[Tutorial] How to render shapes [World Renderer]

The event trigger "Graphics - Render shapes" allows you to render triangles, quads, etc.

Shape rendering is complicated. Many procedure templates are available.

At first, in order to render shapes, you will need to create a shape using the procedure "Create shape".

There are procedures for shapes in the list "Graphics - Shape."

Next, In the statement, add the vertices of shape with the procedure "Add vertex".

Lastly, you will need to set a render target, and render a shape with the procedure "Render shape." It can set a position, angles, scales and color.

World Renderer also allows you to use advanced rendering effects such as blending and culling.

Here is the guide

• Render Effects

Create a Shape

The procedure allows you to create a shape.

• Type: It's a shape type. See "Shape Types" as follows.
• Immediate Update: If it is false, a shape will not be updated unless that is cleared using a procedure "Clear shape." If shape needs a lot of calculations, it is possible to improve performance of rendering.

Shape Types

Here is a list of shape types and orders of vertices. The number and placements of vertices are defined as follows.

• DEBUG_LINES: It's required to render lines. It needs 2 or more vertices.

• DEBUG_LINE_STRIP: The type can render lines continuously. It needs 2 or more vertices.

• TRIANGLES: It's required to render triangles. It needs 3 or more vertices.

• TRINAGLE_STRIP: The type can render triangles continuously. It needs 3 or more vertices.

• TRIANGLE_FAN: The type can render triangles with a first vertex as a center. It needs 3 or more vertices.

• QUDAS: It's required to render quads. It needs 4 or more vertices.

• TEXTURE: It's required to render textures. It needs 4 or more vertices, and the order of vertices is the same as "QUDAS".

Add Vertices

The procedures allow you to add vertices. See "Shape Type" above about the number of vertices required and the order of ones.

• X/Y/Z: They are the coordinates of a vertex.
• U/V: They are the UV coordinates of a vertex.
• Color: It is a vertex color.

In order to render shapes properly, you will need to set the order of vertices. Shapes have a front face and a back face, which are defined by the order of vertices. The back face is usually not rendered.

If the order is counterclockwise, the face will be front and visible. Also, if vertices are not in a right order, nothing is rendered.

Here is an example for squares.

Vertices are set in order from top to bottom.

The coordinate (0, 0) is a center of shape. Note that the coordinates are not world positions. World positions are set on rendering.

If each of vertices has a different color, the colors are interpolated automatically.

For example, with the procedure above, the colors will gradate as follows.

UV coordinates

UV coordinates are required to trim a texture.

A right direction is as a positive U, and a downward that is as a positive V.

The coordinates always take the top left of texture as an origin (0.0, 0.0), and the bottom right of texture as (1.0, 1.0).

If the coordinates are less than 0.0 or larger than 1.0, the texture is repeated there.

These don't depend on the texture size.

Moreover, the order of UV coordinates is counterclockwise like the vertices.

There is the procedure "Set texture" in the list "Graphics procedures - Render effects."

Here is the guide for textures

• Render Effects

Render Shapes

In order to render created shapes, you will need to use the procedures.

• X/Y/Z: They are the position of a shape. A world position will usually be set.
• Yaw/Pitch/Roll: They are shape angles.
• X/Y/Z Scale: They are the scales of a shape along each axis.
• Color: It is a shape color.

Moreover, you will need to run the procedure in the statement of procedure "Set render target" shown below, otherwise shapes will not be rendered.

Render Target

The procedure allows you to set a render target.

• OVERLAY: It can render objects on the screen.
• SKY: It can render objects on the sky.
• WORLD: It can render objects on the world.

Coordinate System

The procedure allows you to set a coordinate system for shapes.

If the value is "WORLD", the origin of coordinate will be a world position (0, 0, 0), if it's "LOCAL", it will be the camera position.

Shape Offset

The procedure allows you to shift the center of shapes for advanced rotation.

Variable "Shape"

Variable "shape" allows you to use multiple shapes. Create a shape and return the shape as follows.

When shape returning is set, note that the procedure element will only be able to create and call that.

The returning causes compile errors by rendering procedures, but it isn't a bug.

In order to use shapes returned, you will need to add new shape variables and call procedures. Lastly, render shapes with the variables.