3D picture control speed

[matthias.richwin]

Hi all,

digging deeper into the 3D picture control, another thing strikes me.

I perform a 3D animation by changing the transformations of my objects over time, redisplaying the scene by wiring the scene into the picture control or render window every time. I compare the standard 3D picture control vs. the external render window. The latter has the problem that I cannot control its appearance like I can with a standard VI panel. (I have a true full screen animation in my mind.) Therefore I would prefer to use the standard 3D picture control.

1. The render window appears to be much faster (several times higher frame rate) than the standard 3D picture control in my animation.
2. In the 3D picture control, the redrawing by using the camera controller is very fast - much faster than my own redrawing. WHY?!?
3. Now comes the strangest part: If my animation runs and I display the standard context menu of the 3D picture control but right-clicking into the control, the animation frame rate increases to the same frame rate as in the render window. As long as the context menu is visible, the whole thing is fast as a lightning. When it disappears (by clicking somewhere else), the animation returns to the low speed.

There are no other controls underlying the picture control in the vi that might cause unwanted redrawing. No other loops are running.

All ideas are appreciated!

Regards
Matthias

Message Edited by matthias.richwin on 07-12-2007 09:25 AM

[jpeters]

1.  The render window appears to be much faster (several times higher frame rate) than the standard 3D picture control in my animation.

The render window takes advantage of hardware acceleration, the 3D picture does not.  That may explain some of the differences that you are seeing.

2. In the 3D picture control, the redrawing by using the camera controller is very fast - much faster than my own redrawing. WHY?!?

I am just guessing here, but the camera controller doesn't go through any of the overhead that writing a terminal's value would... and the scene is updated on every mouse move.  I don't know how often you are writing the terminal, but it may be that you have a delay in your loop or something that prevents the control from updating as fast as it could.

3. Now comes the strangest part: If my animation runs and I display the standard context menu of the 3D picture control but right-clicking into the control, the animation frame rate increases to the same frame rate as in the render window. As long as the context menu is visible, the whole thing is fast as a lightning. When it disappears (by clicking somewhere else), the animation returns to the low speed.

Hmm.. that is strange, it could be because the control is somewhat overlappend causing more redraws to happen more often.  I would like to take a look at this.  Can you post a VI? 

Jeff Peters

LabVIEW R & D

[Pete_Culmer]

Hi,

Not sure of this will be of use to you - but it is possible to make the hardware accelerated 3d picture window full screen. It is a slight bodge, but if you specify the top left position of the window as [-6,-32] and the bottom right as the screen resolution + [6,6] then the render window will fill the screen. I might have the values slightly out, it does depend on if you're using the classic or new theme on windows XP.

Pete