Question about image memory use

[duck-and-wolf]

In these following examples, will Ren'Py load the foo.png image into memory only once, and then merely assign multiple 'pointers' at it, or will it load the same image into memory four times?

Code: Select all

image example_1a = "some_folder/foo.png"
image example_1b = "some_folder/foo.png"
image example_1c = "some_folder/foo.png"
image example_1d = "some_folder/foo.png"

Code: Select all

image example_2a = "some_folder/foo.png"
image example_2b = example_2a
image example_2c = example_2a
image example_2d = example_2a

Code: Select all

image example_3a = "some_folder/foo.png"
image example_3b = example_3a
image example_3c = example_3b
image example_3d = example_3c

[duck-and-wolf]

No one knows, huh?

[gas]

Now, the thing is more complex than it does sound.
Renpy doesn't actually load anything in memory in advance at declaration phase. It does only on a prediction sense at runtime.
So, at declaration phase, nothing is stored in memory.
You can instantiate the same object 100 times or declare single 100 objects with the same picture parameter, the moment renpy need the image check if the picture is stored in memory and render it.

So, all such codes are equivalent. They create a reference to the IMAGE OBJECT, not the "picture".

[_ticlock_]

I did a simple test, that probably answers your question. (it does not duplicate the image with the same name in your drive if you show them all)

Case 1:
(one image)
Image cache: 7.3% (21.8 MB)

Code: Select all

image example_1a = "p1.png"

screen test_screen():
    add "example_1a"
 
label start:
    call screen test_screen()

Case 2:
(4 equivalent images)
Image cache: 7.3% (21.8 MB)

Code: Select all

image example_1a = "p1.png"
image example_1b = "p1.png"
image example_1c = "p1.png"
image example_1d = "p1.png"

screen test_screen():
    add "example_1a"
    add "example_1b"
    add "example_1c"
    add "example_1d"
 
label start:
    call screen test_screen()

Case 3:
(control case - no images)
Image cache: 4.4% (13.2 MB)

Code: Select all

screen test_screen():
    pass
 
label start:
    call screen test_screen()

Case 4:
(4 identical images stored in the system with different names )
Image cache: 15.9% (47.6 MB)

Code: Select all

image example_1a = "p1.png"
image example_1b = "p2.png"
image example_1c = "p3.png"
image example_1d = "p4.png"

screen test_screen():
    add "example_1a"
    add "example_1b"
    add "example_1c"
    add "example_1d"
 
label start:
    call screen test_screen()

[gas]

(I hate when people confirm what I've said with better examples XD)

[_ticlock_]

gas, my intention was to illustrate what you've said since I already did the test.

[gas]

gas, my intention was to illustrate what you've said since I already did the test.

You did extremely well, sometime to show the effects is better than explaining the cause.

[Imperf3kt]

There's also the dev tools in the console (CTRL+D) that I believe will tell you more information about what is loaded into memory.