Access violation direct x update method - c++

Question

I have followed a dirextX 9 tutorial on utube and i have tried to modify the program to display multiple triangles based on a set of points. I am using it as a sort of plotter. in my testing i generate a list of points within my plotter class. the plotter class then generates 3 vertices to create a small triangle around the point. the points are then passed to the directx device.
i have moved the code that generates the polygons into my update method, as i need to update the polygon list with fresh polygons.
The code works, but every now and then it will crash with the following error message
Unhandled exception at 0x010F6AF1 in DX3DPlotTest.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0x00000000.
im shure that the problem is to do with the memcpy command being called over and over. i've tried deleting pVert but that creates its own error as pVert is never initiated.
hear is my update version
`
void TestApp::Update(float dt)
{
void *pVerts;
plotter=new Plotter(MaxPoints,0.01f);
float x,y;
for(ULONG i=0;i<MaxPoints;i++)
{
x= (float)(distribution(generator)-2.0f);
y= (float)(distribution(generator)-2.0f);
plotter->Plot(x,y);
}
m_pDevice3D->CreateVertexBuffer(
plotter->listContentCount*sizeof(VertexPositionColor),
0,VertexPositionColor::FVF,
D3DPOOL_MANAGED,
&VB,
NULL
);
//d3d vertex buffer VB
VB -> Lock(0,sizeof(VertexPositionColor)*plotter->listContentCount, (void**)&pVerts, 0);
memcpy(pVerts,plotter->m_pVertexList,sizeof(VertexPositionColor)*plotter->listContentCount);
VB -> Unlock();
}
`
please can someone help me understand how to fix this problem? if been fiddling around with it for hours. It does work, but for a limited amount of time.
Thanks all.
EDIT:
OK now im shure its do to wich recreating my plotter instance
`
Plotter::Plotter(UINT PointCount,float pointsize)
{
listSize = PointCount*3;
listContentCount = 0;
bufferContentCount = 0;
Polycount = 0;
m_pStdtri = new VertexPositionColor[3];
m_pVertexList = new VertexPositionColor[listSize];
m_pStdtri[0] = VertexPositionColor(0.0f ,1.0f*pointsize ,d3dColors::Red);
m_pStdtri[1] = VertexPositionColor(1.0f*pointsize , -1.0f*pointsize ,d3dColors::Lime);
m_pStdtri[2] = VertexPositionColor(-1.0f*pointsize , -1.0f*pointsize ,d3dColors::Red);
}
Plotter::~Plotter()
{
delete(m_pStdtri);
delete(m_pVertexList);
}
void Plotter::Plot(float x, float y)
{
Polycount++;
m_pVertexList[listContentCount]=VertexPositionColor(x+m_pStdtri[0].x, y+m_pStdtri[0].y,d3dColors::Red);
listContentCount++;
m_pVertexList[listContentCount]=VertexPositionColor(x+m_pStdtri[1].x, y+m_pStdtri[1].y,d3dColors::Lime);
listContentCount++;
m_pVertexList[listContentCount]=VertexPositionColor(x+m_pStdtri[2].x, y+m_pStdtri[2].y,d3dColors::Blue);
listContentCount++;
}
`

Answer 1

There are a couple of things that can be wrong here. The plotter object seems to be never disposed, but it is potentially possible that it's done elsewhere. What bothers me, however, is your calling of CreateVertexBuffer over and over again, presumably without ever releasing the resource that you're using. So basically what happens in my opinion is: in every frame, you create a new VertexBuffer. As the memory on your GPU runs low, the command fails eventually, which you don't detect and try to use the "created" buffer, which is not really created. You need to know, that the buffer is not destroyed, even if you delete the object which holds the VB variable. The CreateVertexBuffer command occupies resources on GPU so they need to be explicitly freed when no longer needed. But let's return to the point. This function fails at some point. So it results in a NULL pointer error. My suggestion would be to create the buffer just once and then only update it in each frame. But first, make sure if it is the case.