T3D RTT Progress

Short video of progress being made on my loopback audio RTT (render to texture). Some parts of this have been like pulling teeth, but it is getting done in the end.


Some points about the video:

1. I am using a few types of objects in the scene. Most use different methods to get a texture.
2. One of the cloud layers is set to the RTT texture target.
3. The lighting mask for the spotlight is projecting on the ground. I had to modify one of the GFXTexHandle::set function calls to be able to do this.
4. One of the cube objects is using a DAE object with a material that is using the RTT texture target as a diffuse map.
5. The other cube object uses just a material reference and is a demo object that comes stock with T3D.
6. Not shown because it would cause confusion and possibly trigger a seizure is the ground plane object does also work with the RTT texture target.

Basically I am getting close to finishing this up.

Edit:
The change to the GFXTexHandle::set function in gxfTextureHandle.cpp
(the change starts at "// added fhc", and end at "// end added fhc"):

bool GFXTexHandle::set( const String &texName, GFXTextureProfile *profile, const String &desc )
{
   // Clear the existing texture first, so that
   // its memory is free for the new allocation.
   free();
   
   // Create and set the new texture.
   AssertFatal( texName.isNotEmpty(), "Texture name is empty" );
   // added fhc
   String tmpStr = texName;
   if(tmpStr.substr( 0, 1 ).equal("#")){
      NamedTexTarget* textureTarget = NamedTexTarget::find(tmpStr.substr( 1 ));            
      if(textureTarget)
         StrongObjectRef::set(textureTarget->getTexture());         
   }else 
   // end added fhc
      StrongObjectRef::set( TEXMGR->createTexture( texName, profile ) );
   
   #ifdef TORQUE_DEBUG
      if ( getPointer() )
         getPointer()->mDebugDescription = desc;
   #endif
   
   return isValid();
}

Now also make this change in processedMaterial.cpp:

tring ProcessedMaterial::_getTexturePath(const String& filename)
{
   // added fhc
   // prevent path mangling
   if(filename.substr( 0, 1 ).equal("#")){
      return filename;
   }
   // end added fhc

   // if '/', then path is specified, use it.
   if( filename.find('/') != String::NPos )
   {
      return filename;
   }

   // otherwise, construct path
   return mMaterial->getPath() + filename;
}

Now in your materials.cs:

// this maps the texture "Hello" in a shape material to #hellotex name texture target
singleton Material(testcube_Hello)
{
   mapTo = "Hello";
   diffuseMap[0] = "#hellotex";   
};

For other objects it may just be sufficient to provide a texture name. If the editor will not take it by hand you may have to edit it by script. The spot light and cloud layers are examples that you can type in the text in the text field by hand to point to the named texture. But only after you make the above modifications.

I also have had issues with timing of the creation of the name texture target. So I made a custom object that allows me to make the named texture elsewhere (including allocating texture memory). I use this like this:

singleton NamedTexTargetObject(MyTexTargetObject) 
{
   targetName = "hellotex";
   texDims = "1024 1024";
};

I will be releasing a resource with everything spelled out. It will include an example of every object I used. I wanted it to be simpler than it is (and maybe it can be), but I learned a lot on the way.