What Is Frame Time?

[thecolin-]

What is Frame Time and why does it fluctaute as much as it does because I think it causes some frame drops. If you couldn't tell, yet, I have no idea what I'm talking about and I would like someone to help me understand this concept with simplified terminology. 

 

Thanks!

[Angius]

I have no idea what are you talking about either...

[thecolin-]

I have no idea what are you talking about either...

 

When you open the fps counter on in-game. It shows something called Frame Time as well. I'm asking what is that.

[Angius]

Oh, this one. Maybe it shows how long the certain frame lasted? having 30 FPS doesn't certainly mean, that each frame lasts exactly 1/30s? Dunno, Google is silent about that one too.

 

Edit: here, I've found something: http://www.mvps.org/directx/articles/fps_versus_frame_time.htm

Basically. Frame Time shows how long it took to render certain frames. Just as I thought.

Edited June 7, 2014 by Angius

[thecolin-]

Oh, this one. Maybe it shows how long the certain frame lasted? having 30 FPS doesn't certainly mean, that each frame lasts exactly 1/30s? Dunno, Google is silent about that one too.

 

Edit: here, I've found something: http://www.mvps.org/directx/articles/fps_versus_frame_time.htm

Basically. Frame Time shows how long it took to render certain frames. Just as I thought.

 

If by render you mean something like processing, I guess I have a rough opinion on the matter. Thanks

[-Refractor-]

On warframe, it effectively means the time between frames in thousandths of a second(millisecond)

[thecolin-]

On warframe, it effectively means the time between frames in thousandths of a second(millisecond)

Oh thats why it effects frames per second. Now it all make sens(v

[taiiat]

to expand on that:

 

'Frame Time' is the amount of time it took the system to render and push the next frame to the screen. 

 

while these two are related to each other in terms of Framerate, it's not an even equation. Frame Time can vary a little bit without the Framerate changing at all.

 

ex. - with a Framerate cap of 60, the Frame Drawing Time should be 16.7ms. (the exact amount would be 16.6666). however, depending on current system load (meaning things changing in Warframe, or even the background of your system) the Frame Drawing Time could fluctuate ~1ms, without the Framerate noticably changing (likely dropping from 60FPS to 59 or 61 for less than a second and therefore being impossible to see with your eyes).

in other words, such a fluctuation would mean a small number of frames were either more difficult or easier to render.