This class provides management functions for GPU memory buffers.

Note: Since Open Inventor 10.4, applications should use SoGPUBufferObject, instead of OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoGLBufferObject, in most cases. For example to store vertex data in GPU memory for use with OIV.Inventor.Nodes.SoBufferedShape or OIV.Inventor.Nodes.SoVertexShaderParameterBufferObject.

See OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoBufferObject for general information about buffer objects.

NOTES:

• Creating a GPU buffer requires a current GPU context (like OpenGL).

• Modifying the properties of an GPU buffer require a current GPU context. This includes mapping and unmapping the buffer (OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoBufferObject.Map(OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoBufferObject.AccessModes, System.UInt64, System.UInt64)/unmap()), allocating memory (OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoGpuBufferObject.SetSize(System.UInt64)) and copying data into the buffer (e.g. OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoBufferObject.Memcpy(OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoBufferObject, System.UInt64, System.UInt64, System.UInt64)).

• The same instance of OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoGpuBufferObject can not be used inside two GPU contexts that are not shared. For example, if an instance of OIV.Inventor.Nodes.SoBufferedShape contains SoGpuBufferObjects in its fields, this instance can be used in multiple viewers only if their contexts are shared.

See OIV.Inventor.Devices.SoBufferObject for general information about buffer objects.

See OIV.Inventor.Nodes.SoBufferedShape for an example of storing vertices in a GPU buffer.

EXAMPLE

Load data into a buffer object.

Create a GPU buffer object and load data from an array in memory:

float[] vertices = new float[9 * 3] {
    1.0f, 0.5f,0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f,0.0f, -1.0f,0.5f,0.0f,
   -1.0f,-1.0f,0.0f, 1.0f,-1.0f,0.0f,  1.0f,0.0f,0.0f, -1.0f,0.0f,0.0f,
   -1.0f,-1.5f,0.0f, 1.0f,-1.5f,0.0f
};

SbNativeArray<float> vertArray = new SbNativeArray<float>(vertices);
SoCpuBufferObject vertBuf = new SoCpuBufferObject( (SbNativeArray<byte>)vertArray );

SoGpuBufferObject gpuBuffer = new SoGpuBufferObject( SoGpuBufferObject.BufferAccessFrequencies.STATIC, SoGpuBufferObject.BufferAccessNatures.SHARED );
gpuBuffer.SetSize( cpuBuffer.GetSize() );  // Set the buffer size (allocate memory)
gpuBuffer.Memcpy ( cpuBuffer );            // Copy data into the buffer

EXAMPLE

Access data stored in a GPU buffer object.

SbNativeArray<float> data = (SbNativeArray<float>)gpuBuffer.Map( SoBufferObject.AccessModes.READ_ONLY );
float value = data[0];
value = data[1];
   . . .
gpuBuffer.Unmap();

NOTE: Class available since Open Inventor 10.0.

Reference