Call for attention - context handlers and validation procs

[thomthom]

I hope the various scripters here can take a moment and look into this.

While working on a large siteplan where I had ~200-300K edges I noticed that when I had selected everything and right-clicked SU would freeze up for several seconds before poping up the window. Often the SU window would flicker as it returned to a responsive state and cause the right click menu to disappear.

I tried with all plugins disabled and found that there was then no lag at all.

It occurred to me that some plugins might be trying to process the whole selection in the context handler. Checking my own plugin I found Selection Toys to do so - which of course is a naught thing to do. I modified it so it'd only inspect the selection if the selection was less than 1000 entities. When the selection is over 1000 it makes the assumption that the selection can contain anything and display all menus.

That cut down the lag a little, but there's still many seconds lag. So there is more plugins. Initial scan of my plugins I found no more, so now I ask the rest of you to review your context menu handlers.

And I expect one should be just as careful when it comes to validation procs. (I'm a wee bit unsure to exactly when these triggers - as toolbar buttons also can have these.)

Summary:
Don't process the whole selection in context handlers or validation procs. Place size limitations or remove the validation all together.

Test the right click menu and it's performance on large models with large selections when adding context handlers.

---

Debug Script for Benchmarking

Ensure this loads before all other plugins.
Open the Ruby Console, when right-clicking performance data will be outputted.

To list all attached handlers:
TT.list_context_handlers

[tbd]

maybe we should create a checklist for releasing ruby scripts, something like http://lite.launchlist.net

[thomthom]

I think that would be a good idea.

[AdamB]

I'm half finished with a plugin called "Snitch" which collates the time each plugin's Observers take so we can start pointing fingers.

Guidelines are fine, but witchhunts / naming and shaming has much better results.

[thomthom]

How do you manage to track other observers?
Can it be translated into validation procs and context handlers?

[Chris Fullmer]

@adamb said:

Guidelines are fine, but witchhunts / naming and shaming has much better results.

Woohoo!, let the games begin. I have a feeling I'm gonna score big!!!! (I hope its good to score big )

[thomthom]

[thomthom]

uh... both maybe

[flash=640,385:2c4nksvr]http://www.youtube.com/v/zrzMhU_4m-g?fs=1&hl=en_US[/flash:2c4nksvr]

[honoluludesktop]

Are the witches hunting, or are we hunting witches?-)

Don't know what the following has to do with this topic, but it seemed like the thing to do:-)

[honoluludesktop]

That's rich! The opening scene strikes a cord, it's me writing an app:-)

[thomthom]

I made a little sniffer script that will log the scripts that creates context handlers. Lets one easier inspect which scripts are adding context handlers.

I found xLine to be processing the whole selection. I'll be looking further into what scripts have inefficient context handlers. At the moment it takes many seconds for me when I right click a large set of selected entities.

(Removed - See first post)

Type TT.list_context_handlers to get a list of attached context handlers in the Ruby Console.

[thomthom]

I just updated the first post with the debug script - it now benchmarks the handlers, outputting the time they take to process to the Ruby Console.

[thomthom]

Sample output for a selection of about 100K entities:

### Context Handler ### 2D#loader.rb:181:inactivate' [...] 2D#.rb:44
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

bezier.rb:501 [...] bezier.rb:501
0.006 seconds

Context Handler

parametric.rb:320 [...] (eval):2696
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

(eval):103:in `load' [...] pb_loader.rb:9
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

tt_bitmap2mesh.rb:29 [...] tt_proxy_loader.rb:28
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

tt_image_opacity.rb:30 [...] tt_proxy_loader.rb:28
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

ui_manager.rb:261:in `build_ui' [...] tt_selection_toys.rb:240
0.004 seconds

Context Handler

xLine.rb:51 [...] xLine.rb:51
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

Lib6Plugin.rb:656:in `build_config_handlers' [...] ZLoader__FredoScale.rb:24
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

Lib6Plugin.rb:656:in `build_config_handlers' [...] ZLoader__OnSurface.rb:26
0.489 seconds

Context Handler

(eval):299:in `initialize' [...] dynamiccomponents.rb:38
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

webtextures_loader.rb:886 [...] webtextures.rb:22
0.0 seconds

Context Handler

bezierspline_main.rb:2413:in load_all_menus' [...] extensions.rb:36:in load'
5.657 seconds`

(Note I had modified xLine and Selection Toys prior to this test)

[fredo6]

@thomthom said:

Sample output for a selection of about 100K entities:

Context Handler

bezierspline_main.rb:2413:in load_all_menus' [...] extensions.rb:36:in load'
5.657 seconds[/ruby]

I fixed the one for BezierSpline, with an upgrade.
see http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=13563&p=100509#p100509

Fredo

[thomthom]

[Pout]

Reminds me of something simular I seem to have in big models when rightclicking a material.
The rightclick window just doesn't pop-up

[thomthom]

@pout said:

Reminds me of something simular I seem to have in big models when rightclicking a material.
The rightclick window just doesn't pop-up

Yea - I've noticed that too. Very annoying. But that menu isn't accessible to ruby plugins. So I think that one is on Google's shoulders.

[Jim]

@unknownuser said:

@thomthom said:

Sample output for a selection of about 100K entities:

Context Handler

bezierspline_main.rb:2413:in load_all_menus' [...] extensions.rb:36:in load'
5.657 seconds[/ruby]

I fixed the one for BezierSpline, with an upgrade.
see http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=13563&p=100509#p100509

Fredo

Bezierspline_main is still sort-of slow for me - it takes 8 seconds for the context menu to pop-up for 75,000 selected entities. (I admit to having a sub-standard pc.)

[fredo6]

@jim said:

Bezierspline_main is still sort-of slow for me - it takes 8 seconds for the context menu to pop-up for 75,000 selected entities. (I admit to having a sub-standard pc.)

Jim,

I made a change in the script.
see main post on BezierSpline

Is is better with this release

Thanks

Fredo

[thomthom]