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TextMesh Pro TMPro and memory allocations

Discussion in 'UGUI & TextMesh Pro' started by adbourdages, Jul 17, 2018.

  1. adbourdages

    adbourdages

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2012
    Posts:
    75
    Hi,

    One of the use I have for TMPro is a floating score display when points are scored. The text appear over a location and slowly animates up and fade. I'm using the UGUI component in a Canvas. I'm currently in 2018.1.8f1 with TMPro 1.2.4.

    So I have a pool of pre-instanciated object that I use to float the score. Once the animation is over, I disable the game object. When I need to show another score, I find an unused object and turn it on with SetActive(true) and set the text on the TMPro.UGUI component.

    I didn't noticed this in the previous versions (I have just upgraded from 5.4.3 to this new unity version) but the profiler is now telling me there are memory allocation associated with my floating score display. Using Deep Profile, I'm finding that I get about 2K during TMP_MeshInfo.ctor (not only on the first activation, sometimes later as well) and a further 0.6K during GraphicRegistry.RegisterGraphicsForCanvas() (more specifically in IndexedSet'1.ctor) every time I activate the game object. I attached a screenshot of the profiler.

    So my questions:
    - What triggers the TMP_MeshInfo allocation and how can I mitigate it?
    - Is this the expected behaviour to have memory allocation (RegisterGraphicsForCanvas) on SetActive?
    - If so, what is the proposed best way to handle temporarily showing text objects?
     

    Attached Files:

    adbourdages, Jul 17, 2018
    #1

  2. Stephan_B

    Stephan_B

    Unity Technologies

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2017
    Posts:
    6,588
    Allocations for the buffers for the geometry should only happen when these buffers need to be increase in size or when their allocations exceeds a delta of 256 characters at which point they are reduced in size to reduce the geometry.

    I would need more specific details on your pooling system but it is certainly possible to avoid allocations here other than the initial ones or when the buffers need to grow.

    That I am not certain about. There are also allocation that only occur in the editor so make sure you test / profile in a build and not in the editor.
     
    Stephan_B, Jul 17, 2018
    #2

  3. adbourdages

    adbourdages

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2012
    Posts:
    75
    Good point about testing on the device. Same result however: GraphicRegistry.RegisterGraphicsForCanvas() generates 0.5K worth of memory every time the game object with TMPro is turned on (whether from setting .enabled on TMPro or SetActive on the gameobject). It happens independently of whether the text is changed between activation.

    I found a workaround of parenting the TMPro label to a CanvasGroup and changing the alpha on it (at 0 it doesn't generate draw calls for the children). But it feels strange there is so much memory allocation associated with an operation that ought to be pretty lean.
     
    adbourdages, Jul 19, 2018
    #3

  4. Peter77

    Peter77

    QA Jesus

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2013
    Posts:
    6,419
    (Case 1063137) TextMeshProUGUI.OnEnable causes GCAlloc always
     
    Peter77, Jul 22, 2018
    #4

  5. Stephan_B

    Stephan_B

    Unity Technologies

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2017
    Posts:
    6,588
    The behavior is specific to the Canvas system and GraphicRegistery.RegisterGraphicForCanvas(). I'll update the bug report to have the UI team take a look at this.
     
    Stephan_B, Jul 22, 2018
    #5
    Sci-Fi_patsan likes this.