I have a bit-map image:
( However this should work with any arbitrary image )
I want to take my image and make it a 3D SCNNode. I've accomplished that much with this code. That takes each pixel in the image and creates a SCNNode with a SCNBox geometry.
static inline SCNNode* NodeFromSprite(const UIImage* image) {
SCNNode *node = [SCNNode node];
CFDataRef pixelData = CGDataProviderCopyData(CGImageGetDataProvider(image.CGImage));
const UInt8* data = CFDataGetBytePtr(pixelData);
for (int x = 0; x < image.size.width; x++)
{
for (int y = 0; y < image.size.height; y++)
{
int pixelInfo = ((image.size.width * y) + x) * 4;
UInt8 alpha = data[pixelInfo + 3];
if (alpha > 3)
{
UInt8 red = data[pixelInfo];
UInt8 green = data[pixelInfo + 1];
UInt8 blue = data[pixelInfo + 2];
UIColor *color = [UIColor colorWithRed:red/255.0f green:green/255.0f blue:blue/255.0f alpha:alpha/255.0f];
SCNNode *pixel = [SCNNode node];
pixel.geometry = [SCNBox boxWithWidth:1.001 height:1.001 length:1.001 chamferRadius:0];
pixel.geometry.firstMaterial.diffuse.contents = color;
pixel.position = SCNVector3Make(x - image.size.width / 2.0,
y - image.size.height / 2.0,
0);
[node addChildNode:pixel];
}
}
}
CFRelease(pixelData);
node = [node flattenedClone];
//The image is upside down and I have no idea why.
node.rotation = SCNVector4Make(1, 0, 0, M_PI);
return node;
}
But the problem is that what I'm doing takes up way to much memory!
I'm trying to find a way to do this with less memory.
All Code and resources can be found at:
https://github.com/KonradWright/KNodeFromSprite
Now you drawing each pixel as SCNBox of certain color, that means:
- one GL draw per box
- drawing of unnecessary two invisible faces between adjancent boxes
- drawing N of same 1x1x1 boxes in a row when one box of 1x1xN can be drawn
Seems like common Minecraft-like optimization problem:
- Treat your image is 3-dimensional array (where depth is wanted image extrusion depth), each element representing cube voxel of certain color.
- Use greedy meshing algorithm (demo) and custom SCNGeometry to create mesh for SceneKit node.
Pseudo-code for meshing algorithm that skips faces of adjancent cubes (simplier, but less effective than greedy meshing):
#define SIZE_X = 16; // image width
#define SIZE_Y = 16; // image height
// pixel data, 0 = transparent pixel
int data[SIZE_X][SIZE_Y];
// check if there is non-transparent neighbour at x, y
BOOL has_neighbour(x, y) {
if (x < 0 || x >= SIZE_X || y < 0 || y >= SIZE_Y || data[x][y] == 0)
return NO; // out of dimensions or transparent
else
return YES;
}
void add_face(x, y orientation, color) {
// add face at (x, y) with specified color and orientation = TOP, BOTTOM, LEFT, RIGHT, FRONT, BACK
// can be (easier and slower) implemented with SCNPlane's: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/SceneKit/Reference/SCNPlane_Class/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40012010-CLSCHSCNPlane-SW8
// or (harder and faster) using Custom Geometry: https://github.com/d-ronnqvist/blogpost-codesample-CustomGeometry/blob/master/CustomGeometry/CustomGeometryView.m#L84
}
for (x = 0; x < SIZE_X; x++) {
for (y = 0; y < SIZE_Y; y++) {
int color = data[x][y];
// skip current pixel is transparent
if (color == 0)
continue;
// check neighbour at top
if (! has_neighbour(x, y + 1))
add_face(x,y, TOP, );
// check neighbour at bottom
if (! has_neighbour(x, y - 1))
add_face(x,y, BOTTOM);
// check neighbour at bottom
if (! has_neighbour(x - 1, y))
add_face(x,y, LEFT);
// check neighbour at bottom
if (! has_neighbour(x, y - 1))
add_face(x,y, RIGHT);
// since array is 2D, front and back faces is always visible for non-transparent pixels
add_face(x,y, FRONT);
add_face(x,y, BACK);
}
}
A lot of depends on input image. If it is not big and without wide variety of colors, it I would go with SCNNode
adding SCNPlane
's for visible faces and then flattenedClone()
ing result.
An approach similar to the one proposed by Ef Dot:
- To keep the number of draw calls as small as possible you want to keep the number of materials as small as possible. Here you will want one
SCNMaterial
per color.
- To keep the number of draw calls as small as possible make sure that no two geometry elements (
SCNGeometryElement
) use the same material. In other words, use one geometry element per material (color).
So you will have to build a SCNGeometry
that has N
geometry elements and N
materials where N
is the number of distinct colors in your image.
- For each color in you image build a polygon (or group of disjoint polygons) from all the pixels of that color
- Triangulate each polygon (or group of polygons) and build a geometry element with that triangulation.
- Build the geometry from the geometry elements.
If you don't feel comfortable with triangulating the polygons yourself your can leverage SCNShape
.
- For each polygon (or group of polygons) create a single
UIBezierPath
and a build a SCNShape
with that.
- Merge all the geometry sources of your shapes in a single source, and reuse the geometry elements to create a custom
SCNGeometry
Note that some vertices will be duplicated if you use a collection of SCNShape
s to build the geometry. With little effort you can make sure that no two vertices in your final source have the same position. Update the indexes in the geometry elements accordingly.
I can also direct you to this excellent GitHub repo by Nick Lockwood:
https://github.com/nicklockwood/FPSControls
It will show you how to generate the meshes as planes (instead of cubes) which is a fast way to achieve what you need for simple scenes using a "neighboring" check.
If you need large complex scenes, then I suggest you go for the solution proposed by Ef Dot using a greedy meshing algorithm.