[VTK ARB] Framework for sharing OpenGL resources between several vtkOpenGLRenderWindows

[Francois Bertel]

Note that this feature is also the third most demanded feature on VTK uservoice:

http://vtk.uservoice.com/forums/31508-general

On Fri, May 28, 2010 at 10:05 AM, Francois Bertel
<francois.bertel at kitware.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Right now it is not possible to share OpenGL share resources
> (textures, shader program, buffer objects (VBO,PBO), display lists)
> between OpenGL contexts.
>
> http://www.vtk.org/Bug/view.php?id=9983
>
> Here are examples where sharing resources between contexts make sense.
>
> 1. Sharing when the resource is huge.
>
> You have an application with multiple views of the same scene.
>
> 1a Each view display the same uniform grid dataset with volume
> rendering. The dataset is loaded as a big 3D texture from a different
> point of view.
> 1b. One view display auniform grid dataset with volume rendering.
> Another view displays a slice of the same dataset.
>
> 1c. Each view display the same big polydata mesh using a set of vertex
> buffer objects (VBO).
>
> 2. Sharing when streaming.
>
> 1a. dataset loading
> Thread 2 takes care of loading a dataset using PBO into a big 3D texture.
> Thread 1 displays the scene with an outline box until thread 1 is done
> with loading the 3D texture.
>
> 2b. Video streaming
> Thread 1 displays the current video frame as a 2D texture on context1.
> Thread 2 loads/uncompress the next frame, send it to a PBO, then send
> it to a 2D texture on context2.
>
> 3. Sharing when building
> Thread 1 displays all the VBOs available at the current time on context1.
> Thread 2 build the mesh  (from a VTK pipeline made of several filters)
> and create VBOS incrementally on context2.
> Interaction is possible during the incremental update.
>
> --
> François Bertel, PhD  | Kitware Inc. Suite 204
> 1 (518) 371 3971 x113 | 28 Corporate Drive
>                      | Clifton Park NY 12065, USA
>



-- 
François Bertel, PhD  | Kitware Inc. Suite 204
1 (518) 371 3971 x113 | 28 Corporate Drive
                      | Clifton Park NY 12065, USA