Question

I have the DirectX-based application. And recently I found that Now() function returns a wrong value when being called from within the main loop of my graphics engine. It gives one value being called before engine initialized and different one (usually differs 2-3 minutes back or forward) when being called in my application when graphics is started.

I found that Now() function is a wrapper for Windows API GetLocalTime() function. Anyone can point out what can affect the return value of this very function? I heavily use timeGetTime() function in the main loop of my app, can it be the source of problem? Also I need to use CheckSyncronize() function in the main loop…

Any ideas? I’m out of clues… 🙁

code of the main loop:

    procedure Td2dCore.System_Run;
    var
        l_Msg: TMsg;
        l_Point: TPoint;
        l_Rect : TRect;
        l_Finish: Boolean;
    begin
        if f_WHandle = 0 then
        begin
            System_Log('Engine was not started!');
            Exit;
        end;

        if not Assigned(f_OnFrame) then
        begin
            System_Log('Frame function is not assigned!');
            Exit;
        end;

        // MAIN LOOP
        l_Finish := False;
        while not l_Finish do
        begin
            // dispatch messages
            if PeekMessage(l_Msg, 0, 0, 0, PM_REMOVE) then
            begin
                if l_Msg.message = WM_QUIT then
                    l_Finish := True;
                DispatchMessage(l_Msg);
                Continue;
            end;

            GetCursorPos(l_Point);
            GetClientRect(f_WHandle, l_Rect);
            MapWindowPoints(f_WHandle, 0, l_Rect, 2);
            f_MouseOver := f_MouseCaptured or (PtInRect(l_Rect, l_Point) and (WindowFromPoint(l_Point) = f_WHandle));
            if f_Active or f_DontSuspend then
            begin
                repeat
                    f_DeltaTicks := timeGetTime - f_Time0;
                    if f_DeltaTicks <= f_FixedDelta then
                        Sleep(1);
                until f_DeltaTicks > f_FixedDelta;
                //if f_DeltaTicks >= f_FixedDelta then
                begin
                    f_DeltaTime := f_DeltaTicks / 1000.0;

                    // if delay was too big, count it as if where was no delay
                    // (return from suspended state for instance)
                    if f_DeltaTime > 0.2 then
                        if f_FixedDelta > 0 then
                            f_DeltaTime := f_FixedDelta / 1000.0
                        else
                            f_DeltaTime := 0.01;

                    f_Time := f_Time + f_DeltaTime;

                    f_Time0 := timeGetTime;

                    if(f_Time0 - f_Time0FPS < 1000) then
                        Inc(f_FPSCount)
                    else
                    begin
                        f_FPS := f_FPSCount;
                        f_FPSCount := 0;
                        f_Time0FPS := f_Time0;
                    end;

                    f_OnFrame(f_DeltaTime, l_Finish);
                    if Assigned(f_OnRender) then
                        f_OnRender();
                    ClearQueue;
                    {
                    if (not f_Windowed) and (f_FixedFPS = D2D_FPS_VSYNC) then
                        Sleep(1);
                    }
                end;
                {
                else
                    if (f_FixedDelta > 0) and (f_DeltaTicks+3 < f_FixedDelta) then
                        Sleep(1);
                }
            end
            else
                Sleep(1);
            CheckSynchronize;
        end;
    end;

the Now() is called somewhere in f_OnFrame() function.

Answer 1

Finally I’ve found the solution. I needed to specify th D3DCREATE_FPU_PRESERVE flag when creating a D3D device by D3D.CreateDevice.

Otherwise, without that flag, all floating point operations are performed with single precision. As the TDateTime is a simple Double, and Now() functions is consist of simple addition of date value to time value, it all get messed up by DirectX “smart” override.

Problem solved. It was a tricky one indeed. 🙂