C3 vs C2 Spritesheeting and Mobile Performance

BadMario

Construct 2 project being imported into Construct 3 and switched to runtime 3.

There are apparently many problems with this approach ( Importing into Construct 3 and staying with runtime 2 seems fine )

is this really a documented problem? I hope not!

I listed problems I keep encountering. Whether that counts as well documented, I don't know. Stable version of Construct 3 ( 148 ) seems to be OK, but latest betas caused all those problems. There were some, mostly loading problems with stable versions too, seemed hit and miss.

Using version 148 most of my games seem to work fine, but I am not 100% confident using runtime 3 with my games.

And just to make sure everybody understands. These are all games started and completed in Construct 2, then imported into Construct 3 for export only. No 3rd party plugins used, only Construct 2 events and behaviors.

Another thing I did not mention. If you are using sprite fonts in your Construct 2 project and then import and switch to runtime 3, you may have to alter settings/properties. Some sprite fonts look exactly the same, some look way off. I narrowed it down to the difference in the way runtime 3 treats first created instances of objects. It is not the same as runtime 2

Ashley

I tested your project on a Pixel 3 and got the following results:

C2: first switch ~232ms, later switches ~100ms

C3: first switch ~170ms, later switches ~100ms

So according to this, the C3 runtime is faster in this case. I don't know why other devices would be different, maybe specific hardware is better or worse in different cases.

Are you testing everything with high-end phones? We are trying to optimise our games for low end devices. Because everyone don't have good phones.

You can run this game smoothly with your device but other people can't, they don't have high-end phones.

I can say, I can't run this game too, so laggy with low CPU devices.

play.google.com/store/apps/details

Construct 3 supports Android 5+ but you trying everything Android 9+.

Besides, C3 has a new feature that helps you hide this from the user - there's a built in memory management action "Load layout images", so you can load the next layout's images in the background while the current layout continues to run, and then switching layout will be instant. This feature is not available in C2. If I use "Load Layout 2 images in to memory" on start of layout in Layout 1, then it can switch layouts in around 5ms, which is far faster than you can ever achieve in C2.

I give a thanks to Toby R and rexrainbow . They are good developers. They made good addons for us (Game Developers). Which you don't like that ideas.

Try this Example (My 2nd example I was posted)

construct.net/out

Just try one sprite and unload it from memory. That feature will not help you a lot. Because one sprite object using 1024x1024 png file. We can't edit, we can't move that sprites as a group. We don't have any access on spritesheeting. In this case Toby's MM Unloader plugin works better with C2. C3's memory features can't help you. It is all about spritesheeting, you know that. Also MM Preloader will help you load assets from another layouts, this will works perfectly because you can load with C2 what you want. C3 will load other assets from png file, which you can't unload.

Also people request good ideas, you was set status "declined"

Idea-1: construct3.ideas.aha.io/ideas/C3-I-638

Idea-2: construct3.ideas.aha.io/ideas/C3-I-104

So as far as I can tell C3 is both faster at loading layouts and it has a feature to help guarantee that layout switching will be instant, which works here.

No comment.

My games run fine on early android. I don't know the details about how sprite sheets work, but I don't have trouble with the android versions. I bought random used androids on ebay just to see. Even the kids toy androids worked from years back. This is C3 with the most recent runtime last stable release (no adds or non standard plugins).

My games run fine on early android. I don't know the details about how sprite sheets work, but I don't have trouble with the android versions.

Have you tried Construct 2 files imported into Construct 3, then exported with runtime 3?

Both, the original poster and I are encountering problems with that scenario. I am sure games started in Construct 3 will have a better track record when exported fron the same.

Also the latest stable ( 148 ) still works most of the time, but the latest betas are a disaster with Constr.2 files, for me anyway.