GPU Buffers?

[SwiftCoder]

First off, let me say that I am very grateful for the Mac port of IrrLicht, I am finally able to use it easilly!


I wondered if there is any interest in adding Hardware vertex and index buffers to IrrLicht?

Edit: I mean Vertex Buffer Objects in OpenGL parlance.

Most other engines support hardware buffers, and I could really use them, as I am sure could many others (and a full terrain renderer would really benefit).

I am willing to work up a proposal for simple vertex and index buffers (using the current, inflexible vertex formats), and then provide the OpenGL implementation after Niko has approved/ammended it. Let me know directly if you are interested.


My second gripe is the inflexible vertex formats, for instance, for performance reasons, my terrain renderer needs positions in one array per terrain page, and a single, global array of texture co-ordinates.

I understand that this would be a major change to the engine, but coupled with vertex buffers would make IrrLicht's performance and features much closer to Ogre and other high-end 3D engines.

Let me know your thoughts,

Tristam MacDonald

[SwiftCoder]

Teach me to post before catching up on the local news!

Just discovered this is no longer a one-man outfit, and that VBO support may already be in the pipeline.

Is flexible vertex storage also in the works?

If you have any guidlines/ideas for either, I would like to help out.


I do have a small patch for the OpenGLNormalRenderer to make it work on many pre-pixelShader cards, who should I email the file to?

[Nalin]

spintz has added support for vertex/index buffers in his latest version of irrSpintz. I don't know if he is working with niko to get them added to irrlicht, but I thought I would just point out where you could find them.

[hybrid]

Post the changes in the bug forum (even if it's not really a bug) and also mail me the patch (adresse on my webpage).

[SwiftCoder]

Post the changes in the bug forum (even if it's not really a bug) and also mail me the patch (adresse on my webpage).

Thanks, will do when I have the source cleaned-up and commented

[bitplane]

while you're cleaning and commenting, its a good idea to look at Niko's official rules for patch submission. It's also probably a good idea to also send the finished patch directly to him at the sf email address on the main page

[SwiftCoder]

while you're cleaning and commenting, its a good idea to look at Niko's official rules for patch submission.

All I will actually be submitting is about twelve additional lines of code in the existing OpenGLNormalMapRenderer class, that cause it to use hardware dot3 support if it is available.

My Radeon 9000 has hardware dot3, although it has no pixel shaders, and I am sure others are in this possition

[hellbound]

yes... i would use it... the loading times would be a little higher, but the overall performance would be better