Flexible Vertex Format - special SVN branch is ready!!!

[Nadro]

Because of it looks like a this topic is dead and we hadn't more ideas for FVF, I prepared first, preview patch which added support for Flexible Vertex Format in Irrlicht. You can found more infos like a link to a patch, description of my idea etc. in a first post. This patch require many improvements in scene nodes like Octtree, Terrain etc. Maybe someone is interesting in help me with update some files? I hope for a release a final patch in last days of a february

[REDDemon]

I waited for something similiar very long! . this is the main reason for wich I moved my focus to opengl. Now I have 1 more reason for going back to irrlicht

[3DModelerMan]

Is this going to be integrated into 1.8?

[hybrid]

No, definitely not. Might go into 2.0 in worst case, though.

[booe]

Hybris, why not?

[CuteAlien]

@booe: We're working these weeks on getting 1.8 finished and released and changing the vertex format isn't really something you want to add as a last minute feature.

[3DModelerMan]

Good point. I guess 1.9 is when to hope this gets in.

[REDDemon]

what about custom vertex format as Custom renderer? Few people is using custom renderer while using them you can obtain so much! You can still apply the Patch of Nadro and starting working with that instead of Irrlicht 1.7.3. Irrlicht development must follow a path but you are not forced to follow Irrlicht if you want something now.

[3DModelerMan]

Custom renderer? You mean a custom IMaterialRenderer implementation?

[REDDemon]

yes I mean exactly that one. I'm using it for lots of things and works pretty nice ^^

[Nadro]

A second version of my patch (it's still 'preview') is available (link in first post). All files independent of a changes was i've done in a IrrCompileConfig.h are updated. You can enable GUI (it should work properly). Now I will work over a loaders files. You can check my patch eg. with examples 02 and 12.

@REDDemon
Vertex format is one of the most important parts of engine and require many changes, so there is no option for prepare "switchable" solution between old and new method. If 1.8 will be released soon, 1.9 is optimal point for this update, because it require some tests before official implementation it in an engine.

[3DModelerMan]

Is the patch designed with future DirectX11 integration in mind?

[Nadro]

Is the patch designed with future DirectX11 integration in mind?

Yes, it is. In this patch vertex structure is flexible and handling of them is really easy, so support for DX11, GL3+ etc. will be not a problem. Current design will be ok, also for features like a renderToVertexBuffer etc. (only minor changes will be required).

[3DModelerMan]

Cool. I want to port my engine (built around Irrlicht) to DX11 (or 12?) eventually, and when I tried writing a DX11 driver before, the vertex structures were the problem I ran into first.

[Nadro]

Third, preview version of fvf patch is done. In current version I updated mesh loaders (loaders, which require a skin mesh buffer are still disabled) and writers.