SetPixel/GetPixel causes memory leak?

Hello all!

There is one problem, I know that they appear on this forum before , but old System.GC.Collect solutions seems not works on Unity 3.3 Lift My Eyelids!

I am try to build our own GUI system, with component text formatting abilities like in RichEdit ( http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb787873 ). One of it is ability to write on several fonts/colors/scales/spaces in one textedit control.

This task requires much of getPixel/setPixel operations, which growth the memory like a rocket (800 mb after 150-200 strings of the text).

I was try to solve this problem with Garbage Collector, this not work as needs, in best chance they free 100mb and leave 700 for unknown reason. I do not use Threads or something similar "not classic"

There is simple example of the code, which roads to described memory leak:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. using UnityEngine;
3. using System.Collections;
4. using System;
5.  
6. public class TextureTest : MonoBehaviour {
7.  public Texture2D texture;
8.  int H = 100;
9.  void Start()
10.  {
11.   texture = new Texture2D(0, 0, TextureFormat.RGBA32, false);
12.  }
13.  // Update is called once per frame
14.  void Update ()
15.  {
16.      if (Input.GetKey(KeyCode.S))
17.   {
18.    texture.Resize(100, H, TextureFormat.RGBA32, false);
19.    texture.SetPixels(new Color[100 * H]);
20.    H += 100;
21.    texture.Apply();
22.   }  
23.  }
24. }
25.  

Please, take a look to this code, texture operations like getPixel/setPixel is one of the BASE game operations in Engine. If they not work fast and proper this really really really frustrating I think there is my bad, but do not see where.

Thank!

 

texture.SetPixels(new Color[100 * H]);
H += 100;

Does this variable reset?

 

What does you mean?
This variable grows by 100 and used for clear resized Texture2D texture. As texture is the same, they (how I understand) do not lose previous not resized copyes in memory. Also old array Color[100 * (H-1)] mast goes to GC, after reference to it replaced with new Color[100 * H].

Today I try more simple example, I comment SetPixels string, memory will also grows, then I implement command

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. texture.Resize(1, 1, TextureFormat.RGBA32, false);
3.  

by Keycode.D

and memory was purged and stay free as when program starts, so the problem as i see in new Color which not moved by GC

so, thre is workaround for such situations, it works without memleak:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. using UnityEngine;
3. using System.Collections;
4. using System;
5.  
6. public class TextureTest : MonoBehaviour {
7.  public Texture2D texture;
8.  int H = 100;
9.  Color[] color; // new global array for clean new textures
10.  
11.  void Start()
12.  {
13.   texture = new Texture2D(0, 0, TextureFormat.RGBA32, false);
14.   color = new Color[100*100*10]; // init new array with some big num
15.  }
16.  
17.  void Update ()
18.  {
19.      if (Input.GetKey(KeyCode.S))
20.   {
21.    texture.Resize(100, H, TextureFormat.RGBA32, false);
22. //   texture.SetPixels(new Color[100 * H]);
23.    texture.SetPixels(color); // this is replace, which not produce new Arrays
24.    H += 100;
25.    texture.Apply();
26.   }
27.   if (Input.GetKey(KeyCode.D))
28.   {
29.    texture.Resize(1, 1, TextureFormat.RGBA32, false);
30.    H = 100;
31.   }
32.  }
33. }
34.  

Take a look on Color[] color ( new global array for clean new textures ).

 

Just for anyone coming across this in the future, this was causing me major issues, I had a bunch of 4096x4096 textures I was working on which was leaking. The long and short after trying everything, switch to GetPixels32 and SetPixels32, not only is it better memory wise (it's 4 bytes per color instead of 4 floats) but it also doesn't leak!

 

I'm experiencing mad memory leaks with SetPixels as well. Will try out SetPixels32. Cheers!

 

I am also experiencing huge memory leaks using GetPixels/SetPixels on Unity 2018.4.4f1 on iOS platform. Everything works when switching over to GetPixels32/SetPixels32, Thank You!
Don't you have filed a bug report? Otherwise I will

 

Had same prob with 2019.2 , get pixels32/setpixels32 really helped!

 

Really thanks a lot!!! You saved me 1.2MB on frequent GC.Collect!!!
I really understood the difference between

pixels = camTexture.GetPixels32();

and

camTexture.GetPixels32(pixels);

The prior creates new junk of memory slots (array) every time, while the latter uses the existing memory slots while just reassigning them.

Thanks

 

Could you explain where you found the GetPixel32 method that doesn't generate garbage? For me it generates garbage:

Have you used WebCamTexture.GetPixels32? There you can send your array to a method to avoid generating garbage. But how can the same be done with regular Texture2D? The Texture2D.GetPixels32 method creates an array inside itself, you cannot send your array to it to fill.

 

Could you explain where you found the GetPixel32 method that doesn't generate garbage? For me it generates garbage:

I was referring to memory leaking, not garbage.

 

Still a problem in WebGL. VERY noticeable on Safari iPhone, will crash and not even work. Desktop WebGL is no problem.

Note: using webgl 1.0 because safari is awful, not sure if that is a factor.