How to use instancing from code?

[VeTaL]

I crated crash-test for meshes:

for (int i=-20; i<20; i+=1)
{
	for (int j=-20; j<20; j+=1)
	PositionEntity(CreateCube(), Vec3(i*2,0,j*2));
}

So, there is 40 * 40 = 1600 cubes. How can i sure that instancing is used?

PS: In engine log i have "GPU instancing supported: 1", so video supports instancing.

[Canardia]

Instancing is used when you use CopyEntity().

[VeTaL]

TEntity cube = CreateCube();
TMaterial mat = LoadMaterial("wall1.mat");

for (int i=0; i<100; i+=1)
{
	for (int j=0; j<100; j+=1)
	{
		cube = CopyEntity(cube);
		PositionEntity(cube, Vec3(i*2,0,j*2));
		PaintEntity(cube, mat);
	}
}

 

*fap-fap* xD

wow, almost no FPS drops in this case... looking really great.

 

This is instancing in editor, right?

[Masterxilo]

Yes.

[VeTaL]

Thanks, great.

[Gandi]

what happens if i got an instanced model and change the bone-position on one of them? would all the models have the bone changed??

[Masterxilo]

No. Every model instance has unique child/bones positions/animation state.

They just share the same material and are all drawn at once.

[paramecij]

is there a way not to make instances in the editor? (i tried to give each models sub-mesh it's own material in code - no go

[Josh]

No, but it is possible to write a shader that chooses a skin to show on a single instance. Put two or four textures in one texture, then store a "skin" key value that gets stored in the instance color, which the shader uses to choose a skin. There is an example of this somewhere on the forum.