What can I do to prevent a ~300ms delay when an image is NOT found? (Sikuli 1.0.1, Java, Windows)

Hello,

I have searched the forums and while I have read posts that seem to apply to the problem I am having, I can not nail down a workable solution. I am using Sikuli 1.0.1, and I am coding in Java on a Windows 7 machine. I am also fairly new to coding in Java and using Sikuli.

My problem is this:

I have an array of 10 small images (10x15 pixles in size) that I iterate through looking for a match using r.exists (the region is 12x17 pixels) and when a match NOT found there seems to be a delay of ~300 ms before the next check is made.

Here is the code:

int i =0;
for(Pattern p : pNumberArray){
    if(r.exists(p.similar(.9f), 0) != null){
        System.out.println(library.getTime() + " Image Found : " + p);
    return i;
    }
    System.out.println(library.getTime() + " Image not found : " + p);
    i++;
}

Here is the result when I run the above code.

12:19:01:032 Image not found
12:19:01:365 Image not found
12:19:01:698 Image not found
12:19:02:031 Image not found
12:19:02:364 Image not found
12:19:02:697 Image not found

I was hoping using a 0 for (r.exists(p/similar(.9f), 0) would fix the 300ms delay problem but it does not.

I then read up on 'Settings.AutoWaitTimeout' (https://answers.launchpad.net/sikuli/+question/251337) but ruled it out as not applicable in my case. As I understand it, using the 0 in (r.exists(p/similar(.9f), 0) forces a one time check of the image and immediately returns the match if found or NULL if not (https://answers.launchpad.net/sikuli/+question/251337), so there should be NO delay in a response whether an image is found or not.

Searching forum posts turned me on to 'Settings.ScanRate' (https://answers.launchpad.net/sikuli/+question/194144) so I tried setting 'Settings.WaitScanRate = 100;' so that it would search for a match for no more than .01 seconds and return the result, but changing that setting had no effect. I also tried a variety of values including, 500, 1, .1f, and .01f but the results when running the code above was always the same with ~300 ms delay.

So all that being said, that leads to my questions:
1) I assumed that setting the timeout to 0 when using exists on a region (r.exists(p/similar(.9f), 0) would result in NO delay in a response whether an image is found or not. That is not the case. Why is there a ~300 when the timeout is set to 0?

2) I assumed that setting 'Settings.WaitScanRate = 100;' would force a search result at the end of .01 seconds. It does not. Am I missing something about how this works?

3) One post I read mentioned that there used to be an issue setting the values of Settings fields wouldn't work because the variables used a 'protected' modifier, but I can change the value and see the results of modifying the value between 'Settings.MoveMouseDelay = 1;' and 'Settings.MoveMouseDelay = 0;' so that leads me to believe that I can change the value of Settings fields. Is the 'Settings.WaitScanRate' indeed a protected variable and one that I cannot change?

4) I can't imagine it taking ~300ms to match a 10x15 pixel image in a 12x17 pixel search region. That 300ms isn't the amount of time it takes to actually search for a match in the region is it?

I spent hours and hours and hours reading forum posts and experimenting with different code combinations but I can't get rid of the ~300ms delay when an image is NOT found.

Thanks in advance for any wise words of wisdom!