No switching out of FG to another program.

[GuardianLurker]

Summary: FG continually errors after switching out to another problem

Ruleset(s): 5e

Extensions/Themes: No 3rd party (Decals only)

Modules Loaded:
42738

Operating System: Windows 10

Steps to Reproduce:
1) Create a new 5e campaign.
2) Load the modules listed
3) Open another program that will cover a significant portion (>= 30%) of FG.
4) Using the taskbar, switch back to FG, then back to the other program, then back to FG

At this point you should see a series of console errors. Generally, initially:
...
Runtime Error: D3DXCreateTexture failed - D3DPOOL_MANAGED
Runtime Error: D3DXCreateTexture failed - D3DPOOL_MANAGED
Runtime Error: D3DXCreateTexture failed - D3DPOOL_MANAGED
Runtime Error: Exception: bad allocation


After this point, any interaction with FG will generate more console errors.
The only solution is to exit the program, minimize/exit the other program, and restart FG.

Analysis: The problem is apparently "Descent Into Avernus", removing the module removes the problem.

[damned]

Too many tokens?

[GuardianLurker]

Not displayed. They may be loaded, but I can load more through other modules and it doesn't cause issues.

[Kelrugem]

How big is your RAM usage? FGC is a 32-bit programme, so, RAM usage over 3.2 GB becomes critical; you may have loaded or shared too many images (and tokens as Damned mentioned) :)

[GuardianLurker]

This is with a new campaign and NO players/clients. No shared images.

Footprint is 635 MiB.

[damned]

How many tokens?

[GuardianLurker]

From the loaded modules, approx. 1200.

However, I've safely loaded *lots* more tokens before.

[Zacchaeus]

I''m not seeing this and I cannot reproduce.

The error you are getting looks like a graphics driver or DX9 error possibly. Make sure your graphics drivers are up to date and if you are on a laptop make sure FG is using your graphics card and not the built in graphics on the motherboard.

[Trenloe]

This appears on some computers, depending on their graphics driver and how it handles the old DX9 libraries. It happens when the DX9 content (FG uses DX9) is no longer being displayed. It used to happen a lot when FG was minimized - hence why the ability to minimize FG was removed in FG Classic.

It's annoying, but you can ignore the D3D errors. Or you can try changing your graphics driver (newer or older version).

As an aside - if you just get "bad allocation" errors on their own (without D3D errors) then that's different and is related to memory use.

[GuardianLurker]

Thanks for the info about the DX9 issues. And the minimization issues explains much.

Aside from all of that, however, is that once the errors start appearing, they never stop, and prevent me from doing *anything* within FG (aside from exiting).

If it is an issue between builtin video and video card, how would I fix that within FG?

Update:
I've installed DX9, which has taken care of those errors.

However, I am still getting the Bad Alloc errors - in an otherwise empty campaign, with only the Library window open (not the module window, just the basic Library), on a system with over 30 GiB (31.8 free GiB) of RAM, and using an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super.

Currently running:
Firefox (one tab, this exact forum): 588 MB
Settings (About Tab): 23 MB
File Explorer: 77 MB
FG itself: 3579 MB

Assorted system processes (including Task Manager) bring the used RAM up to 12.3 GB out of 32 GB.

I don't know what's going on underneath the covers, but it sure looks like there's lots of memory available.

[Trenloe]

If it is an issue between builtin video and video card, how would I fix that within FG?
You can't fix it within FG. It's related to your local setup. If you have two different video cards, then try switching FG to use a different one and see if that removes/reduces the errors. Or, as I mentioned in my previous post, change the graphics card drivers if there are different versions available.

[Kelrugem]

FG itself: 3579 MB

That is too much for FG :) Your whole RAM capacity on your computer does not matter so much here; FGC is a 32-bit programme, it cannot really use more than 3.2 GB RAM. Which is why you see errors like the allocation thing

You need to unshare a lot of your images, and 1200 tokens are way too much I believe :) so, also unload the token modules. Just load and share what you need :)

[Trenloe]

That is too much for FG :)
Well spotted. I didn't notice that in the post. The earlier post said the memory use was much less - probably just after loading FG, but not in use.

@GuardianLurker - as 2Kelrugem mentions, you're going to need to reduce your open modules/resources to get that memory use down.

[GuardianLurker]

Actually, the previous quote reached similar numbers in startup, then reduced to the lower amount. I don't know why it didn't happen this time. (And yes, I agree 3.5 GB is way to freaking much. Even 670 is way too much, IMO.)

As for the tokens, you are aware that over 2/3 of that total are just from the DMG and MM modules? Descent and Mordenkainen's basically contribute the rest.

That's a *very* bare-bones load - no map modules, no character/token modules, and only one adventure. In my normal campaigns, I generally have at least a half-dozen map modules loaded, and over a dozen token modules. And generally three or more adventure modules as well - for me, typically Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Rise of Tiamat, and Descent Into Avernus, plus my own adventure modules based on and around those.

And as long as I don't switch out, none of that poses a problem.

I can certainly unload the token modules I don't use (and will), but that's not going to work for rules-module or adventure-based tokens, since the resources of those modules are bound tightly together. If, for instance, I use monsters from the MM and Mordenkainen's, I can't pull in *just* the tokens of the monsters I'm using, but all of them. That's 600+ tokens, no matter how many monsters I use from either. And while I can work around that at session time, it doesn't help while I'm writing/developing my content.

I'm looking forward to switch to FGU, but that won't happen until the campaign is over (probably sometime this summer).