NullPointerException that wont go away

Question

So for those of you that are familiar with the jMonkey Engine, I have this code:

@Override
    public void simpleUpdate(float tpf) {
        if (load) {
            if (frameCount == 1) {
                Element element = nifty.getScreen("loadlevel").findElementByName("loadingtext");
                textRenderer = element.getRenderer(TextRenderer.class);
                CubesTestAssets.registerBlocks();

                setProgress(0.2f, "Registering Blocks");
            } else if (frameCount == 2) {
                initBlockTerrain();

                setProgress(0.4f, "Generating Chunk");
            } else if (frameCount == 3) {
                initControls();
                initPlayer();

                setProgress(0.6f, "Setting Up Player");
            } else if (frameCount == 4) {
                viewPort.setBackgroundColor(ColorRGBA.Cyan);

                setProgress(0.8f, "Creating Sky");
            } else if (frameCount == 5) {
                inputManager.setCursorVisible(false);

                setProgress(1.0f, "Done");
            } else if (frameCount == 6) {
                nifty.gotoScreen("end");
                nifty.exit();
                guiViewPort.removeProcessor(niftyDisplay);
            }
            frameCount++;
        }

        float playerMoveSpeed = ((cubesSettings.getBlockSize() * 2.5f) * tpf);
        Vector3f camDir = cam.getDirection().mult(playerMoveSpeed);
        Vector3f camLeft = cam.getLeft().mult(playerMoveSpeed);
        walkDirection.set(0, 0, 0);
        if(arrowKeys[0]){ walkDirection.addLocal(camDir); }
        if(arrowKeys[1]){ walkDirection.addLocal(camLeft.negate()); }
        if(arrowKeys[2]){ walkDirection.addLocal(camDir.negate()); }
        if(arrowKeys[3]){ walkDirection.addLocal(camLeft); }
        walkDirection.setY(0);
        playerControl.setWalkDirection(walkDirection);
        cam.setLocation(playerControl.getPhysicsLocation());
    }

This code used to be working until I added the

float playerMoveSpeed = ((cubesSettings.getBlockSize() * 2.5f) * tpf);
        Vector3f camDir = cam.getDirection().mult(playerMoveSpeed);
        Vector3f camLeft = cam.getLeft().mult(playerMoveSpeed);
        walkDirection.set(0, 0, 0);
        if(arrowKeys[0]){ walkDirection.addLocal(camDir); }
        if(arrowKeys[1]){ walkDirection.addLocal(camLeft.negate()); }
        if(arrowKeys[2]){ walkDirection.addLocal(camDir.negate()); }
        if(arrowKeys[3]){ walkDirection.addLocal(camLeft); }
        walkDirection.setY(0);
        playerControl.setWalkDirection(walkDirection);
        cam.setLocation(playerControl.getPhysicsLocation());

part. The code that I added was working in a different test file in another project but now it has stopped working here. It MUST be in the simpleUpdate() loop but I don't see why it is getting this NullPointerException:

java.lang.NullPointerException
    at com.bminus.Main.simpleUpdate(Main.java:171)
    at com.jme3.app.SimpleApplication.update(SimpleApplication.java:242)
    at com.jme3.system.lwjgl.LwjglAbstractDisplay.runLoop(LwjglAbstractDisplay.java:151)
    at com.jme3.system.lwjgl.LwjglDisplay.runLoop(LwjglDisplay.java:185)
    at com.jme3.system.lwjgl.LwjglAbstractDisplay.run(LwjglAbstractDisplay.java:228)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:744)

If someone knows why this is happening please help me! My only solution is I might need to create another class file. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: This is the line that is being called null:

float playerMoveSpeed = ((cubesSettings.getBlockSize() * 2.5f) * tpf);

EDIT 2: Here is where I initialize it:

public class Main extends SimpleApplication implements ScreenController, Controller, ActionListener {

private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(Main.class.getName());
private NiftyJmeDisplay niftyDisplay;
private Nifty nifty;
private Element progressBarElement;
private float frameCount = 0;
private boolean load = false;
private TextRenderer textRenderer;
private final Vector3Int terrainSize = new Vector3Int(100, 30, 100);
private BulletAppState bulletAppState;
private CharacterControl playerControl;
private Vector3f walkDirection = new Vector3f();
private boolean[] arrowKeys = new boolean[4];
private CubesSettings cubesSettings;
private BlockTerrainControl blockTerrain;
private Node terrainNode = new Node();

EDIT 3 (if anyone is still here): I have figured out by doing

if (cubesSettings.getBlockSize() == null) {
    logger.log(Level.SEVERE, "null");
}

that cubesSettings.getBlockSize() is a float as well as tpf being a float. What could be null?!?

Answer 1

I figured it out! I just needed to initialize the cubesSettings variable withing the update method again! The nullPointerException is gone! I am left with a new more confusing one but it does not pertain to this question and is material for another question. Thank you all!

Answer 2

Not really an answer but something you should do when you run into null pointer.

1. You can log everthing thats happening in the program
   
2. You can just simply do System.out.println(variablename);

From what you have given us, its hard to justify exactly why / of from where.. you have null pointer.

So what you could do before this is called

float playerMoveSpeed = ((cubesSettings.getBlockSize() * 2.5f) * tpf);

is simply put this..

System.out.println(cubeSettings.getBlockSize());
System.out.println(tpf);

And check in console which value is null ;)