Weird weird problem with game (Omega Race 2009 for the iPad).

[Sokurah]

To test it - can you use the opengl32.dll from the Samples/3D/Shaders directory (that's a MESA software renderer) and put it in the exe directory to test? That way we can be sure it's (not) the driver.

Good test. Tried it. Haha, goodbye framerate.

It's still the same though - I get the "unknown" (-1) characters (with the gametest...haven't tried the fonttest as that seems to work anyway).

For what it's worth, if it's of any help, the sourcecode is about 70kb spread over 14 files.

Could it be something with the size of the program? (although that doesn't make sense either, as the same gametest works on some computers but not others).

[MrTAToad]

I wonder if putting the whole thing in a new project will solve it ?

[Sokurah]

I wonder if putting the whole thing in a new project will solve it ?

Even if that would magically work, it doesn't explain why the already compiled version works perfectly on some computers, and not on others.

Could it somehow be a GLBasic dependency related to the processor or OS?
...or could there be an upper limit in GLBasic of "something" that I've touched on with this game?

[LineOf7s]

Sorry for the delay - I was at work before, and... now am not. 

I was concerned I wouldn't be able to replicate the problem here on my home computer (it's somewhat more capable), but luckily (?!) your original test code didn't work here either.  Did the same as before, but now I'm running on WinXP SP3 with an nVidia GTS250 (1GB of memory on it).

If it makes you feel any better at all, as far as I can tell the second test you posted (just the font test) seemed to work perfectly.  No weird letters or anything (see attached).


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[MrTAToad]

Are you using CREATESCREEN multiple times with the same screen number, but with different sprites and/or sizes ?

It wont be the file size nor number of source files as I'm using well over 20 different files with Spots.  Nor is it processor specific

The important thing is to get the debug mode working - that way debugging of strings etc etc can commence.

[Sokurah]

Are you using CREATESCREEN multiple times with the same screen number, but with different sprites and/or sizes ?

The important thing is to get the debug mode working - that way debugging of strings etc etc can commence.

Nope, I'm not even using CREATESCREEN once. There's also just the one sprite - a gradient dot (and the backdrop).

I'm going to strip some stuff out of the program and see if I can figure out what's causing it, and if I can get the debug mode working again. Nice little project for the weekend...although I'd rather be working on the gameplay.

[MrTAToad]

I would go for the uninstall/re-install route first.

[Minion]

Hope you find out was is causeing this as ive had a similar effect on the pandy. Everything works fine with my text routines on the PC (And other machines) but on the pandy the whole thing goes screwy and reuses the same (last) piece of text for everything text based on the screen !

[Kitty Hello]

write the ASC values and the returns of MID$ and INSTR to a debug log file. I have the slight feeling that there's a bug in INSTR or MID$.

[Sokurah]

I would go for the uninstall/re-install route first.

• 1. Upgrade MinGW to the latest version
• 2. Update all drivers
• 3. Uninstall GLBasic, and remove program directory
• 4. Download, install and update GLBasic
• 5. Try compiling in debug mode

Good point, although I've already done most of them.

1. MinGW is only installed on one of all these computers. I think it's 2 revisions behind, but it's easily done.
2. I've already updated the graphics drivers on two of them, but I can try again. What about DirectX?...is that needed?
3 & 4. Already tried that. Also cleared the TEMP folder.
5. Doesn't work. I've described what happens here.

 

[Sokurah]

write the ASC values and the returns of MID$ and INSTR to a debug log file. I have the slight feeling that there's a bug in INSTR or MID$.

Will do. Good idea. I'll try to do that tonight.

[Kitty Hello]

your no-debug problem sounds very strange.  If it works with a fresh or sample project, please bother to send me your project. You are overwriting some bad memory then. (My fault then, but I need code to debug).

[MrTAToad]

that's a good idea - create a project with, say, a DEBUG line and compile in debug mode - see if that works

[ampos]

To get the debug working, just un-fold all your SUBs and FUNCTIONs.

[Sokurah]

EUREKA!!..

I seem to have solved the problem, but I can't tell you exactly what the problem was, though. 

I started by putting a DEBUG line in almost at the top of the program, then compiling and seeing what happened, then moving it down through the source one line at the time - to narrow in on where the problem was.

I checked every line, every piece of resource, twice, removed a few things, changed some around

At first I thought I might be a problem with the initialization of some arrays, as it seemed to work sometimes when I removed parts of code related to that, but in the end I think it may have been a problem loading some resources, but I honestly can't say for sure, but it works now...on 3 computers where it didn't work correctly before.

The strange thing is - if it indeed was a problem stemming from loading resources, why would it behave completely randomly the way it did?
I guess we'll never know now... 

Most importantly - I'm glad it seems to have been me that made a mistake and it's not GLBasic that has some weird bug in it.
I'm also happy for all the help and good suggestions I got along the way (I didn't even know of the DEBUG command).

Thank you all.

...it may just end up being finished anyway.

Oh, and I just ordered an iPad 2 today. I wonder how it'll run and if it won't choke from all the vectors being drawn, but that's something we can check once it's closer to being done.