[1.0][Release-5-0][April 28, 2015] Active Texture Management - Save RAM!

[rbray89]

I'm using Basic, but i only use about 2.3 GB ram, so it shouldn't be a problem. But I thinking deleting the cache could help, as I have since tried to make exceptions to TextureReplacer and EVE. Could you also please tell me exactly how to this, so I'm sure I'm doing it right.

How much memory do you have on your system? Is your graphics card integrated or dedicated? If it is integrated, then it likely borrows from your system memory, so if you have 4GB of Ram, a LOT of it is going into graphics memory.

[MGCJerry]

@MGCJerry - Before you start KSP, how much memory does windows say it is consuming, and how much does it show as free? Also, what size is your page file set for?

After running for a few days and doing some intensive tasks (real-world use): 232MB, with Firefox running its 455MB. Typically I have KSP running while I'm doing other stuff such as reading here (KSP uses 1.4GB in taskman). A fresh boot is usually 170-190MB. Pagefile is set to 512MB static size on a separate physical disk. Commit charge in taskman is 232M / 3,382M (93% remaining). I like resources going to my applications, not my OS.

Right now, my assumption for the errors is that KSP (mono) doesn't like me allocating thread objects that are processed, and we will likely have to scale back on them, either eliminating them entirely or only creating them as jobs are freed.

If you're willing to experiment, and need someone to experiment with I can make my KSP installs be guinea pigs and give my poor kerbals a break, especially after killing 133 kerbals in one launch.

[Sokar408]

How much memory do you have on your system? Is your graphics card integrated or dedicated? If it is integrated, then it likely borrows from your system memory, so if you have 4GB of Ram, a LOT of it is going into graphics memory.

PC rig:

CPU: Core i7 4790K

GPU: GTX 970

RAM: 16 GB

I don't think its a hardware problem. Also just to be sure; there anyway for me to add exclusions and where is the cached texture data?

[Virtualgenius]

Use the opengl switch it helps alot

[rbray89]

After running for a few days and doing some intensive tasks (real-world use): 232MB, with Firefox running its 455MB. Typically I have KSP running while I'm doing other stuff such as reading here (KSP uses 1.4GB in taskman). A fresh boot is usually 170-190MB. Pagefile is set to 512MB static size on a separate physical disk. Commit charge in taskman is 232M / 3,382M (93% remaining). I like resources going to my applications, not my OS.

If you're willing to experiment, and need someone to experiment with I can make my KSP installs be guinea pigs and give my poor kerbals a break, especially after killing 133 kerbals in one launch. http://2thextreme.org/forum_images/ksp/evilkerbal.gif

I'm afraid that Windows XP 32 will only let you go up so far in memory addressing, and the Pagefile won't help you at all. If I were in your situation, I'd be considering replacing your XP install with Linux.

[rbray89]

PC rig:

CPU: Core i7 4790K

GPU: GTX 970

RAM: 16 GB

I don't think its a hardware problem. Also just to be sure; there anyway for me to add exclusions and where is the cached texture data?

It is just a matter of opening up the config files (or creating them) and specifying what operations should be done to them. EVE already has one, you can base it off of that (BoulderCo). The cache is in ActiveTextureManagement. IIRC it is called textureCache. The cache will have the same hirearchy as the original, but again, deleting the cache won't help you.

You also failed to post your output_log.txt file that I explicitly ask for in the OP, so if you want any further support, I'll need that file.

[fangflight]

*AHEM*

I still need this information. The log indicates you may not have enough RAM to use the caching mechanism. You may have to kill all other things when running KSP (browsers, power point, word, etc.)

System specs are included in one of the crash folder' files.

[MGCJerry]

I'm afraid that Windows XP 32 will only let you go up so far in memory addressing, and the Pagefile won't help you at all. If I were in your situation, I'd be considering replacing your XP install with Linux.

That's what I suspected. Perhaps maybe a release note that its not XP compatible for the 3 people still using xp? Unfortunately I cant replace my windows install for linux and still work. I'm locked to windows for the time being. But I can still install a *nix distro as a triple boot and if I want to play KSP, I can do it then. Thanks for the info rbray.

[Rebelgamer]

^^While your at it, if you have the mem slots left, toss some more memory in there. WinXP x86 may not use it, but Linux/KSP x64 will like it.

[Sokar408]

It is just a matter of opening up the config files (or creating them) and specifying what operations should be done to them. EVE already has one, you can base it off of that (BoulderCo). The cache is in ActiveTextureManagement. IIRC it is called textureCache. The cache will have the same hirearchy as the original, but again, deleting the cache won't help you.

You also failed to post your output_log.txt file that I explicitly ask for in the OP, so if you want any further support, I'll need that file.

I deleted the ATM mod, reinstalled it, and added an exception to the TextureReplacer folder, and the problem has completely disappeared, so as assumed the TextureReplacer and ATM doesn't seem to like each other. I'll try and replicate the issue, and if I'm successful I'll add the output_log.txt (My apologies for forgetting it), and put a screenshot to show the issue.

[rbray89]

System specs are included in one of the crash folder' files.

I just checked them. Couldn't find the windows version or the installed ram, or processor count. Would have been much easier had you just placed them here.

KSP does have some info available:

AMD Radeon HD 6290 Graphics

Vendor: ATI

VRAM: 1011 MB (via DXGI)

This tells me you are running with an integrated graphics chipset with shared memory on what is likely a laptop. I will assume that because this is an older chipset and the username "student", you probably only have about 4GB of RAM so with the system, and graphics taking up RAM, you won't have much left to actually run KSP, let alone the caching mechanism.

Try closing EVERYTHING but KSP, and try that, you may have more luck.

[rbray89]

I deleted the ATM mod, reinstalled it, and added an exception to the TextureReplacer folder, and the problem has completely disappeared, so as assumed the TextureReplacer and ATM doesn't seem to like each other. I'll try and replicate the issue, and if I'm successful I'll add the output_log.txt (My apologies for forgetting it), and put a screenshot to show the issue.

Yeah, ATM and TR seem to be at slight odds, though I'm not sure why at this point.

[MGCJerry]

^^While your at it, if you have the mem slots left, toss some more memory in there. WinXP x86 may not use it, but Linux/KSP x64 will like it.

I actually have 8GB physical, when I built this machine 8GB pair was cheaper than the 4GB pair by $30. If I boot into Server 2003 32bit, all 8GB shows up but server2003 has horrible gaming ability even when tuning it to allow 3d acceleration. Even with the stuff now, I have to *really*push it to hit close to using all my resources. Heck even lately I'm crunching SETI@home while playing KSP with music going (winamp and local media files).

[rbray89]

I actually have 8GB physical, when I built this machine 8GB pair was cheaper than the 4GB pair by $30. If I boot into Server 2003 32bit, all 8GB shows up but server2003 has horrible gaming ability even when tuning it to allow 3d acceleration. Even with the stuff now, I have to *really*push it to hit close to using all my resources. Heck even lately I'm crunching SETI@home while playing KSP with music going (winamp and local media files).

I'm really curious... Why the ancient windows versions??? XP and 2003 Server Edition? Heck, even a LiveUSB linux version would probably be a nice update for you

[fangflight]

I just checked them. Couldn't find the windows version or the installed ram, or processor count. Would have been much easier had you just placed them here.

KSP does have some info available:

AMD Radeon HD 6290 Graphics

Vendor: ATI

VRAM: 1011 MB (via DXGI)

This tells me you are running with an integrated graphics chipset with shared memory on what is likely a laptop. I will assume that because this is an older chipset and the username "student", you probably only have about 4GB of RAM so with the system, and graphics taking up RAM, you won't have much left to actually run KSP, let alone the caching mechanism.

Try closing EVERYTHING but KSP, and try that, you may have more luck.

It turns out I had gotten that error because I had a sticky note open. It works now that I closed it. Thanks!

[LitaAlto]

To those with the HEAP error:

A couple questions:

I noticed a pattern that those with the error have 32 bit machines running windows... is that correct? There may be something we can do, but it will probably mean disabling the multithreaded option.

Please add your windows version, processor core count, and ram size.

Yes, I'm on Win7 x86.

My processor (Athlon II X2 215) has two cores.

I've got 4 Gb RAM installed, with the usual caveat about not having full access to all the RAM.

This is for Kerbal Space Program 0.90.0

So on my system, I can close all windows, run a game booster that kills off all unnecessary services, and defrag memory, then run a clean install of KSP with only ATM added. Then the game loads as if ATM never cached isn't caching anything, and runs into the heap segment error after about 15-30 seconds. I never see a sign of a textureCache folder, BTW.

And here's my output log if you need it.

Thanks!

Edited December 23, 2014 by LitaAlto
Clarified--ATM isn't caching.

[Kowgan]

This might be partially off-topic, but is also partially on-topic.

I never really had a problem with RAM, and my KSP never took that long to launch. The main reason I installed ATM was to avoid the .tga disappearing textures bug.

Problem is, I noticed KSP has been crashing really often, lately, and although I have 16GB of RAM, I caught KSP using 3.5GB of it, shortly before crashing. So, I'm assuming the software is going to the 4GB peak and crashing.

The question: Is anyone else here, who also have ATM installed, going through this? I suspect that somehow, ATM is causing that RAM overload, but I have no clue how, since it's designed to do the opposite.

Excluding Squad, NASAmission and ModStatistics (and ATM, of course), I got 150MB of mods. That shouldn't be a reason for the RAM overload.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Kowgan

[jediKatana]

You saved my mods, every last one of them. Thank you so much.

By the way: Guess what!

Use KSP x64, just for launch, so ATM can churn through your mods with no limit. It may crash once or twice, but it sure saved me.

[MGCJerry]

I'm really curious... Why the ancient windows versions??? XP and 2003 Server Edition? Heck, even a LiveUSB linux version would probably be a nice update for you

Going to hijack a bit... Because you asked.

I use what I have now mainly because of my workflow. No sense in paying to change my workflow because a new OS or application update is available. This old dog also sticks with the methodology that "Newer is not always better". I use a number of old applications and while some have comparable versions for *nix or a new version a few of these I rely heavily on do not work correctly on anything Vista or newer (not a fault of the OS, but of the program). Also a lot of the "interface improvements" made in the last number of years in many applications drive me crazy. I'm not impressed with the way ubuntu has gone with its interface. I much prefer 11.04 for workstations. Right now my needs are being met.

However, there are a number of things I love about Windows 7 but due to a small number of application incompatibility I can't use it "full-time". I have considered doing what I did years ago was having a workstation and remote connected to another machine to "do work" which I could do given my selection of machines. Because of current events in the last year (long story, possibly entertaining and a bit of a sob story, but if you want to know I can post a link) I'm unable to do that.

As far as server 2003 I use it on my local primary server that used to be a 'production' machine for my sites. Luckily it came with a cheap server I ended up buying a number of years ago. I cant go *nix on this server due to a windows application to process weather information from my monitoring station (I'm a CWOP member reporting live weather data to NOAA & Weather Underground). The *nix version is highly limited and a different license, and I know my way around windows better than *nix. I did the 180 day evaluation of server 2008 but it ate too much resources to do what its doing now and I don't own a 2008 license.

Wow, didn't think I would ramble this much.

TL DR; This old dog doesn't learn new tricks unless the new tricks pays me more.

My current mods: ScanSat, Kethane (for 0.25), MechJeb (I know.. boo! boo! *hiss* boo!), Hyperedit & KAS.

[rbray89]

Going to hijack a bit... Because you asked.

I use what I have now mainly because of my workflow. No sense in paying to change my workflow because a new OS or application update is available. This old dog also sticks with the methodology that "Newer is not always better". I use a number of old applications and while some have comparable versions for *nix or a new version a few of these I rely heavily on do not work correctly on anything Vista or newer (not a fault of the OS, but of the program). Also a lot of the "interface improvements" made in the last number of years in many applications drive me crazy. I'm not impressed with the way ubuntu has gone with its interface. I much prefer 11.04 for workstations. Right now my needs are being met.

However, there are a number of things I love about Windows 7 but due to a small number of application incompatibility I can't use it "full-time". I have considered doing what I did years ago was having a workstation and remote connected to another machine to "do work" which I could do given my selection of machines. Because of current events in the last year (long story, possibly entertaining and a bit of a sob story, but if you want to know I can post a link) I'm unable to do that.

As far as server 2003 I use it on my local primary server that used to be a 'production' machine for my sites. Luckily it came with a cheap server I ended up buying a number of years ago. I cant go *nix on this server due to a windows application to process weather information from my monitoring station (I'm a CWOP member reporting live weather data to NOAA & Weather Underground). The *nix version is highly limited and a different license, and I know my way around windows better than *nix. I did the 180 day evaluation of server 2008 but it ate too much resources to do what its doing now and I don't own a 2008 license.

Wow, didn't think I would ramble this much.

TL DR; This old dog doesn't learn new tricks unless the new tricks pays me more.

My current mods: ScanSat, Kethane (for 0.25), MechJeb (I know.. boo! boo! *hiss* boo!), Hyperedit & KAS.

Whenever someone mentions breaking workflow I can't help but think of XKCD: http://xkcd.com/1172/

I don't want to judge, but MS has officially dropped support for XP... Eventually you will "have" to upgrade

[MGCJerry]

Whenever someone mentions breaking workflow I can't help but think of XKCD: http://xkcd.com/1172/

I don't want to judge, but MS has officially dropped support for XP... Eventually you will "have" to upgrade

XKCD is great. The best way to avoid workflow changes is not to change your environment. Problem averted.

I didn't upgrade to XP until a few years ago when I finally got off Windows 2000 Pro and that was mainly to make use of the Logitech G15 keyboard (original) and a new computer build because the drivers in one form or another refused to run in Win2k (entry point failed in the ntoskrnl.dll file). I don't upgrade until it gets to the point in which I have to but by then I'm usually building a new computer. My next build will be some flavor of *nix because Windows is getting too cloudy and mobile like for my tastes, not to mention being a total nagging nanny. "Yes ma. I'm looking in the system directory. I promise I'll be careful", "Yes ma. I'm sure these files belong in appData because I'm migrating settings manually. yes, I know. Yes, I know.", etc. Hopefully by that time conditions are more favorable where I can separate my "work" from "play" machines. I'm also the kind of person who will repair stuff when it breaks to milk out more life out of it. Software such as an OS included.

I know, I'm weird, unless I'm killing Jeb for the 5^50 th time until she gets mad at me and calls me mean names that I can't repeat here.

[BaseDrifter]

Hey everyone,

I love using ATM. It helps make the game playable with the large number of mods I use. What I don't love is how it made a lot of the Toolbar icons look fuzzy, or in some cases, a gray box with no discernible shape. This would happen in both the stock toolbar and blizzy's. I had read a number of pages back that small textures were supposed to be excluded from ATM compression, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

A little more searching led me to info saying that exceptions needed to be configured to prevent compression of certain textures. After a few hours of trial and error (I'm the furthest thing from a coder) I successfully modified the config files. I started out with fixing the DeadlyReentry icon, then fixed MechJeb's, and eventually figured out how to fix the blurred out parachute category icon in the VAB.

I also added an exception to the Squad folder for the strategies folder, no more blurry strategies!

A SCANsat config file is included with ATM, but I was still getting blurry icons. I rewrote the config file in the same format as the other ones and got it working.

Here's a list of the mods and exceptions I wrote:

DeadlyReentry - Exception for the Assets folder = fixed icons

EditorExtensions - Exception for the entire EditorExtensions folder = fixed icon

FerramAerospaceResearch - Exception for the textures folder = fixed icon

MagicSmokeIndustries - Exception for the textures folder = fixed icons

MechJeb2 - Exception for icons folder = fixed icons

SCANsat - Reformatted, exception for icons folder = fixed icons

SmartStage - Exception for the entire SmartStage folder = fixed icons

Squad - Exception for the strategies and partlist folders = fixed parachute category icon in VAB and strategies icons

StageRecovery - Exception for the entire StageRecovery folder = fixed icons

ThunderAerospace - Exception for the TACLS textures folder, I also removed compression from the TACLS containers as I use those most frequently and the compression made them look pretty bad.

I've compiled all of the configs into a zip file you can download below. I hope this helps some of the other noobs like me out there! If you're using a mod with icons that you want fixed let me know and I'll see what I can do to fix it for you, I've got the hang of it now. That said, if a more experienced modded could look over my configs to check for any errors that would be great, but they all appear to work well enough.

DOWNLOAD

Edited December 23, 2014 by BaseDrifter

[Khatharr]

I don't want to judge, but MS has officially dropped support for XP... Eventually you will "have" to upgrade

I don't understand why those two things are related.

[KerbMav]

.

Thank you!

I updated yesterday and had all my icons bludgy, FAR's being white even.

Will give your configs a try and add my own as necessary.

Wonder what happened here - or did I use the basic in .25.5 ... ?

[BaseDrifter]

No problem, it was a good learning experience and a reason for me to foray into configs.

I just added a config for FAR to the download that fixes the blurry icon for you.

For some reason the same method that has worked for all those mods doesn't work for RealChute. I couldn't get the icon to show up properly. Tried a bunch of different exception levels and deleted the cached ATM files, no dice.