WebGL detection and CONTEXT_LOST_WEBGL

[Øyvind]

We have been using Pixi for a couple of years as the backbone for a document publishing tool. Currently we are on v5.3.10

This is kind of a two-parter question:

1.

Now and then we have users that get 'WebGL not detected" in Chrome. If they just reload the page it detects WebGL and everything is OK

It seems like a "race condition" where the GPU just isn't ready yet for Pixi. 

Anyone else seen this and/or know of a workaround?

2.

Lately (especially after Chrome update 93) customers are reporting our solution crashing.

(We have not made any changes in our code for a long time -- and our tests with Chrome update 93 works just fine, so it is hard to say update 93 is the problem)

In Chrome they get this in the console:

CONTEXT_LOST_WEBGL

In Firefox they get this (along with a "Aw, Snap!" screen)

WebGL warning: <Present>: Swap chain surface creation failed
WebGL context was lost

Anyone else seen / experienced this and/or know of a workaround?

 

[ivan.popelyshev]

if you dont have renderTexture's , pixi can just restore the context if you allow it

if you have generated content in videomemory - well, Refresh is the only way. another is to re-generate it.

Here is another very helpful super-advice : find out whats wrong with your app. Maybe you eat too much videomemory.

If you have minimal case, you can ask in https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/list?q=webgl&can=2 

But, usually, there's no way to fight this thing  Especially if you treat pixi and webgl as black box

Edited September 8, 2021 by ivan.popelyshev

[Øyvind]

Thanks for the answer

A large document eats about 250 MB of GPU Memory, so we don't think that is the problem. 
As the system has been running more or less normally for years we are not sure where to look for bugs

Do you think upgrading to Pixi 6 could fix/reduce any of the problems?

[ivan.popelyshev]

Pixi 6 doesnt have gl changes compared to 5.3 . If system was running, but now isn't - most likely its a new webgl problem. You need someone experienced with them , name of device where it can be reproduced, and how it can be reproduced .

[Jammy]

Hi, I've seen this error before but it was caused by a changed to chrome, whereby too many WebGL instances causes the first instances to crash.

It appears a max WebGL cap was added this year to chrome. If you have too many webGL instances, even in different tabs they then the first to be created will be failed with this error.

I would recommend just checking these things:

1. Are you creating too many instances of Pixi or WebGL

2. Do you have another tab open, popup, or other adverts or features around your app which also use WebGL

I can't find much writeup on the subject but found atleast this article

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/61277222/how-to-determine-number-of-active-webgl-contexts

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by Jammy