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Newcomers DBPro Corner / Why create meshes from objects?

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Bursar
16
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Joined: 17th Sep 2008
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Posted: 25th Sep 2008 19:25
I'm a little confused as to why you would want to create meshes from an object, compared to just using the object itself.

I can understand in some instances (if you use CSG on an object, saving the resulting mesh means you don't need to keep performing the same intensive operations), but mostly it seems a duplication of effort.

Do meshes use less memory, or is there some other reason for using them?
Rudolpho
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Posted: 25th Sep 2008 20:02
Well, mainly, you can edit a mesh's data, but not an object directly.

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IanM
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Location: In my moon base
Posted: 25th Sep 2008 22:15
Quote: "Do meshes use less memory..."

Yes, they use marginally less memory as there's less data associated with them (for example, texture data) but that's not a good reason for using them.

Quote: "or is there some other reason for using them?"

Yes.
- You can use them to add new limbs to objects.
- You can use them to make a multiple-mesh object into a single-mesh mesh (ie, combine the meshes).
- You can save a mesh as an X file.

Quote: "you can edit a mesh's data, but not an object directly"

You can modify vertices on both meshes and object limbs using the vertexdata commands.

Bursar
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Posted: 26th Sep 2008 00:04
OK, sounds a little advanced for me at the moment, but something to keep in mind

Thanks.
AndrewT
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Location: MI, USA
Posted: 26th Sep 2008 00:06
Quote: "You can modify vertices on both meshes and object limbs using the vertexdata commands."


I think Rudolpho is talking about using memblocks to edit the data, which is another great thing about meshes.

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Rudolpho
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Posted: 26th Sep 2008 09:29
Well, actually I meant that you must go the way past the mesh to get a limb too, but mainly the memblocks, yes.
You can only lock the vertexdata for one object at a time too, I think, and you can't do all the fancy things there that you can with a memblock (I think, haven't really used the vertexdata commands a lot, but can you for instance remove triangles and such things with it?)

"I kören hörs de brummande busarna Björnligan och Gondolen"
BatVink
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Joined: 4th Apr 2003
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Posted: 26th Sep 2008 10:12
Rudolpho, Vertexdata commands only let you manipulate the data, you can't add or remove with them.

I have found mesh memblocks to be MUCH faster too. For the odd tweak or 2, I would use the vertex commands because they are simple. For changing large amounts of data, memblocks are the better solution.

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