Model panel slows down movie recording

[Tom Goddard]

Model panel slows down movie recording when I display a sequence of 391 models one per frame with

permodel "show #$1 model only" range 1,391

which runs at 40 frames per second if I do not autostart model panel, and 3 frames/sec if Model Panel has been started. Apparently updating the shown checkbuttons takes 1/3 second each frame.

Instead of attaching my 300 Mbyte multi-model PDB to reproduce this problem it is easier to generate an example by opening say 400 copies of one model with

perframe "open 1a0m" range 1,400

then wait 20 seconds or so for all those copies to open.

I don't see any easy way to optimize the model panel checkbutton updates. It would help a lot if closing Model Panel made it not update, so I can close it before recording a long movie. Currently after closing Model Panel it still takes just as long, apparently updating the undisplayed dialog. Perhaps an easy fix would be to destroy Model Panel when closed.

[Eric Pettersen]

I don't think 1a0m ever draws that fast anymore. Having never opened the Model Panel and using the "sticks" preset, the perframe show runs at 4.7 frames/sec. With the Model Panel displayed, it runs at 1.8 frames/sec. Hiding the Model Panel moves it back to 4.7 frames/sec.

[goddard@…]

Movie recording is a minor case of this issue.  But a much more important case is volume time series, where it is normal to play through several hundred volumes.  There might be another ticket for this.  If there isn't I should make one.