Screens with portraits very slow on macOs

[Dimillian]

Even with the stuttering almost all gone since 1.01, I've noticed that screens which display portraits are awfully slow on my computer (Macbook, under OSX).
I guess it's some optimisation missing on Mac, also some portraits are missing haires, so all characters look almost bald.

If there is one character it's ok. But on the characters or senate tab, it's just so slooooow.
Also I don't understand why they're rendered as such and not backed by bitmap (are they?). I understand it needs to be dynamic, but generating a bitmap from a 2D representation is hella fast, much faster than redrawing them all the time (as it looks it's doing right now). I can't even properly scroll in the family screen.

Any input on that or any workaround?

 

[AndrewT]

What is your exact model please?

 

[Dimillian]

Here is is the specs.
It's a fairly recent one, and the game run quite fine, until you open any screen with more than 1 portrait.

 

[AndrewT]

Unfortunately that missed the vital part, the GPU. Does that have a AMD Radeon Pro 560X GPU ? If so it really should be fine.

My iMac with Radeon Pro 580 appears to be fine in, say, the Government screen, FYI.

And no issue with the hair either. Maybe time for a clean reinstall?

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-Imperator
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/Imperator AND Documents/Paradox/Imperator folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- start the game with no mods active and test


**File Locations on Mac OS X**
The executable and DLC folder are in Users/USER/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Imperator/
On OS X 10.8.x and later, Apple have hidden the /Users/USER/Library/ folder. To see it go to the Finder, hit command-shift-G (ie Go To) and type in ~/Library/ .
The user files (settings.txt, error logs, saved games, gfx, mods) are in /Users/USER/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Imperator/ .

 

[Dimillian]

Sorry to have left the GPU out of the screenshots. It's a Radeon Pro 455 with 2GB video memory.
Maybe I should take a video, it's really close to unresponsive in the government screen;

You think clean install could help? I'll try

 

[Dimillian]

Tried re-installing it, still super slow. Will try to do a video tonight, after Game of Thrones

 

[Dimillian]

Any input on that?

 

[AndrewT]

Any input on that?

I haven't watched it yet, sorry - either your video or GoT

I don't understand why they're rendered as such and not backed by bitmap (are they?). I understand it needs to be dynamic, but generating a bitmap from a 2D representation is hella fast, much faster than redrawing them all the time (as it looks it's doing right now).

A developer would need to answer this as it's way out of my realm; maybe try in a DD?

I assume there's no such issue with CK2, EU4, HOI4 or Stellaris, or you would have mentioned that?

 

[Dimillian]

Well I've got as lazy to do the video as you were to ask developers if maybe they had some insight about this specific problem on macOs.
But promise, I'll do it at lunch time so it'll show a very apparent issue
Either you're not watching at all GoT, or you're playing with fire ( haha) about spoilers.

Nah, no problems with HoI IV or Stellaris, Stellaris being the most smooth game from your studio, but I guess it's because it's about space, and space is big, dark and empty. GPU tend to love space.

 

[Dimillian]

So here is the 2 videos, one demonstrate the characters view, the other, the much worse province unrest map mode, which is very slow because it displays characters portrait.
Hope it can make things goes forward.

 

[AndrewT]

I can't really see what you are getting ta in that first video. Is it a little jerky once you bring up the Characters and Families screen there and start scrolling through it? And does it show the 'almost bald' thing too, because I'm not seeing it there?

In the second one, i think I'm seeing jerkiness once you go into the second map mode at the end there? mI do note that all the portraits only use 2 or 3 different models, one of which is bald - is that what you were referring to there?

Can I get that same saved game you use there to see if I can duplicate it?

And do you see this on a Windows machine with that same save, if you have access to one as a test? This is to check if it's a Mac-only thing or a more general problem.

 

[Dimillian]

The video where I switch provinces, I literally can't scroll the map. It renders every few seconds.
It's not save dependant at all, I can do that after any new game in any country.
I have a Windows machine, it doesn't do that at all.
I mean I can't even scroll the characters screen list on macOS, it's THAT slow whenever characters portraits are displayed on screen.

 

[Dimillian]

If you can get your hands on a Macbook Pro retina with a Radeon Pro 4XX or 5XX, I'm definitely sure you can reproduce it.

 

[AndrewT]

If you can get your hands on a Macbook Pro retina with a Radeon Pro 4XX or 5XX, I'm definitely sure you can reproduce it.

I just have my iMac. FYI I'm not working in an office with a range of available hardware! I'm a contractor working from home, I only have what I have.

But that brings up a thought. Does this machine have a dual AMD/Intel video system, like most laptops? If so can you tell if the game is running on the AMD or Intel video system? On Macs it is MacOS that judges which video system to use for any app (whereas under Windows it is the video driver that does that).

 

[Dimillian]

Yes, and I run it exclusively on the AMD (performance) mode. I guess the game would even launch on the Intel integrate card.
I really hope you can forward those videos to anyone doing some mac specific code at PDS.

 

[AndrewT]

I run it exclusively on the AMD (performance) mode.

You can see that in the game's settings.txt?

I guess the game would even launch on the Intel integrate card.

It should at least launch and run, yes.

I really hope you can forward those videos to anyone doing some mac specific code at PDS.

What QA need is to be able to duplicate the issue, it's pretty much impossible to fix a problem you cannot see. The fact that only you are reporting this (so far anyway) is not a good sign in that respect!

What GPU and CPU temperatures are you seeing before you start the game? Then in the main game menu? Ten when you play a game of this?

 

[Dimillian]

Normal temp, nothing unusual, actually imperator doesn't spin up the GPU & CPU that much. But I can play game much more demanding like CIV VI, fans spin up and all, and it's still smooth.

Are characters 3D render (live) and rendered then rendered as 2D flat bitmap? Because I suspect that the mobile GPU + lack of optimisation in characters rendering is what make it slow.

 

[AndrewT]

Are characters 3D render (live) and rendered then rendered as 2D flat bitmap?

I have no idea, I am sorry, that's way over my pay grade! You might try asking in a DD or in the Bug Reports forum.