Firestorm - FPS when viewer not focused

[Kyrie Deka]

FPS are x when using Firestorm in focus. 

Then you move to another window, e.g. checking email for MP notifications etc.

FPS in Firestorm then drops to y when the viewer is not-focused

 

Was wondering if there a setting somewhere, debug or otherwise, that might affect the FPS number to which FS drops when not focused.  

 

 

[Solar Legion]

While I am unaware of any setting to alter it, such is intended behavior. There is little reason to maintain the FPS rate when the window is not active.

[Gage Wirefly]

It's' yield time and can be changed in settings of the viewer.

[Wulfie Reanimator]

In other viewers, including the LL viewer, the debug setting is called "BackgroundYieldTime"

Setting the value to zero will give you the same FPS regardless of whether the viewer is in focus or not.

Edited December 17, 2020 by Wulfie Reanimator

[Kyrie Deka]

Needed to test something with it. Thanks you!

[Fritigern Gothly]

3 hours ago, Kyrie Deka said:

FPS are x when using Firestorm in focus. 

Then you move to another window, e.g. checking email for MP notifications etc.

FPS in Firestorm then drops to y when the viewer is not-focused

Was wondering if there a setting somewhere, debug or otherwise, that might affect the FPS number to which FS drops when not focused.  

Not only FS but ALL viewers do this and they have been doing this since.... at least since I joined SL nearly 14 ago. 

[Kyrie Deka]

 

44 minutes ago, Fritigern Gothly said:

and they have been doing this since

Yes, aware.  I am testing for something unrelated to what I know is this expected behavior, and only asked for any settings available in the event I could change the setting during testing for rule-outs.  I asked for the settings only if they were even available at that level, and thanks to those who shared.

[Jackson Redstar]

On 12/17/2020 at 2:37 PM, Wulfie Reanimator said:

In other viewers, including the LL viewer, the debug setting is called "BackgroundYieldTime"

Setting the value to zero will give you the same FPS regardless of whether the viewer is in focus or not.

well that fixed a issue I been wanting to fix for years! when Im recording if I click off on something on OBS or something on the other monitor - FPS drops accordingly thanks for that

[sandi Mexicola]

Well, I went in the other direction!  I have BackgroundYieldTime set to 1000!  That gives me a little extra help if I am trying to use something like Photoshop at the same time.

[Odaks]

I was under the impression that it is actually a Windows function that puts a lid on minimised programs, and have always presumed that the SL viewers piggyback onto that. If so, the viewer's settings seem to be able to influence the default Windows settings. I wonder how other operating sytems respond; the same way?

I might be totally wrong about about this. Can anyone confirm or deny? 

Edited December 21, 2020 by Odaks

[sandi Mexicola]

There may well be a difference between having Firestorm minimized vs having it in the background.  If I am recording a video using FRAPs, and I minimize Firestorm, FRAPs records a frozen scene until I unminimize Firestorm again.  I don't know if that is due to FRAPs, or Firestorm, or Windows.

[Wulfie Reanimator]

7 hours ago, Odaks said:

I was under the impression that it is actually a Windows function that puts a lid on minimised programs, and have always presumed that the SL viewers piggyback onto that. If so, the viewer's settings seem to be able to influence the default Windows settings. I wonder how other operating sytems respond; the same way?

I might be totally wrong about about this. Can anyone confirm or deny? 

No, Windows won't automatically throttle programs that aren't in focus. Not in the way we're talking about here.

There are hundreds of programs running on your computer right now that don't even have a window to minimize.

5 hours ago, sandi Mexicola said:

There may well be a difference between having Firestorm minimized vs having it in the background.  If I am recording a video using FRAPs, and I minimize Firestorm, FRAPs records a frozen scene until I unminimize Firestorm again.  I don't know if that is due to FRAPs, or Firestorm, or Windows.

While Windows won't update the window itself while it's minimized, Firestorm is still running in the background and doing all the calculations it normally does. Some programs are smart enough to stop doing certain stuff on their own while minimized, but that's not something Windows enforces.

Edited December 22, 2020 by Wulfie Reanimator

[sandi Mexicola]

Wulfie, thank you for that information.

[Steph Catseye]

There is also the possibility to create a second or 3rd display on your actual screen.
Assuming the only reason to care about "steady" FPS in SL would be streaming or recording you could go ahead and create a 2nd screen and your first screen remains always focused, your streaming or recording software completely ignores the 2nd screen. You can switch that on the fly, resolution remains the same even when it temporarily appears smaller on your screen.