i have this terrain, it could be 256 strips of 256 triangles instead of 256*256 triangle lists. i imagine this would increase fps quite a bit, how would i go about setting up the index buffer for this? like would it be this: i1 = vert1 \ i2 = vert2 | -first triangle i3 = vert3/ i4 = vert2\ i5 = vert3| -second? i6 = vert4/ i4 = vert4\ i5 = vert3| -third? i6 = vert5/ but it seems that this method is defeating the purpose of a triangle fan, as i''m still passing three verts per triangle. is there a good example i can look at for this?

I think it would be slower actually, calling DrawPrimitive an extra 255 times - the docs reckon you should aim to call it with 1000s of polys at a time. Try an indexed triangle list.


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John 3:16

I''m using strips for an animation like this, but it
should also work for terrain.
Say I have a just two terrain blocks(4 triangles)

V2 V4 V6
|\ |\ |
| \ | \ |
| \ | \ |
| \| \|
V1 V3 V5

The indices would be as follows

i(1)= V1
i(2)= V2 <-- Triangle 1
i(3)= V3

i(4)= V4 <-- Triangle 2
i(5)= V5 <-- Triangle 3
i(6)= V6 <-- Triangle 4

The system will automatically use the 2 previous indices
from the second triangle onwards, thus, you send only
''1'' index per triangle (or 1 vertex).


Hope this helps.

now, would 256 calls to this be faster or slower than a call to a indexed triangle list? that is what i'm already doing, indexed triangles.

[edited by - billybob on July 28, 2002 5:02:45 PM]

It''s possible to draw the whole terrian in one DrawPrimitive call and still use an indexed triangle strip, if you don''t mind turning of back-face culling, and wasting 1 triangle per column. That is how my terrian engine works anyway. It''s difficult to describe... it looks like this

|/|\|
|/|\|
|/|\|
|/|\|

First you go down, then, as you move across, you must move across 2 vertices (here a triangle is wasted) and then draw the strip going upwards with the diagonals going the opposite way. When you get to the top, again, move across 2 vertices, and you are back in a position to start the downwards strip again. Notice you cant use back face culling because the triangles faces opposite ways in each column. This usually isn''t a big deal with terrian (since you''re rarely underneath it). It''s an awkward algorithm to implement, and may not even bring you must of a speed increase, but I do promise it''s possible and it works.