Splash Screen for slow loading Android App

[nov]

Thanks guys! I just improved the code to start in 4-5 seconds, started to use spread sheets for this app! But it still displays, with current code, as written at the top of this forum thread, not yet modified it: first logo for a second then it shows black screen for about 3 - 4 seconds until app starts.

I will try to test Levis and or others solution too now. Will report back.

[Levis]

@nov with my solution I don’t have any glitch or black screen, last year I’ve worked to resolve this, maybe you can find also useful my first post on native splashscreen:

Android native Splashscreen

I need some help on creating a native splashscreen. I mean the splash that use the png in drawable path. In AndroidManifest.xml we have: android:icon="@drawable/icon" and it works. But the default theme: android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen"> Doesn’t have the style: <item name="android:windowBackground">@drawable/splash</item> So what is the right way to proceed? I have created styles.xml in res/values, with the following code: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"…

[nov]

How R is defined, please?

I am getting:

/testproject/proj.android-studio/app/src/org/cocos2dx/cpp/AppActivity.java:38: error: package R does not exist
        loader_dialog = new Dialog(this,R.style.Loader);
                                         ^
/testproject/proj.android-studio/app/src/org/cocos2dx/cpp/AppActivity.java:39: error: package R does not exist
        loader_dialog.setContentView(R.layout.loader);

I am not yet very familiar with Android code, although I know Java, I am staring to get to used to Android.

[Levis]

R.java is autogenerated on build, these are the resources (drawable, layout, styles etc)

maybe I forgot to add in import line when I rewrote “your bundle”:
import com.bundle.appname.R;

[nov]

Ok. Thanks. Seems to be a little better, but now getting this.

/testproject/proj.android-studio/app/src/org/cocos2dx/cpp/AppActivity.java:40: error: cannot find symbol
        loader_dialog.setContentView(R.layout.loader);
                                             ^
  symbol:   variable loader
  location: class layout
1 error

[Levis]

You’re right, sorry forgot to add this:

layout/loader.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
 android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="match_parent"
 android:background="@drawable/splash"
 android:orientation="vertical">
</LinearLayout>

Next time I’ll promise to create a repo with all files

[nov]

Ok. Thanks. It compiles!

But now it seems the logo stays there forever, not sure what I am not doing right?

[versailles]

You can call dismissLoader here, in your c++ code, for the logo don’t stay forever, you close it when you enter in your application :

void EcranChargement::onEnter()
{
#if (CC_TARGET_PLATFORM == CC_PLATFORM_ANDROID)
#include “platform/android/jni/JniHelper.h”
#include < jni.h>
JniMethodInfo methodInfo;
if (JniHelper::getStaticMethodInfo(methodInfo, “org/cocos2dx/cpp/AppActivity”, “dismissLoader”, “()V”)) {
methodInfo.env->CallStaticVoidMethod(methodInfo.classID, methodInfo.methodID);
methodInfo.env->DeleteLocalRef(methodInfo.classID);
}
#endif

Layer::onEnter();
scheduleOnce(CC_SCHEDULE_SELECTOR(EcranChargement::RunGameScreen), 1.0f);

}

[Levis]

Yes @versailles is right.

You can call dismissLoader everywhere you decide in your code with JNI helper.

In some apps I call after loading data and if you want you can also add a static delay if you need some more time or whatever else:

// Remove Splashscreen when all important data is loaded
void Start::dismissLoader() {
  CCLOG("[Start] dismissLoader");
#if(CC_TARGET_PLATFORM == CC_PLATFORM_ANDROID)
  this->runAction(Sequence::create(
    DelayTime::create(1.0f),
    CallFunc::create([&]() {
      JniMethodInfo t;
      if (JniHelper::getStaticMethodInfo(t, "your activity", "dismissLoader", "()V")) {
        t.env->CallStaticVoidMethod(t.classID, t.methodID);
      }
    }),
    nullptr));
#endif
}

[nov]

Thanks guys! It works perfectly!

Only issue I have now is that my screenshot is whole Android screen height size height.

But it gets cut because of bottom toolbar displayed there.

Is there anything to do with it, please?

loader.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:baselineAligned="false"
    android:measureWithLargestChild="false"
    android:background="@drawable/background_splash">

</LinearLayout>

background_splash.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <item
        android:drawable="@color/white"/>

    <item>
        <bitmap
            android:gravity="center"
            android:src="@mipmap/screen"/>
    </item>

</layer-list>

[Levis]

Sorry I didn’t undertand, can u post a screenshot?

[nov]

At the bottom of the screen is navigation bar. Which makes the splash screen image to not fit. Image is cut at the bottom and at the top.

[nov]

Ok. I fixed it by setting full screen to loader dialog and cocos2dx view according to this article and this cocos2dx thread.

http://developer.sonymobile.com/knowledge-base/tutorials/legal/how-to-provide-your-app-users-with-maximum-screen-estate-tutorial/

How to set full screen on android 4.4

You do this by adding code from https://developer.android.com/training/system-ui/immersive.html in your main java activity class. This applies to cocos2d-x 2.x so not sure how to add it for 3.x yet. Your activity class would then look like this for example: public class YourApp extends Cocos2dxActivity { private Cocos2dxGLSurfaceView glSurfaceView; protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); } public Cocos2dxGLSurfaceVi…

public class AppActivity extends Cocos2dxActivity {
    
    public static Dialog loader_dialog;
    private Cocos2dxGLSurfaceView glSurfaceView;

    private int mSystemUiVisibility =  View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LAYOUT_STABLE
            | View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LAYOUT_HIDE_NAVIGATION
            | View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LAYOUT_FULLSCREEN
            | View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_HIDE_NAVIGATION // hide nav bar
            | View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_FULLSCREEN // hide status bar
            | View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_IMMERSIVE_STICKY;
    
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        loader_dialog = new Dialog(this,R.style.Loader);
        loader_dialog.setContentView(R.layout.loader);
        if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 11) {
            loader_dialog.getWindow().getDecorView().setSystemUiVisibility(mSystemUiVisibility);
        }
        loader_dialog.show();
    }
    
    public static void dismissLoader() {
        loader_dialog.dismiss();
    }


    public Cocos2dxGLSurfaceView onCreateView()
    {
        glSurfaceView = new Cocos2dxGLSurfaceView(this);

        this.hideSystemUI();

        // create stencil buffer
        glSurfaceView.setEGLConfigChooser(5, 6, 5, 0, 16, 8);

        return glSurfaceView;
    }

    public void onWindowFocusChanged(boolean hasFocus) {
        super.onWindowFocusChanged(hasFocus);
        if (hasFocus)
        {
            this.hideSystemUI();
        }
    }

    private void hideSystemUI()
    {
        if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 11) {
            // Set the IMMERSIVE flag.
            // Set the content to appear under the system bars so that the content
            // doesn't resize when the system bars hide and show.
            glSurfaceView.setSystemUiVisibility(mSystemUiVisibility);
        }
    }

    static
    {
        System.loadLibrary("cocos2dcpp");
    }
}

Now I will have to find out how to compile release version of the app and how to upload it to the Google Play?

[Levis]

Nice!
In this way you setup the immersive mode, that is my preferred

For compiling you can use:
cocos run -p android -j 4 -s projFolder -m release

Cocos will generate the apk that you can upload to Google Play

[nov]

Thanks. I try to use this command, since I use Android Studio:
cocos compile -p android --android-studio -m release --ndk-mode release

What -j 4 means in your command?

I try to minimize APK file size.
How to remove not needed files eg. iOS startup screens from APK generation?

[Levis]

-j, --jobs	number of jobs at once	4	Use N jobs at once. It's only take effect with target android & linux.

You don’t need to remove iOS stuff, they are in another dir.

[mars3142]

I’ve got a question. Why do you want a separat activity? This won’t speed up the game start. As an Android developer, I always use the method mentioned here: https://plus.google.com/+AndroidDevelopers/posts/Z1Wwainpjhd

[crazy_learner]

hey,can you please tell me what is this cpptests and from where i can get the reference for async loading…

[devnoob]

1. cpp-tests
2. example

[crazy_learner]

thanks for sharing…