pcgenerate

int  pcgenerate(string filename, int npoints)

This function returns a handle to the point cloud with the specified name or creates a new point cloud with the specified name and number of points. Initially, the point cloud has no channels, but channels can be added using pcexport in a pcunshaded loop. Note that if pcgenerate() is called with the name of a point cloud that already exists, that point cloud will not be re-sized to contain the specified number of points.

Once a position channel has been established, call pcopen to query the generated point cloud. Note that calling pcopen will lock the specified position channel. Once a point cloud has been opened, it is considered to be generated. Calling pcgenerate() with the name of a generated point cloud is similar to calling pcopen() and requesting 0 points: no points will be available in a pcunshaded or pciterate loop.

This function only stores a point cloud in RAM. To write points to disk, use pcwrite().

Note We refer to the parameter as a filename to be consistent with pcopen(). The two functions share the same namespace. That is, if you call pcgenerate("myfile.pc", ...), you can then query "myfile.pc" by calling pcopen("myfile.pc", ...) or pcopenlod("myfile.pc", ...).

This works the other way as well. If you call pcopen("myfile.pc", ...) and then call pcgenerate("myfile.pc", ...), the pcgenerate() call will use the point cloud that is already loaded into memory through the pcopen() call rather than creating a new point cloud.

Examples

examples

vector position;
int ohandle, ghandle, rval;

ghandle = pcgenerate(texturename, npoints);
while (pcunshaded(ghandle, "P"))
{
    // Compute 'position'...
    rval = pcexport(ghandle, "P", position);
}

ohandle = pcopen(texturename, "P", P, maxdistance, maxpoints);
while (pciterate(ohandle))
{
    rval = pcimport(ohandle, "P", position);
    // Do something with 'position'...
}

pcclose(ohandle);
pcclose(ghandle);