Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
On 12/17/13, Uli Kusterer wrote: > On 17 Dec 2013, at 00:15, Dan Treiman wrote: >> The two best solutions (and by best I mean least time-wasting) are >> CVDisplayLink and NSTimer. >> >> CVDisplayLink synchronizes with the display refresh rate and gives you >> callbacks in a background thread. This somewhat like CADisplayLink on >> iOS. Its pretty easy to do but your code must be thread-aware. >> >> NSTimer has more than enough resolution for games, and if you are using >> OpenGL for graphics you should do: (…) > > He’s talking about OpenAL, not OpenGL. Audio, not graphics. So I don’t > think the display links are a good choice here. They’re intended to avoid > tearing when doing screen display, and depending on your screen and power > saver settings may not get called as often as you’d want for sound. So I'll put in my 2 cents since OpenAL is something I have a lot of expertise in. NSTimer generally works pretty well (and I was under the impression that 10.9 timers are even more accurate now). Even though the firing rate can be inconsistent, I don't think you need a lot of precision for spatial audio. I've never been exposed to an audio system and been in a situation where I could discern the difference between audio points only a tiny distance away from each other. The problem I've had with CVDisplayLink in the past is when the window/view disappears for certain reasons (I can't remember...was it user minimizing, or what), the display link callbacks automatically turn off. This is fine for graphics, but sucks if you are trying to keep track of time elapsed or want to continue playing background music. (I haven't experienced this problem with CADisplayLink on iOS.) Thanks, Eric -- Beginning iPhone Games Development http://playcontrol.net/iphonegamebook/ ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
On 17 Dec 2013, at 00:15, Dan Treiman wrote: > The two best solutions (and by best I mean least time-wasting) are > CVDisplayLink and NSTimer. > > CVDisplayLink synchronizes with the display refresh rate and gives you > callbacks in a background thread. This somewhat like CADisplayLink on iOS. > Its pretty easy to do but your code must be thread-aware. > > NSTimer has more than enough resolution for games, and if you are using > OpenGL for graphics you should do: (…) He’s talking about OpenAL, not OpenGL. Audio, not graphics. So I don’t think the display links are a good choice here. They’re intended to avoid tearing when doing screen display, and depending on your screen and power saver settings may not get called as often as you’d want for sound. Cheers, -- Uli Kusterer “The Witnesses of TeachText are everywhere...” http://zathras.de ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
On 13 Dec 2013, at 10:57 pm, Alex Hall wrote: > To do so smoothly, though, will require a loop, so I can update the position > in small increments many times per second. You probably know this, but it’s a point worth repeating. Whatever method you use to make the game loop, don’t fall into the trap of assuming that each callback is equivalent to seconds. Instead, measure the elapsed time and derive your position(s) accordingly. In other words, suppose you want to move an object from position p1 to position p2 over a period of, say, 1 second. You might assume a framerate of 30fps and therefore divide p2-p1 into thirty equal increments and add that increment at each frame. DO NOT DO THAT! If your timer is held up for any reason, your animation slows down. Instead, calculate the elapsed time at each frame and derive the true position from it. That way, if the timer is held up, your framerate drops but the positions of everything remains correct. Seems obvious but I’ve seen many developers fall into this trap, especially if it’s their first game. —Graham ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
On Dec 16, 2013, at 8:06 PM, Seth Willits wrote: > On Dec 16, 2013, at 3:21 PM, Alex Hall wrote: > >> I went ahead and used timers, just to get things off the ground. Many people >> seem to dislike them, but they work for me, for now anyway. It's really >> helpful to know about CVDisplayLink, though, if I ever implement graphics or >> need a more strict timing solution. > > > This subject line is really misleading. > > Having no graphics at all makes a big difference. You would not implement a > solution to your problem as you would "the best way" for a game, and the > solution you need depends on your actual requirements. For now it is only sound, but I plan on adding graphics (albeit basic ones) before the project is done. > > "update the position in small increments many times per second" — > What does "many" mean to you? What level of accuracy do you need? How should > this interact with the main thread, etc? I'm not sure what sort of resolution sounds need compared to graphics to not be choppy or jumpy during panning or other adjustments. Since the plan is to incorporate graphics in the future, I figured I may as well do something that would work for both. For now, my main thread handles everything, though I may need to split things up at some point depending on how the project turns out. It is modular, though, so I can hook my loop to any mechanism pretty easily. > > > -- > Seth Willits > > > > ___ > > Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) > > Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. > Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com > > Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: > https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/mehgcap%40gmail.com > > This email sent to mehg...@gmail.com Have a great day, Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini) mehg...@gmail.com ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
On Dec 16, 2013, at 3:21 PM, Alex Hall wrote: > I went ahead and used timers, just to get things off the ground. Many people > seem to dislike them, but they work for me, for now anyway. It's really > helpful to know about CVDisplayLink, though, if I ever implement graphics or > need a more strict timing solution. This subject line is really misleading. Having no graphics at all makes a big difference. You would not implement a solution to your problem as you would "the best way" for a game, and the solution you need depends on your actual requirements. "update the position in small increments many times per second" — What does "many" mean to you? What level of accuracy do you need? How should this interact with the main thread, etc? -- Seth Willits ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
Are you *only* trying to do audio, or are you trying to render GL as well? -- Seth Willits On Dec 13, 2013, at 1:57 PM, Alex Hall wrote: > Hello list, > I am attempting to use OpenAL to move a sound source around. To do so > smoothly, though, will require a loop, so I can update the position in small > increments many times per second. This is essentially a game loop, so I've > done much searching on implementing game loops in Objective-C. There seem to > be a few schools of thought on the topic: > > NSTimer: it works initially, but you can't rely on it to provide smoothness > or constant rates. A timer could take up to 0.1 seconds to execute, so don't > rely on it. However, other sources suggest that a timer will work just fine, > particularly on the more powerful OSX compared to iOS devices, and doing > anything else is a waste of effort for lower FPS projects. > > Main loop: every NSApplication has an instance of NSRunLoop attached to it > when it starts. Hook into that (the mechanics of doing this are still not > clear to me) and you are good to go. However, this is more work for no > additional benefit, and you need to worry more about memory usage (I have no > idea if the samples I've read were using ARC or not). > > Separate thread: uses standard-issue while(keep_running) loop in a new thread > to process the game logic and refresh the world, and you're set to go as fast > as you need to. However, this introduces the usual multi-threading concerns > and is far more advanced than many projects actually need. > > Additionally, there is concern about how fast to set the refresh rate, which > is not a problem in a regular while loop but becomes a bit complex otherwise. > Most people seem to agree that you should see how long the last cycle took, > and update your interval accordingly. > > Again, this is not (yet) for iOS, so I cannot rely on iOS-specific solutions. > I am also not currently doing visuals, and I am not sure which framework I > will use when and if I need to begin doing so, so I'd rather have my loop not > rely on any visual framework. The bottom line seems to be that timers are > easiest but not reliable, yet some people insist they will work well enough. > So, what are your thoughts on the best way to make a game loop for OSX? While > I would like to port this project to iOS in the future, I'd like a solution > that will work on both platforms, and the Mac first. Given that my program is > mostly based in sound, would timers be okay? Should I look into hooking into > the NSRunLoop somehow instead? I'd really rather not go multi-threaded yet, > but if I have to, I have to. Thanks for your opinions. > > > Have a great day, > Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini) > mehg...@gmail.com > > > > > ___ > > Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) > > Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. > Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com > > Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: > https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/slists%40araelium.com > > This email sent to sli...@araelium.com -- Seth Willits ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
Perhaps CVDisplayLink is what you are looking for. -R On 13 Dec 2013, at 1:57:15 PM, Alex Hall wrote: > Hello list, > I am attempting to use OpenAL to move a sound source around. To do so > smoothly, though, will require a loop, so I can update the position in small > increments many times per second. This is essentially a game loop, so I've > done much searching on implementing game loops in Objective-C. There seem to > be a few schools of thought on the topic: > > NSTimer: it works initially, but you can't rely on it to provide smoothness > or constant rates. A timer could take up to 0.1 seconds to execute, so don't > rely on it. However, other sources suggest that a timer will work just fine, > particularly on the more powerful OSX compared to iOS devices, and doing > anything else is a waste of effort for lower FPS projects. > > Main loop: every NSApplication has an instance of NSRunLoop attached to it > when it starts. Hook into that (the mechanics of doing this are still not > clear to me) and you are good to go. However, this is more work for no > additional benefit, and you need to worry more about memory usage (I have no > idea if the samples I've read were using ARC or not). > > Separate thread: uses standard-issue while(keep_running) loop in a new thread > to process the game logic and refresh the world, and you're set to go as fast > as you need to. However, this introduces the usual multi-threading concerns > and is far more advanced than many projects actually need. > > Additionally, there is concern about how fast to set the refresh rate, which > is not a problem in a regular while loop but becomes a bit complex otherwise. > Most people seem to agree that you should see how long the last cycle took, > and update your interval accordingly. > > Again, this is not (yet) for iOS, so I cannot rely on iOS-specific solutions. > I am also not currently doing visuals, and I am not sure which framework I > will use when and if I need to begin doing so, so I'd rather have my loop not > rely on any visual framework. The bottom line seems to be that timers are > easiest but not reliable, yet some people insist they will work well enough. > So, what are your thoughts on the best way to make a game loop for OSX? While > I would like to port this project to iOS in the future, I'd like a solution > that will work on both platforms, and the Mac first. Given that my program is > mostly based in sound, would timers be okay? Should I look into hooking into > the NSRunLoop somehow instead? I'd really rather not go multi-threaded yet, > but if I have to, I have to. Thanks for your opinions. > > > Have a great day, > Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini) > mehg...@gmail.com > > > > > ___ > > Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) > > Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. > Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com > > Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: > https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/heardrwt%40gmail.com > > This email sent to heard...@gmail.com ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
You can use CVDisplayLink (Foundation, OS X) / CADisplayLink (iOS) with pretty good accuracy or a time dispatch timer. The dispatch timer approach is more portable (no changes in your code), a bit cleaner (block based, instead of function pointers in the case of CVDisplayLink), but it is up to you. > Hello list, > I am attempting to use OpenAL to move a sound source around. To do so > smoothly, though, will require a loop, so I can update the position in small > increments many times per second. This is essentially a game loop, so I've > done much searching on implementing game loops in Objective-C. There seem to > be a few schools of thought on the topic: > :: marcelo.alves ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
My personal preference is GCD dispatching from your graphics rendering loop. Sent from my iPhone > On 2013年12月14日, at 5:57, Alex Hall wrote: > > Hello list, > I am attempting to use OpenAL to move a sound source around. To do so > smoothly, though, will require a loop, so I can update the position in small > increments many times per second. This is essentially a game loop, so I've > done much searching on implementing game loops in Objective-C. There seem to > be a few schools of thought on the topic: > > NSTimer: it works initially, but you can't rely on it to provide smoothness > or constant rates. A timer could take up to 0.1 seconds to execute, so don't > rely on it. However, other sources suggest that a timer will work just fine, > particularly on the more powerful OSX compared to iOS devices, and doing > anything else is a waste of effort for lower FPS projects. > > Main loop: every NSApplication has an instance of NSRunLoop attached to it > when it starts. Hook into that (the mechanics of doing this are still not > clear to me) and you are good to go. However, this is more work for no > additional benefit, and you need to worry more about memory usage (I have no > idea if the samples I've read were using ARC or not). > > Separate thread: uses standard-issue while(keep_running) loop in a new thread > to process the game logic and refresh the world, and you're set to go as fast > as you need to. However, this introduces the usual multi-threading concerns > and is far more advanced than many projects actually need. > > Additionally, there is concern about how fast to set the refresh rate, which > is not a problem in a regular while loop but becomes a bit complex otherwise. > Most people seem to agree that you should see how long the last cycle took, > and update your interval accordingly. > > Again, this is not (yet) for iOS, so I cannot rely on iOS-specific solutions. > I am also not currently doing visuals, and I am not sure which framework I > will use when and if I need to begin doing so, so I'd rather have my loop not > rely on any visual framework. The bottom line seems to be that timers are > easiest but not reliable, yet some people insist they will work well enough. > So, what are your thoughts on the best way to make a game loop for OSX? While > I would like to port this project to iOS in the future, I'd like a solution > that will work on both platforms, and the Mac first. Given that my program is > mostly based in sound, would timers be okay? Should I look into hooking into > the NSRunLoop somehow instead? I'd really rather not go multi-threaded yet, > but if I have to, I have to. Thanks for your opinions. > > > Have a great day, > Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini) > mehg...@gmail.com > > > > > ___ > > Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) > > Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. > Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com > > Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: > https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/xcvista%40me.com > > This email sent to xcvi...@me.com ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
I went ahead and used timers, just to get things off the ground. Many people seem to dislike them, but they work for me, for now anyway. It's really helpful to know about CVDisplayLink, though, if I ever implement graphics or need a more strict timing solution. Thanks for the response. On Dec 16, 2013, at 6:15 PM, Dan Treiman wrote: > Alex, > > Ah, this has been a continuous discussion ever since OSX launched… :-). > Heres my 2¢: > > The two best solutions (and by best I mean least time-wasting) are > CVDisplayLink and NSTimer. > > CVDisplayLink synchronizes with the display refresh rate and gives you > callbacks in a background thread. This somewhat like CADisplayLink on iOS. > Its pretty easy to do but your code must be thread-aware. > > NSTimer has more than enough resolution for games, and if you are using > OpenGL for graphics you should do: > GLint swapInt = 1; > [[self openGLContext] setValues:&swapInt > forParameter:NSOpenGLCPSwapInterval]; > to ensure your updates are synced with screen refresh. > > Since your game does not sound especially graphically intensive, I would > recommend the solution that requires the least code written (NSTimer), and > avoid multithreading. If you run into performance problems you can always > implement a more advanced solution later. > > cheers, > - Dan > > > On Dec 13, 2013, at 3:57 PM, Alex Hall wrote: > >> Hello list, >> I am attempting to use OpenAL to move a sound source around. To do so >> smoothly, though, will require a loop, so I can update the position in small >> increments many times per second. This is essentially a game loop, so I've >> done much searching on implementing game loops in Objective-C. There seem to >> be a few schools of thought on the topic: >> >> NSTimer: it works initially, but you can't rely on it to provide smoothness >> or constant rates. A timer could take up to 0.1 seconds to execute, so don't >> rely on it. However, other sources suggest that a timer will work just fine, >> particularly on the more powerful OSX compared to iOS devices, and doing >> anything else is a waste of effort for lower FPS projects. >> >> Main loop: every NSApplication has an instance of NSRunLoop attached to it >> when it starts. Hook into that (the mechanics of doing this are still not >> clear to me) and you are good to go. However, this is more work for no >> additional benefit, and you need to worry more about memory usage (I have no >> idea if the samples I've read were using ARC or not). >> >> Separate thread: uses standard-issue while(keep_running) loop in a new >> thread to process the game logic and refresh the world, and you're set to go >> as fast as you need to. However, this introduces the usual multi-threading >> concerns and is far more advanced than many projects actually need. >> >> Additionally, there is concern about how fast to set the refresh rate, which >> is not a problem in a regular while loop but becomes a bit complex >> otherwise. Most people seem to agree that you should see how long the last >> cycle took, and update your interval accordingly. >> >> Again, this is not (yet) for iOS, so I cannot rely on iOS-specific >> solutions. I am also not currently doing visuals, and I am not sure which >> framework I will use when and if I need to begin doing so, so I'd rather >> have my loop not rely on any visual framework. The bottom line seems to be >> that timers are easiest but not reliable, yet some people insist they will >> work well enough. So, what are your thoughts on the best way to make a game >> loop for OSX? While I would like to port this project to iOS in the future, >> I'd like a solution that will work on both platforms, and the Mac first. >> Given that my program is mostly based in sound, would timers be okay? Should >> I look into hooking into the NSRunLoop somehow instead? I'd really rather >> not go multi-threaded yet, but if I have to, I have to. Thanks for your >> opinions. >> >> >> Have a great day, >> Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini) >> mehg...@gmail.com >> >> >> >> >> ___ >> >> Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) >> >> Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. >> Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com >> >> Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: >> https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/dtreiman%40mac.com >> >> This email sent to dtrei...@mac.com > Have a great day, Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini) mehg...@gmail.com ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@ma
Re: Best solution for game loop on OSX?
Alex, Ah, this has been a continuous discussion ever since OSX launched… :-). Heres my 2¢: The two best solutions (and by best I mean least time-wasting) are CVDisplayLink and NSTimer. CVDisplayLink synchronizes with the display refresh rate and gives you callbacks in a background thread. This somewhat like CADisplayLink on iOS. Its pretty easy to do but your code must be thread-aware. NSTimer has more than enough resolution for games, and if you are using OpenGL for graphics you should do: GLint swapInt = 1; [[self openGLContext] setValues:&swapInt forParameter:NSOpenGLCPSwapInterval]; to ensure your updates are synced with screen refresh. Since your game does not sound especially graphically intensive, I would recommend the solution that requires the least code written (NSTimer), and avoid multithreading. If you run into performance problems you can always implement a more advanced solution later. cheers, - Dan On Dec 13, 2013, at 3:57 PM, Alex Hall wrote: > Hello list, > I am attempting to use OpenAL to move a sound source around. To do so > smoothly, though, will require a loop, so I can update the position in small > increments many times per second. This is essentially a game loop, so I've > done much searching on implementing game loops in Objective-C. There seem to > be a few schools of thought on the topic: > > NSTimer: it works initially, but you can't rely on it to provide smoothness > or constant rates. A timer could take up to 0.1 seconds to execute, so don't > rely on it. However, other sources suggest that a timer will work just fine, > particularly on the more powerful OSX compared to iOS devices, and doing > anything else is a waste of effort for lower FPS projects. > > Main loop: every NSApplication has an instance of NSRunLoop attached to it > when it starts. Hook into that (the mechanics of doing this are still not > clear to me) and you are good to go. However, this is more work for no > additional benefit, and you need to worry more about memory usage (I have no > idea if the samples I've read were using ARC or not). > > Separate thread: uses standard-issue while(keep_running) loop in a new thread > to process the game logic and refresh the world, and you're set to go as fast > as you need to. However, this introduces the usual multi-threading concerns > and is far more advanced than many projects actually need. > > Additionally, there is concern about how fast to set the refresh rate, which > is not a problem in a regular while loop but becomes a bit complex otherwise. > Most people seem to agree that you should see how long the last cycle took, > and update your interval accordingly. > > Again, this is not (yet) for iOS, so I cannot rely on iOS-specific solutions. > I am also not currently doing visuals, and I am not sure which framework I > will use when and if I need to begin doing so, so I'd rather have my loop not > rely on any visual framework. The bottom line seems to be that timers are > easiest but not reliable, yet some people insist they will work well enough. > So, what are your thoughts on the best way to make a game loop for OSX? While > I would like to port this project to iOS in the future, I'd like a solution > that will work on both platforms, and the Mac first. Given that my program is > mostly based in sound, would timers be okay? Should I look into hooking into > the NSRunLoop somehow instead? I'd really rather not go multi-threaded yet, > but if I have to, I have to. Thanks for your opinions. > > > Have a great day, > Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini) > mehg...@gmail.com > > > > > ___ > > Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) > > Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. > Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com > > Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: > https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/dtreiman%40mac.com > > This email sent to dtrei...@mac.com ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Best solution for game loop on OSX?
Hello list, I am attempting to use OpenAL to move a sound source around. To do so smoothly, though, will require a loop, so I can update the position in small increments many times per second. This is essentially a game loop, so I've done much searching on implementing game loops in Objective-C. There seem to be a few schools of thought on the topic: NSTimer: it works initially, but you can't rely on it to provide smoothness or constant rates. A timer could take up to 0.1 seconds to execute, so don't rely on it. However, other sources suggest that a timer will work just fine, particularly on the more powerful OSX compared to iOS devices, and doing anything else is a waste of effort for lower FPS projects. Main loop: every NSApplication has an instance of NSRunLoop attached to it when it starts. Hook into that (the mechanics of doing this are still not clear to me) and you are good to go. However, this is more work for no additional benefit, and you need to worry more about memory usage (I have no idea if the samples I've read were using ARC or not). Separate thread: uses standard-issue while(keep_running) loop in a new thread to process the game logic and refresh the world, and you're set to go as fast as you need to. However, this introduces the usual multi-threading concerns and is far more advanced than many projects actually need. Additionally, there is concern about how fast to set the refresh rate, which is not a problem in a regular while loop but becomes a bit complex otherwise. Most people seem to agree that you should see how long the last cycle took, and update your interval accordingly. Again, this is not (yet) for iOS, so I cannot rely on iOS-specific solutions. I am also not currently doing visuals, and I am not sure which framework I will use when and if I need to begin doing so, so I'd rather have my loop not rely on any visual framework. The bottom line seems to be that timers are easiest but not reliable, yet some people insist they will work well enough. So, what are your thoughts on the best way to make a game loop for OSX? While I would like to port this project to iOS in the future, I'd like a solution that will work on both platforms, and the Mac first. Given that my program is mostly based in sound, would timers be okay? Should I look into hooking into the NSRunLoop somehow instead? I'd really rather not go multi-threaded yet, but if I have to, I have to. Thanks for your opinions. Have a great day, Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini) mehg...@gmail.com ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
