can we direct output of RenderFramework() to a color buffer?

[deniz]

Hi everyone,

 

is it possible to render to an offscreen render target (color buffer) using RenderFramework() command?

without this I have to render to the back-buffer, perform a buffer copy operation to render reflections in a mirror with effects.

I want to avoid that extra copy and also I want to be able to change the resolution of the color buffer as well..

[Canardia]

Just do SetBuffer(your128x128buffer) before RenderFramework(), and of course SetBuffer(BackBuffer()) after that.

[Josh]

Certainly, but I don't recommend rendering to an extra image like a mirror with full effects enabled, since it will be much slower. I'd use minimum rendering, as demonstrated in the beginning tutorial, with shadows disabled.

[deniz]

Just do SetBuffer(your128x128buffer) before RenderFramework(), and of course SetBuffer(BackBuffer()) after that.

 

ok thanks, that worked..

it did not work before, may be I was doing something wrong.

[deniz]

Certainly, but I don't recommend rendering to an extra image like a mirror with full effects enabled, since it will be much slower. I'd use minimum rendering, as demonstrated in the beginning tutorial, with shadows disabled.

 

I see.. I tried to do that by disabling all effects calling SetSSAO(0); SetHDR(0); etc.

but everytime I toggle the effects before and after calling RenderFramework(), a very very huge performance drop occurs (I get less than 1 fps)

I guess LE is trying to reload &/ reinitialize all related stuff (like shaders etc.) and this causes a huge performance drop.

 

if I try to use Renderworld() then I get another set of problems:

I cannot see the sky box, where there is a sun whose motion is determined by a Lua script.

(it is essentially the day-night script from one of the users' posts here in this forum, modified by my colleague to suit our needs).

I also see strange trails of rendered images from previous frames.

 

any clues how to overcome this?

[deniz]

Just do SetBuffer(your128x128buffer) before RenderFramework(), and of course SetBuffer(BackBuffer()) after that.

 

setting the buffer size to any size other than the back-buffer size seems to be problematic.

I get strange visual artifacts: whole screen becomes white and then the screen freezes.

any ideas?

[Canardia]

Framework is checking and deleting and recreating lots of stuff if they have changed since the last call to RenderFramework(), so this is probably why using a smaller buffer will cause also problems, since Framework doesn't fully handle the buffer change. I am using always the raw RenderWorld() command for extra buffers like mirrors, realtime cubemaps, rifle scopes, water and radar maps, since then Framework is not disturbed with constant buffer changes. It's more work to have all effects using RenderWorld(), but like Josh said, you don't even want all effects in those small extra buffers.

[Josh]

Yes, it's not meant to be used multiple times with different resolution buffers or different settings. If you change settings it will have to recreate buffers twice each frame.

 

Use regular plain rendering with just lighting, no shadows, for your low-res reflection passes.

[deniz]

Yes, it's not meant to be used multiple times with different resolution buffers or different settings. If you change settings it will have to recreate buffers twice each frame.

 

Use regular plain rendering with just lighting, no shadows, for your low-res reflection passes.

 

ok I get it.

But some script-based effects do not work with renderworld() command.

we have a day-night script that cannot be seen when using renderworld but is visible with renderframework.

how can I make that script visible with renderworld?