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The 90% Memory Warning

by Jon (Updated on 2015-10-13)


Why does this happen?

The Java runtime reserves a chunk of memory for Stencyl to use before launching -- it can't be raised after the fact. If you exceed this limit, Stencyl locks up.

So why not just set the limit very high? It causes machines with less memory to fail to launch Stencyl at all.

Although we are working to reduce memory usage and plug leaks, there are large games for which having the higher memory usage is useful. This guide explains how you can raise the limit.

Common Misconception: The 90% memory warning has nothing to do with how much RAM your computer has. You could have 128 GB of RAM and still hit this since Java's upper cap sits around 4 GB and on some systems, may be as low as 2 GB.

How to Raise the Memory Limit (Windows)

  1. Install the 64-bit version (x64) of Java 8 to your computer.

  2. Download one of the following scripts and place it into your Stencyl installation directory. (For best results, go lower than what you have -- e.g. If you have 4 GB, choose the 2 or 3 GB option.)

  3. Double-click the script to launch Stencyl from now on.

Note 1: If Stencyl fails to launch, choose a script with a lower amount of memory.

Note 2:Note: The -Xmx setting in the script may be overridden by the _JAVA_OPTIONS environment variable. See this tutorial for how to delete the variable.

How to Raise the Memory Limit (Mac)

  1. Right-click the Stencyl.app bundle and pick Show Package Contents.

  2. Using a text editor, open up Contents/MacOS/Stencyl.

  3. Search for -Xmx1536m and change the number to something higher such as 3072 (which would be 3 GB).

  4. Save the file, then relaunch Stencyl. (If your Mac complains that the app is "damaged", go to System Preferences > Security and Privacy and allow apps to be downloaded from Anywhere.)

Note: If Stencyl fails to launch after you make an edit, your number is too high. Try something smaller such as 2048.

How to Raise the Memory Limit (Linux)

  1. Edit the Stencyl shell script.

  2. Change the part that looks like -Xmx1024m to a higher number such as 3072 (which would be 3 GB).

Note: If Stencyl fails to launch after you make an edit, your number is too high. Try something smaller such as 2048 or 3072.

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Disclaimer: Use comments to provide feedback and point out issues with the article (typo, wrong info, etc.). If you're seeking help for your game, please ask a question on the forums. Thanks!

50 Comments

Boefst
Found out why it wont work, insted of the line -Xms64m use -Xms128m and it will work.
My .bat file:
java -Xms128m -Xmx4096m -jar sw.jar

0 9 years, 9 months ago
btg
how do i edit it (MAC version) it opens in command line.
2 9 years, 9 months ago
Grimreaper
What am I supposed to name it ??.bat If it doesn't matter I set the limit to 20480 and it seems to still not work. I am pretty sure the game is not that big. Just want some specifics.
0 9 years, 10 months ago
SerchioSD
Soo.. my problem is that the plist don't show up a Java node.. Only some Informations about the property list.. Any help? I still can not work more on this Project till it's fixed :( Running on MBP
1 9 years, 11 months ago
mvmsaikrishna
Same problem here, if I set a value >2048 stencyl wont open on my mac.
1 10 years, 7 months ago
Jon
I've stuck in a few more solutions that were reported to be successful.
0 10 years, 10 months ago
Mesket
I have 2.2 but still have this problem very often... usually every 15 to 30 mins
1 11 years, 9 months ago
Vectrex71
@P01

Same problem here :-(

It seems like it. When I set it to something higher on my Mac then Stencyl won't open.


0 11 years, 9 months ago
P01
It seems like it. When I set it to something higher on my Mac then Stencyl won't open.
2 12 years, 1 month ago
Cheyenne
what is the limit ? 2048 Mb ?
0 12 years, 1 month ago

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