Manual Reference Pages  - GLFEEDBACKBUFFER (3G)

NAME

glFeedbackBuffer - controls feedback mode

CONTENTS

C Specification
Parameters
Description
Notes
Errors
Associated Gets
See Also

C SPECIFICATION

void glFeedbackBuffer( GLsizei size,

                     GLenum type,
                     GLfloat *buffer )

PARAMETERS

size Specifies the maximum number of values that can be written into buffer.
type Specifies a symbolic constant that describes the information that will be returned for each vertex.  GL_2D,  GL_3D,  GL_3D_COLOR,  GL_3D_COLOR_TEXTURE, and  GL_4D_COLOR_TEXTURE are accepted.
buffer Returns the feedback data.

DESCRIPTION

The  glFeedbackBuffer function controls feedback. Feedback, like selection, is a GL mode. The mode is selected by calling  glRenderMode with  GL_FEEDBACK. When the GL is in feedback mode, no pixels are produced by rasterization. Instead, information about primitives that would have been rasterized is fed back to the application using the GL.

 glFeedbackBuffer has three arguments: buffer is a pointer to an array of floating-point values into which feedback information is placed. size indicates the size of the array. type is a symbolic constant describing the information that is fed back for each vertex.  glFeedbackBuffer must be issued before feedback mode is enabled (by calling  glRenderMode with argument  GL_FEEDBACK). Setting  GL_FEEDBACK without establishing the feedback buffer, or calling  glFeedbackBuffer while the GL is in feedback mode, is an error.

When  glRenderMode is called while in feedback mode, it returns the number of entries placed in the feedback array, and resets the feedback array pointer to the base of the feedback buffer. The returned value never exceeds size. If the feedback data required more room than was available in buffer,  glRenderMode returns a negative value. To take the GL out of feedback mode, call  glRenderMode with a parameter value other than  GL_FEEDBACK.

While in feedback mode, each primitive, bitmap, or pixel rectangle that would be rasterized generates a block of values that are copied into the feedback array. If doing so would cause the number of entries to exceed the maximum, the block is partially written so as to fill the array (if there is any room left at all), and an overflow flag is set. Each block begins with a code indicating the primitive type, followed by values that describe the primitive’s vertices and associated data. Entries are also written for bitmaps and pixel rectangles. Feedback occurs after polygon culling and  glPolygonMode interpretation of polygons has taken place, so polygons that are culled are not returned in the feedback buffer. It can also occur after polygons with more than three edges are broken up into triangles, if the GL implementation renders polygons by performing this decomposition.

The  glPassThrough command can be used to insert a marker into the feedback buffer. See  glPassThrough.

Following is the grammar for the blocks of values written into the feedback buffer. Each primitive is indicated with a unique identifying value followed by some number of vertices. Polygon entries include an integer value indicating how many vertices follow. A vertex is fed back as some number of floating-point values, as determined by type. Colors are fed back as four values in RGBA mode and one value in color index mode.

feedbackList <- feedbackItem feedbackList | feedbackItem

feedbackItem <- point | lineSegment | polygon | bitmap | pixelRectangle | passThru

point <-  GL_POINT_TOKEN vertex

lineSegment <-  GL_LINE_TOKEN vertex vertex |  GL_LINE_RESET_TOKEN vertex vertex

polygon <-  GL_POLYGON_TOKEN n polySpec

polySpec <- polySpec vertex | vertex vertex vertex

bitmap <-  GL_BITMAP_TOKEN vertex

pixelRectangle <-  GL_DRAW_PIXEL_TOKEN vertex |  GL_COPY_PIXEL_TOKEN vertex

passThru <-  GL_PASS_THROUGH_TOKEN value

vertex <- 2d | 3d | 3dColor | 3dColorTexture | 4dColorTexture

2d <- value value

3d <- value value value

3dColor <- value value value color

3dColorTexture <- value value value color tex

4dColorTexture <- value value value value color tex

color <- rgba | index

rgba <- value value value value

index <- value

tex <- value value value value

value is a floating-point number, and n is a floating-point integer giving the number of vertices in the polygon.  GL_POINT_TOKEN,  GL_LINE_TOKEN,  GL_LINE_RESET_TOKEN,  GL_POLYGON_TOKEN,  GL_BITMAP_TOKEN,  GL_DRAW_PIXEL_TOKEN,  GL_COPY_PIXEL_TOKEN and  GL_PASS_THROUGH_TOKEN are symbolic floating-point constants.  GL_LINE_RESET_TOKEN is returned whenever the line stipple pattern is reset. The data returned as a vertex depends on the feedback type.

The following table gives the correspondence between type and the number of values per vertex. k is 1 in color index mode and 4 in RGBA mode.

TypeCoordinatesColorTextureTotal Number of Values
 GL_2Dx, y  2
 GL_3Dx, y, z  3
 GL_3D_COLORx, y, zk 3 + k
 GL_3D_COLOR_TEXTUREx, y, z,k47 + k
 GL_4D_COLOR_TEXTUREx, y, z, wk48 + k

Feedback vertex coordinates are in window coordinates, except w, which is in clip coordinates. Feedback colors are lighted, if lighting is enabled. Feedback texture coordinates are generated, if texture coordinate generation is enabled. They are always transformed by the texture matrix.

NOTES

 glFeedbackBuffer, when used in a display list, is not compiled into the display list but is executed immediately.

When the  GL_ARB_multitexture extension is supported,  glFeedbackBuffer returns only the texture coordinates of texture unit  GL_TEXTURE0_ARB.

ERRORS

 GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if type is not an accepted value.

 GL_INVALID_VALUE is generated if size is negative.

 GL_INVALID_OPERATION is generated if  glFeedbackBuffer is called while the render mode is  GL_FEEDBACK, or if  glRenderMode is called with argument  GL_FEEDBACK before  glFeedbackBuffer is called at least once.

 GL_INVALID_OPERATION is generated if  glFeedbackBuffer is executed between the execution of  glBegin and the corresponding execution of  glEnd.

ASSOCIATED GETS

 glGet with argument  GL_RENDER_MODE
 glGet with argument  GL_FEEDBACK_BUFFER_POINTER
 glGet with argument  GL_FEEDBACK_BUFFER_SIZE
 glGet with argument  GL_FEEDBACK_BUFFER_TYPE

SEE ALSO

 glBegin(3G),  glLineStipple(3G),  glPassThrough(3G),  glPolygonMode(3G),  glRenderMode(3G),  glSelectBuffer(3G)
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GLFEEDBACKBUFFER (3G)
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