IOS SpriteKit Blurred Sprite with TexturePacker - ios

I'm doing a project with IOS Sprite kit (Objective-C), I use TexturePacker to make my Sheet/Atlas ,In my scene view I only display a Character animation nothing more but I have an issue when I display my Sprite it is blurry.
The resolution of the image sprite are 512*512 (I think it's good), and the size of Sheets are 2048*2048.
I try many things on texturePacker to increase the quality but noting work, when I display my animation on TexturePacker directly the quality is good, but when I try on XCode, the result are blurry, I have try to play my character animation in a array animation and the result are not blurry (but this technique use to much memory) so I think the problem is TexturePacker
Has anyone had the same problem is would have a solution ?
Here is my code :
[self.scene setBackgroundColor:[UIColor clearColor]];
self.view.allowsTransparency = YES;
// load the atlas explicitly, to avoid frame rate drop when starting a new animation
self.atlas = [SKTextureAtlas atlasNamed:CHARACTER_ATLAS_NAME];
SKAction *walk = [SKAction animateWithTextures:CHARACTER_ANIM_IDLE timePerFrame:0.033];
self.sequence = [SKAction repeatActionForever:walk];
SKSpriteNode *sprite = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithTexture:CHARACTER_TEX_HELLO_0];
sprite.size = CGSizeMake(self.view.frame.size.width, self.view.frame.size.height);
sprite.position = CGPointMake(sprite.size.width/2, sprite.size.height/2);
[sprite runAction:sequence];
[self addChild:sprite];
Here is a comparison on the top sprite when I use the image array and that below with SpriteKit and Texturepacker ( you can see the difference especially at eye level )
Thanks for your help

Related

SpriteKit Texture Atlas vs Image xcassets

I am making a game and I noticed that during some scenes, my FPS kept dropping around the 55-60FPS area (using texture atlas). This drove me nuts so I decided to put all my assets to the Images.xcassets folder and voila, steady 60FPS.
I thought this was a fluke or that I was doing something wrong, so I decided to start a new project and perform some benchmarks...
Apple's documentation says that using texture atlas's will improve app performance. Basically, allowing your app to take advantage of batch rendering. However...
The Test (https://github.com/JRam13/JSGlitch):
- (void)runTest
{
SKAction *spawn = [SKAction runBlock:^{
for (int i=0; i<10; i++) {
SKSpriteNode *sprite = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"Spaceship"];
sprite.xScale = 0.5;
sprite.yScale = 0.5;
sprite.position = CGPointMake(0, [self randomNumberBetweenMin:0 andMax:768]);
SKAction *action = [SKAction rotateByAngle:M_PI duration:1];
[sprite runAction:[SKAction repeatActionForever:action]];
SKAction *move = [SKAction moveByX:1200 y:0 duration:2];
[sprite runAction:move];
//notice I don't remove from parent (see test2 below)
[self addChild:sprite];
}
}];
SKAction *wait = [SKAction waitForDuration:.1];
SKAction *sequence = [SKAction sequence:#[spawn,wait]];
SKAction *repeat = [SKAction repeatActionForever:sequence];
[self runAction:repeat];
}
Results:
Tests repeatedly show that using the xcassets performed way better than the atlas counterpart in FPS. The atlas does seem to manage memory marginally better than the xcassets though.
Anybody know why these results show that images.xcassets has better performance than the atlas?
Some hypotheses I've come up with:
xcassets is just better optimized than atlasas.
atlasas are good at drawing lots of images in one draw pass, but have bigger overhead with repeated sprites. If true, this means that if your sprite appears multiple times on screen (which was the case in my original game), it is better to remove it from the atlas.
atlas sheets must be filled in order to optimize performance
Update
For this next test I went ahead and removed the sprite from parent after it goes offscreen. I also used 7 different images. We should see a huge performance gain using atlas due to the draw count but...
First, revise your test to match this :
for (int i=0; i<10; i++) {
SKSpriteNode *sprite = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"Spaceship"];
sprite.xScale = 0.5;
sprite.yScale = 0.5;
float spawnY = arc4random() % 768;
sprite.position = CGPointMake(0, spawnY);
SKAction *action = [SKAction rotateByAngle:M_PI duration:1];
[sprite runAction:[SKAction repeatActionForever:action]];
SKAction *move = [SKAction moveByX:1200 y:0 duration:2];
// next three lines replace the runAction line for move
SKAction *remove = [SKAction removeFromParent];
SKAction *sequence = [SKAction sequence:#[move, remove]];
[sprite runAction:sequence];
[self addChild:sprite];
}
Rerun your tests and you should notice that your framerate NEVER deteriorates as in your tests. Your tests were basically illustrating what happens when you never remove nodes, but keep creating new ones.
Next, add the following line to your ViewController when you set up your skview :
skView.showsDrawCount = YES;
This will allow you to see the draw count and properly understand where you are getting your performance boost with SKTextureAtlas.
Now, instead of having just one image , gather 3 images and modify your test by choosing a random one of those images each time it creates a node, you can do it something like this :
NSArray *imageNames = #[#"image-0", #"image-1", #"image-2"];
NSString *imageName = imageNames[arc4random() % imageNames.count];
In your code, create your sprite with that imageName each time through the loop. ie :
SKSpriteNode *sprite = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:imageName];
In your SKTextureAtlas test, use that same imageName obviously to create each sprite.
Now... rerun your tests and take note of the draw count in each test.
This should give you a tangible example of what batch rendering is about with SKTextureAtlas.
It's no about rendering the same sprite image thousands of times.
It's about drawing many different sprites images in the same draw pass.
There is likely some overhead in getting this rendering optimization, but I think the draw count should be self explanatory as to why that overhead is moot when all things are considered.
Now, you can hypothesize some more :)
UPDATE
As mentioned in the comments, my post was to expose why your test was not a good test for the benefits of SKTextureAtlas and was flawed if looking to analyze it in a meaningful way. Your test was like testing for measles with a mumps test.
Below is a github project that I put together to pinpoint where an SKTextureAtlas is appropriate and indeed superior to xcassets.
atlas-comparison
Just run the project on your device and then tap to toggle between tests. You can tell when it's testing with SKTextureAtlas because the draw count will be 1 and the framerate will be 60fps.
I isolated what will be optimized with a SKTextureAtlas. It's a 60 frame animation and 1600 nodes playing that animation. I offset their start frames so that they all aren't on the same frame at the same time. I also kept everything uniform for both tests, so that it's a direct comparison.
It's not accurate for someone to think that using SKTextureAtlas will just optimize all rendering. It's optimization comes by reducing draw count via batch rendering. So, if your framerate slowdown is not something that can be improved via batch rendering, SKTexture atlas is the wrong tool for the job. right ?
Similar to pooling of objects, where you can gain optimization via not creating and killing your game objects constantly, but instead reusing them from a pool of objects. However if you are not constantly creating and killing objects in your game, pooling ain't gonna optimize your game.
Based on what I saw you describe as your game's issue in the discussion log , pooling is probably the right tool for the job in your case.

Scrolling a Tilemap in Sprite-Kit (JSTileMap glitch)

Since JSTileMap extends SKNode, you can use the API to move and animate your tilemap like any other node. However, I keep getting this weird effect/glitch...
Code:
_tiledMap = [JSTileMap mapNamed:#"Cloud.tmx"];
if (_tiledMap) {
[self addChild:_tiledMap];
}
_tiledMap.position = CGPointMake(800, 0);
SKAction *scrollLeft = [SKAction moveTo:CGPointMake(600, 0) duration:4];
SKAction *scrollRight = [SKAction moveTo:CGPointMake(700, 0) duration:4];
SKAction *sequence = [SKAction sequence:#[scrollLeft, scrollRight]];
SKAction *repeat = [SKAction repeatActionForever:sequence];
[_tiledMap runAction:repeat];
Results:
As you can see, whenever the JSTileMap changes direction, depending if its left or right, the image gets cropped or something, I can't explain it. This doesn't happen if the node itself is a SKSpriteNode. I added numbers to the background image for visual reference.
EDIT
Further tests reveal that moving the JSTileMap's position manually (_tiledMap.position.x = x+1) in the update loop, has the same effect. It crops the image/tile when it animates left, and returns to normal when it animates to the right.
I found a work-around. Apparently the problem is that the first tileset column itself is being cropped for some reason (if anyone figures this out please let me know). So the solution is to create a tilemap that is 2 tile units wider than what your original tilemap dimension is. For example, if your tiles are set to 32x32 (tilemap of 1024x768), you should generate a tilemap of 1088x768 instead and start drawing after the first column.
See image below.
It seems I was using an old/unmaintained version of JSTileMap. Slycrel's version of JSTileMap addresses this issue.
https://github.com/slycrel/JSTileMap

Batch render sprites with Spritekit

I'm learning ios game programming and I need to create my own tile background - we're migrating an infinite-map style game from java.
I have the following code rendering our background tile graphics inside a loop:
SKSpriteNode *sprite = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"shallow_1.png"];
sprite.position = CGPointMake(x,y);
[self addChild:sprite];
However, I'm trying to find out how to properly batch render in spritekit. In java/opengl we'd apply the texture, add all the render positions, and then render everything at once - saving performance.
How can I properly batch render these tiles using spritekit? I can't find any information.
If you're planning to work with tilemaps, your best bet is KoboldKit.
It's a game engine for SpriteKit, and adds several features to the framework.
In includes support for time maps (Tiled Map Editor).
Load your texture once:
SKTexture *texture = [SKTexture textureWithImageNamed:#"shallow_1.png"];
Then, make all of your SKSpriteNode objects referencing that texture:
// inside loop
SKSpriteNode *node = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithTexture:texture];

Applying an effect to a SKScene is that expensive?

I am developing a game using SpriteKit. In response to the user getting a bonus, I would like to flash the screen 3 times while the play action continues. By flashing I am inverting the scene colors, but I am open to use other effect.
I have tried to use a CIFilter on the scene, but the frame rate dropped from 60 fps to 13 fps, making the game unplayable.
I have tried to use the CIFilter on the whole scene, by doing this
CIFilter * (^invert)(void) = ^ {
CIFilter *filter = [CIFilter filterWithName:#"CIColorInvert"];
[filter setDefaults];
return filter;
};
and then changing the scene
self.filter = invert();
self.shouldEnableEffects = YES;
I am a long time user of Cocos2D. I did this kind of effect on another app of mine developed with Cocos2D in the past and it had barely no impact on the frame rate compared to this miserable frame rate using SpriteKit.
I have tried to apply the effect just to the character that represents the user, that is barely 100x100 pixels. The frame rate dropped from 60 to 30fps... better but the game is also unplayable.
Any way to do this or to achieve some impressive brief effect to the whole screen as the play evolves?
thanks
I have a game where i flash the screen and the following piece of code runs smoothly, you can try it out and repeat the action as per your need :)
// Flash background if contact is detected
[self runAction:[SKAction sequence:#[[SKAction repeatAction:[SKAction sequence:#[[SKAction runBlock:^{
self.backgroundColor = [SKColor redColor];
}], [SKAction waitForDuration:0.05], [SKAction runBlock:^{
self.backgroundColor = [SKColor blueColor];
}], [SKAction waitForDuration:0.05]]] count:4], [SKAction runBlock:^{
//Do anything additional you wan to run during flash period
}]]] withKey:#"flash"];

SpriteKit conveyor belt

I am trying to create a conveyor belt effect using SpriteKit like so
MY first reflex would be to create a conveyor belt image bigger than the screen and then move it repeatedly forever with actions. But this does not seem ok because it is dependent on the screen size.
Is there any better way to do this ?
Also obviously I want to put things (which would move independently) on the conveyor belt so the node is an SKNode with a the child sprite node that is moving.
Update : I would like the conveyor belt to move "visually"; so the lines move in a direction giving the impression of movement.
Apply physicsBody to all those sprites which you need to move on the conveyor belt and set the affectedByGravity property as NO.
In this example, I am assuming that the spriteNode representing your conveyor belt is called conveyor. Also, all the sprite nodes which need to be moved are have the string "moveable" as their name property.
Then, in your -update: method,
-(void)update:(CFTimeInterval)currentTime
{
[self enumerateChildNodesWithName:#"moveable" usingBlock:^(SKNode *node, BOOL *stop{
if ([node intersectsNode:conveyor])
{
[node.physicsBody applyForce:CGVectorMake(-1, 0)];
//edit the vector to get the right force. This will be too fast.
}
}];
}
After this, just add the desired sprites on the correct positions and you will see them moving by themselves.
For the animation, it would be better to use an array of textures which you can loop on the sprite.
Alternatively, you can add and remove a series of small sprites with a sectional image and move them like you do the sprites which are travelling on the conveyor.
#akashg has pointed out a solution for moving objects across the conveyor belt, I am giving my answer as how to make the conveyor belt look as if it is moving
One suggestion and my initial intuition was to place a larger rectangle than the screen on the scene and move this repeatedly. Upon reflecting I think this is not a nice solution because if we would want to place a conveyor belt on the middle, in a way we see both it ends this would not be possible without an extra clipping mask.
The ideal solution would be to tile the SKTexture on the SKSpriteNode and just offset this texture; but this does not seem to be possible with Sprite Kit (no tile mechanisms).
So basically what I'm doing is creating subtextures from a texture that is like so [tile][tile](2 times a repeatable tile) and I just show these subtextures one after the other to create an animation.
Here is the code :
- (SKSpriteNode *) newConveyor
{
SKTexture *conveyorTexture = [SKTexture textureWithImageNamed:#"testTextureDouble"];
SKTexture *halfConveyorTexture = [SKTexture textureWithRect:CGRectMake(0.5, 0.0, 0.5, 1.0) inTexture:conveyorTexture];
SKSpriteNode *conveyor = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithTexture:halfConveyorTexture size:CGSizeMake(conveyorTexture.size.width/2, conveyorTexture.size.height)];
NSArray *textureArray = [self horizontalTextureArrayForTxture:conveyorTexture];
SKAction *moveAction = [SKAction animateWithTextures:textureArray timePerFrame:0.01 resize:NO restore:YES];
[conveyor runAction:[SKAction repeatActionForever:moveAction]];
return conveyor;
}
- (NSArray *) horizontalTextureArrayForTxture : (SKTexture *) texture
{
CGFloat deltaOnePixel = 1.0 / texture.size.width;
int countSubtextures = texture.size.width / 2;
NSMutableArray *textureArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:countSubtextures];
CGFloat offset = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < countSubtextures; i++)
{
offset = i * deltaOnePixel;
SKTexture *subTexture = [SKTexture textureWithRect:CGRectMake(offset, 0.0, 0.5, 1.0) inTexture:texture];
[textureArray addObject:subTexture];
}
return [NSArray arrayWithArray:textureArray];
}
Now this is still not ideal because it is necessary to make an image with 2 tiles manually. We can also edit a SKTexture with a CIFilter transform that could potentially be used to create this texture with 2 tiles.
Apart from this I think this solution is better because it does not depend on the size of the screen and is memory efficient; but in order for it to be used on the whole screen I would have to create more SKSpriteNode objects that share the same moveAction that I have used, since tiling is not possible with Sprite Kit according to this source :
How do you set a texture to tile in Sprite Kit.
I will try to update the code to make it possible to tile by using multiple SKSpriteNode objects.

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