Thoughts on Reducing Memmory consumption

[Impaler[WrG]]

I was wondering what people though of reducing the size of data members in various classes (Unit, City, Plot are instantiated the most) from int to short int or even char. The data would all be cast back to int when its querried so we need only change the base class and its get/set functions everything else can remain the same. This could offset the incresses in memory from new data and even result in a net reduction in total memory usage if done vigorously, I am wondering how much the casting will slow things down, dose anyone else have experience with this?

On a related note it might be wise to create a getMemoryUsed function for the major classes (thouse SimCutie Demo Buttons would be an excelent means of activating the function). This would allow use to compare ad track memory incresses or savings.

 

[The Great Apple]

I have no idea about memory savings/speeds, sorry.

getMemoryUsed sounds good to me. It would seem that memory usage is the worst performance issue that the game has at the moment. If we could shift some of the work over to the CPU, I can see it being a good thing. It might have to be a switch, for those with good memory and a bad CPU.

 

[Impaler[WrG]]

Is the cycle consumption on a Cast more or less then that of a simple integer comparison such as would be invovled in an if statment to control the setting. I would think a Cast is less as no memory would need to be retreaved.

Perhaps we should look at having some timing data collected durring the tun processing and recorded to a file. We could then load up a saved game under the before and after DLL of any change we make and see what kind of hit were taking on speed. This site gives an example of a simple timing method that could easily be used.

http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~musser/gp/timing.html

 

[Gerikes]

Perhaps we should look at having some timing data collected durring the tun processing and recorded to a file. We could then load up a saved game under the before and after DLL of any change we make and see what kind of hit were taking on speed.

I belive that these capabilities already exist. There is already profiling data that is either being collected, or the code is set up to just need to set a flag to have it all be collected. I haven't looked at how to use it (those are the PROFILE_FUNC() calls you see at the beginning of each function), although I know right now I'm able to get profiling stats on the init functions at game start, such as the fact that loading the Unit xml file for Civcraft currently takes over 12 seconds on my computer (on a debug build).

Edit

Yup. There's a variable in CvGlobals called m_bDLLProfiler. If that is set to true, then you get profiler output such as below in your logs directory under dllprofile.log. (And BTW, don't use this info as Civ4 info! This is Civcraft which has much of the AI disabled, which would explain the low AI times)

Edit 2:

Oh, here's another thing you might need to know about. It's in FProfiler.h...

[b]#ifndef FINAL_RELEASE[/b]
#ifndef FP_PROFILE_ENABLE 
	#define FP_PROFILE_ENABLE 
#endif
[b]#endif[/b]

It seems that if you're using a FINAL_RELEASE build, that the profiling might be disabled, even if you set that variable in CvGlobals to true, since the FP_PROFILE_ENABLE definition controls the use of the PROFILE_FUNC definitions. Since I haven't tried it on a final release build, I'm not sure exactly what happens, but if you can't compile a debug build I bet you could just get rid of the emboldened code.

Anyway, this is what I got in my logs by enabling Civcraft's DLL profiling...

[174376.922] DBG: Total Frame MS: 6542.0  FPS: 000  Min:000 Max:000 Avg:000  SampleFilter:0.010000
 Time   :   Ave  :  Min% :  Max% : Num : Profile Name
-----------------------------------------------------
  038.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 003 : CvPlayer::doTurn
  031.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 002 :    CvCity::doTurn()
  019.0 : 000.3 : 000.1 : 006.8 : 1294 :       CvGlobals::getDefineINT
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 002 :       CvCityAI::AI_doTurn
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 003 :       CvCityAI::angryPopulation
  011.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 002 : CvPlayerAI::AI_unitUpdate
  010.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 009 :    CvSelectionGroupAI::AI_update
  004.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 005 :       CvUnitAI::AI_update
  002.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 005 :          CvSelectionGroup::pushMission
  002.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 002 : CvPlayer::hasReadyUnit
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 776 :       CvPlot::calculateCulturalOwner()
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 774 :       CvPlot::setOwner
 2148.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 001 :    CvGame::doTurn()
  010.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 003 :       CvTeam::doTurn()
  006.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 003 :          CvTeamAI::AI_updateWorstEnemy
  004.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 004 :             CvPlayerAI::AI_getAttitude
  006.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 007 :                CvPlayerAI::AI_getAttitudeVal
  005.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 003 :                   CvPlayerAI::AI_calculateStolenCityRadiusPlots
  002.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 054 :          CvTeamAI::AI_calculateAreaAIType
  003.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 068 :             CvTeam::countNumCitiesByArea
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 008 :             CvTeam::countNumUnitsByArea
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 001 :          CvTeamAI::AI_doWar
  042.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 001 :       CvMap::doTurn()
  039.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 768 :          CvPlot::doTurn
  028.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 768 :             CvPlot::doFeature()
  005.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 768 :             CvPlot::doCulture()
  002.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 003.6 : 768 :             CvPlot::verifyUnitValidPlot
  109.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 001 :       CvPlayer::doTurnUnits
  109.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 001 :          CvPlayerAI::AI_doTurnUnitsPre
  108.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 001 :             CvPlayerAI::AI_updateFoundValues
  105.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 078 :                CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue()
  054.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 609 :                   CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue() 1
  023.0 : 000.4 : 000.4 : 004.2 : 3832 :                      CvPlot::calculateNatureYield
  046.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 504 :                   CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue() 2
  040.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 433 :                      CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue() 3
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 065 :                      CvPlot::isWithinTeamCityRadius
  038.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 027 :                         CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue() 4
  038.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 027 :                            CvPlayerAI::AI_bonusVal
  002.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 171 :       CvPlayer::calculateScore
--------------------------------------------------
[174383.734] DBG: Total Frame MS: 2714.0  FPS: 000  Min:000 Max:000 Avg:000  SampleFilter:0.010000
 Time   :   Ave  :  Min% :  Max% : Num : Profile Name
-----------------------------------------------------
  028.0 : 001.0 : 000.6 : 001.0 : 003 : CvPlayer::doTurn
  020.0 : 000.7 : 000.5 : 000.7 : 002 :    CvCity::doTurn()
  030.0 : 001.1 : 000.1 : 006.8 : 3468 :       CvGlobals::getDefineINT
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 002 :       CvCityAI::AI_doTurn
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 002 :       CvPlot::doImprovement
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 022 :    CvPlayer::canDoCivics
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 082 :    CvPlot::isCoastalLand
  445.0 : 016.4 : 001.7 : 016.4 : 003 :       CvPlayer::doTurnUnits
  342.0 : 012.6 : 001.7 : 012.6 : 003 :    CvPlayerAI::AI_doTurnUnitsPre
  340.0 : 012.5 : 001.7 : 012.5 : 003 :       CvPlayerAI::AI_updateFoundValues
  328.0 : 012.1 : 001.6 : 012.1 : 198 :          CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue()
  162.0 : 006.0 : 000.8 : 006.0 : 1890 :             CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue() 1
  078.0 : 002.9 : 000.4 : 004.2 : 12162 :                CvPlot::calculateNatureYield
  138.0 : 005.1 : 000.7 : 005.1 : 1680 :             CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue() 2
  128.0 : 004.7 : 000.6 : 004.7 : 1493 :                CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue() 3
  124.0 : 004.6 : 000.6 : 004.6 : 087 :                   CvPlayerAI::AI_foundValue() 4
  124.0 : 004.6 : 000.6 : 004.6 : 087 :                      CvPlayerAI::AI_bonusVal
  002.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 180 :             CvTeam::countNumCitiesByArea
  002.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 166 :                CvPlot::isWithinTeamCityRadius
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 011 :    CvSelectionGroup::doTurn()
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 003.8 : 026 :       CvGlobals::getDefineFLOAT
  102.0 : 003.8 : 000.0 : 003.8 : 003 :    CvPlayerAI::AI_doTurnUnitsPost
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 009 :       CvUnitAI::AI_promote
  100.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 011 :       CvUnitAI::AI_upgrade
  007.0 : 000.3 : 000.2 : 000.3 : 002 : CvPlayerAI::AI_unitUpdate
  007.0 : 000.3 : 000.2 : 000.3 : 009 :    CvSelectionGroupAI::AI_update
  004.0 : 000.1 : 000.1 : 000.1 : 005 :       CvUnitAI::AI_update
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 002 : CvPlayer::hasReadyUnit
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 001 :          CvCityAI::AI_doEmphasize
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 002 :             CvPlayerAI::AI_getPlotDanger
  002.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 774 :       CvPlot::setOwner
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 001 : CvMap::updateFlagSymbols
  006.0 : 000.2 : 000.0 : 000.2 : 768 : CvPlot::updateCenterUnit
 2240.0 : 082.5 : 032.8 : 082.5 : 001 :    CvGame::doTurn()
  008.0 : 000.3 : 000.2 : 000.3 : 003 :       CvTeam::doTurn()
  004.0 : 000.1 : 000.1 : 000.1 : 003 :          CvTeamAI::AI_updateWorstEnemy
  003.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 004 :             CvPlayerAI::AI_getAttitude
  004.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 007 :                CvPlayerAI::AI_getAttitudeVal
  003.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 003 :                   CvPlayerAI::AI_calculateStolenCityRadiusPlots
  001.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 000.0 : 054 :          CvTeamAI::AI_calculateAreaAIType
  002.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 001 :          CvTeamAI::AI_doWar
  028.0 : 001.0 : 000.6 : 001.0 : 001 :       CvMap::doTurn()
  027.0 : 001.0 : 000.6 : 001.0 : 768 :          CvPlot::doTurn
  019.0 : 000.7 : 000.4 : 000.7 : 768 :             CvPlot::doFeature()
  003.0 : 000.1 : 000.1 : 000.1 : 768 :             CvPlot::doCulture()
  003.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 003.6 : 768 :             CvPlot::verifyUnitValidPlot
  003.0 : 000.1 : 000.0 : 000.1 : 171 :       CvPlayer::calculateScore
--------------------------------------------------