingDongs

Lunatrap

Arima

yumemiru2014

shinkan

slanw

scaffa

spongehammer

megatronx

transient

LevelUpJordan

—

I don't have any examples, but all you need to do is to make a cube that does something, like sin movement, and let the exported game run, and observe. I started having freezing issues about 20 mins in to it.

Same as —

In addition. Sometimes (but very very rarely) after 10-15 seconds games can freeze for about 2-4 seconds. After that all back to normal and no more freezing occurs for rest of the game.

Same as —

In addition. Sometimes (but very very rarely) after 10-15 seconds games can freeze for about 2-4 seconds. After that all back to normal and no more freezing occurs for rest of the game.

Yes, I should specify that too. First freeze lasts for some time, in my case it varied between few seconds to even several minutes. After that it might or might not happen again, and if it happens again the duration varies too.

I would strongly recommend that if you are affected, you still fulfil rogerwang's request and provide an actual example for him to work with, even if it is trivial. It is actually relatively common that people assume something will reproduce in a new project when it does not, because the problem actually originated from something unique you did in a particular project. This is why .capx attachments are mandatory for Scirra bug reports. You should treat node-webkit bugs the same for the same reasons.

Ashley - So any updates on this issue?

Yesterday, I downloaded the latest version of C2 and I exported my (currently developing) game for PC using Node Webkit for testing purposes.

The game was randomly freezing for no apparent reason - It would freeze for about 2 to 3 seconds then continue as normal.

I plan to have my game released on STEAM by February 2015.

I hope that this problem is fixed before then.

BTW Ashley - Since I am making a PC game, would users need to have Google Chrome installed? I see the word Chrome popping up alot.

Don't have very much experience with node-webkit yet and hadn't experienced the freeze bug before.

But I did a test with a sprite and sine behavior, like megatronx mentioned. C2 node-webkit export is freezing very frequently. Get some freezing in "orginal" node-webkit version, didn't have chrome 35 installed but tried in 36 and haven't observed any freezing yet.

you can get files here

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iyia6jc30cv39pi/AAB1N5sF3jxMntWKDg_0SEm8a/test

Link to html file

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4320350/test/html/index.html

Hope it's to some help

Don't have very much experience with node-webkit yet and hadn't experienced the freeze bug before.

But I did a test with a sprite and sine behavior, like megatronx mentioned. C2 node-webkit export is freezing very frequently. Get some freezing in "orginal" node-webkit version, didn't have chrome 35 installed but tried in 36 and haven't observed any freezing yet.

you can get files here

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iyia6jc30cv39pi/AAB1N5sF3jxMntWKDg_0SEm8a/test

Link to html file

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4320350/test/html/index.html

Hope it's to some help

Thanks.

"didn't have chrome 35 installed but tried in 36 and haven't observed any freezing yet." - do you mean you tested it in chrome or it somehow influences NW?

The installed version of Chrome should have no bearing on this issue. Its all directly linked to Node-webkit.

Ok that's good - I would hate to have to tell my users ...

"Hey you need to install Google Chrome in order to play my game"

Since I'm building a Windows PC game after all.

I really hope that all this drama is sorted out before February 2015 - that's my deadline for my game's release.

I would hate to have wasted months of hard work - just because of this freezing issue.

Also, I hope work is being done to integrate STEAM features.

I've been only using node webkit for my games so far. Insanity's Blade has been going on since April of 2013 and I've yet to have freezing issues. Mind you for our final build I went back to that old stable version someone posted just for my windows version because the last view have dropped my frame rate significantly. Especially with the r178 build of Construct 2. Another issue I have been having is non global objects carrying over to other layouts and slowing down the game. I've had to put code in to destroy all objects at the end of each stage to avoid it. Otherwise it drops from 60 to 10fps by the time you've played 4 stages. I didn't notice it so bad in anything aside of Node Webkit though it could be a C2 issue...

Looking forward to a new stable release with better speed myself!

I was crossing my fingers really hard until now, reading all the topics related to the NodeWebkit freezes.

... and, here I am too : /

I just exported my build for PAX, and the game is totally unplayable. It freezes like every 15 seconds, and freezes are at last 2 or 3 seconds long.

I don't know what to do. I tried the replace the nodewebkit files with old ones, as adviced in other topics. But the game crashes at launch.

I really have to find something in the next 2 days... any idea?

The game is running at a rock solid 60fps in chrome, Freezes seem only related to NW.

( Sorry to use alerts, but I think I have to for this time: rogerwang, Ashley )

I was crossing my fingers really hard until now, reading all the topics related to the NodeWebkit freezes.

... and, here I am too : /

I just exported my build for PAX, and the game is totally unplayable. It freezes like every 15 seconds, and freezes are at last 2 or 3 seconds long.

I don't know what to do. I tried the replace the nodewebkit files with old ones, as adviced in other topics. But the game crashes at launch.

I really have to find something in the next 2 days... any idea?

The game is running at a rock solid 60fps in chrome, Freezes seem only related to NW.

( Sorry to use alerts, but I think I have to for this time: rogerwang, Ashley )

Use chrome for in full screen pax. I don't have any other ideas.