VU meter CPU usage

[djinn2]

An interesting issue with many of the newer skins featuring responsive vu meters seems to be an increase in cpu usage. This only occurs when the vu is animating and isn't a great amount but its quite fascinating to see the beat of the music reflected in the cpu usage history

[SLoB]

i reckon some more optimisation could be done within the engine for the vu animations imo, its a bit random on the cpu usage depending on volume level and song,
would also depend on the amount of frames/layers within the vu's

might be worth experimenting with number of layers, size, content
- layers - say between 5 & 25 layers - wouldnt have thought it would make much more sense with more than approx 15 layers but an optimum number might well be good to determine
- size - again a small vu shouldnt take up hardly any cpu compared to a huge area due to the drawing/updating of layer and if its under other layers for example a glass or other layers
- content - a simple bar compared to a more fuller animation with lots of areas with transparent areas etc..

i think keeping layers/frames 10 or under shouldnt be too much of a problem with todays newer/next gen cpus but that also depends on what cpu you got in the first place

[I.R. Brainiac]

size matters