FacetData is a feature that can be enabled on a mesh.
As it requires some extra memory, it's not enabled by default.
This feature provides some methods and properties to access each facet of a mesh, like the facet positions, normals or the ability to retrieve all of a mesh facets in a given zone of the world space.
We use here the term "facet" in order to be not confused with the term "face".
A mesh can have some planar faces. For example, a box has 6 sides, so 6 planar squared faces. Each of its faces are drawn at the WebGL level with 2 triangles.
We call "facets" these elementary triangles.
The feature facetData can work for any mesh whatever it is created from BJS provided shapes (box, sphere, cylinder, tube, parametric shapes, etc), cloned ones or instances, merged ones or imported ones from an external source (Blender, etc).
To enable this feature, just call once updateFacetData().
If the mesh belongs to some parent-child relationship, the feature is then not enabled for its parents or children.
var mesh = BABYLON.MeshBuilder.CreateTorusKnot("t", {radius: 2.0}, scene);
mesh.updateFacetData();
console.log(mesh.facetNb);
As soon as the feature is enabled, you can get the mesh total number of facets with the read-only property .facetNb.
The method updateFacetData() creates two permanent arrays : the mesh facet positions and facet normals.
Moreover, it logically divides the mesh according to some partitioning and stores all the facets in this partitioning.
Unless the mesh is updated or morphed afterwards, you don't need to call this method anymore once it has been done.
If you don't need this feature any longer, you can disabled it to release the memory with mesh.disableFacetData().
mesh.updateFacetData();
console.log(mesh.isFacetDataEnabled); // displays "true"
mesh.disableFacetData();
console.log(mesh.isFacetDataEnabled); // displays "false"
The read-only property .isFacetDataEnabled returns the current state of the feature.
Note that disposing the mesh will automatically disable its facet data.
The position of a facet is the position of its barycenter.
You can get the position of the i-th facet of a mesh with getFacetPosition(i). This returns a new Vector3 that is the world coordinates of the facet center.
var pos = mesh.getFacetPosition(50); // returns the world position of the mesh 50th facet
If you don't want to allocate a new Vector3 per call, you can use getFacetPositionToRef(i, ref) instead.
var pos = BABYLON.Vector3.Zero();
mesh.getFacetPositionToRef(50, pos); // stores the facet world position in the variable "pos"
Actually, in the internal array containing the facet positions, all the stored coordinates are computed in the mesh local space.
If you need to get some facet local position, call getFacetLocalPositions() to get the array of the facet positions, then access the i-th element.
var localPositions = mesh.getFacetLocalPositions(); // returns the array of facet positions in the local space
var localPos = localPositions[50]; // Vector3 : the 50th facet local position
The normal of a facet is the normalized vector orthogonal to the facet plane.
You can get the normal of the i-th facet of a mesh with getFacetNormal(i). This returns a new Vector3 that is the world coordinates of the facet normal.
var norm = mesh.getFacetNormal(50); // returns the world normal of the mesh 50th facet
If you don't want to allocate a new Vector3 per call, you can use getFacetNormalToRef(i, ref) instead.
var norm = BABYLON.Vector3.Zero();
mesh.getFacetNormalToRef(50, norm); // stores the facet world normal in the variable "norm"
Like for the positions, in the internal array containing the facet normals, all the stored coordinates are computed in the mesh local space.
If you need to get some facet local normal, call getFacetLocalNormals() to get the array of the facet local normals, then access the i-th element.
var localNormals = mesh.getFacetLocalNormals(); // returns the array of facet normals in the local space
var localPos = localNormals[50]; // Vector3 : the 50th facet local position
All the methods dealing with the world coordinates use the mesh world matrix. As you may know, this matrix is automatically computed on the render call.
If you've just moved, scaled or rotated your mesh before calling the facetData methods using the world values and you're not sure about this, you can ever force the world matrix computation.
mesh.rotate.y += 0.2; // the mesh will be rotated on the next render call, but I need a rotated normal
mesh.computeWorldMatrix(true); // force the world matrix computation
var norm = mesh.getFacetNormal(50); // returns the world normal of the mesh 50th facet
Displaying all the facet normals of an icosphere : https://www.babylonjs-playground.com/#1YTZAC -
Note also that the facet index is the same than the facet id faceId used by the pickingInfo object or the faceId used by the SPS when pickable.
Here is an example combining pickingInfo, pickable SPS and facetData facet index : https://www.babylonjs-playground.com/#2FPT1A#119 -
The feature facetData provides also another tool called the mesh partitioning.
The mesh is logically divided in 3D blocks aligned with the X, Y and Z axis in its local space.
Here's an illustration about how this logical partitioning looks like (please wait until the skull is downloaded) : https://www.babylonjs-playground.com/#UZGNA -
updateFacetData(), the indexes of the all the facets are sorted in the partioning array according to the facet belonging to each block.
Thus you can get all the facet indexes from some local coordinates (x, y, z) with getFacetsAtLocalCoordinates(x, y, z).
var indexes = mesh.getFacetsAtLocalCoordinates(x, y, z); // returns an array containing the facet indexes
if (indexes != null) {
var worldPos = mesh.getFacetPosition(indexes[0]); // the world position of the first facet in the block
}
This method returns an array containing the indexes of the facet belonging to the block containing the point at the coordinates (x, y, z).
If (x, y, z) aren't in any block or if there's no facet in the block containing (x, y, z), it returns null.
So you can retrieve this way all the facets near some position and do your own treatment.
This method can be called as many times you need, even in the render loop. It doesn't allocate any object in memory.
Sometimes you don't need all the facets from a given block but only the closest facet to some world, but not local, coordinates.
You can then use the method getClosestFacetAtCoordinates(x, y, z) what returns the index of the closest facet to the World coordinates (x, y, z).
var index = mesh.getClosestFacetAtCoordinates(x, y, z); // returns the index of the closest facet to (x, y, z)
if (index != null) {
var worldPos = mesh.getFacetPosition(index); // the world position of this facet
}
The method returns just the index of the closest facet, if any.
Actually the world coordinates (x, y, z) are internally transformed to local coordinates in the mesh local system.
If these local coordinates aren't in any block or if there's no facet in this block, it returns null.
This method can be called as many times you need, even in the render loop.
This method can also compute for you the coordinates of the projection of (x, y, z) on the closest facet plane. You can imagine this projection point as the contact point of (x, y, z) on the facet, or the nearest point from (x, y, z) on the facet.
Just pass it aVector3 as a reference :
var projected = BABYLON.Vector3.Zero();
var index = mesh.getClosestFacetAtCoordinates(x, y, z, projected); // sets the point "projected" world coordinates
if (index != null) {
var worldPos = mesh.getFacetPosition(index); // the world position of this facet
// use the vector3 projected here ...
}
You can even filter the returned facet index.
Imagine that you want only the facet "facing" the coordinates (x, y, z), it is to say the facet of which the dot product normal * facetPositionto(x, y, z) is positive.
So just set the fifth parameter checkFace to true (default false) and the sixth parameter facing? to true (default true).
var projected = BABYLON.Vector3.Zero();
var index = mesh.getClosestFacetAtCoordinates(x, y, z, projected, true); // just the "facing" closest facet
if (index != null) {
var worldPos = mesh.getFacetPosition(index); // the world position of this facet
// use the vector3 projected here ...
}
On the contrary, if you just want the closest facet "turning its back" to (x, y, z), set checkFace to true and facing? to false.
var projected = BABYLON.Vector3.Zero();
var index = mesh.getClosestFacetAtCoordinates(x, y, z, projected, true, false); // just the "turning back" closest facet
if (index != null) {
var worldPos = mesh.getFacetPosition(index); // the world position of this facet
// use the vector3 projected here ...
}
If you need it, this method exists also in the mesh local space. Everything is then expressed in the local space : (x, y, z) and the returned coordinates of the projected point.
Just call getClosestFacetAtLocalCoordinates(x, y, z, projected, checkFace, facing?) instead.
var localProj = BABYLON.Vector3.Zero();
var index = mesh.getClosestFacetAtLocalCoordinates(x, y, z, localProj); // local projection
if (index != null) {
var worldPos = mesh.getFacetPosition(index); // the world position of this facet
// use the vector3 localProj here ...
}
As said before, the returned facet indexes from all these former methods are the same values than the PickingInfo or pickable SPS faceId values.
So, you can easily mix all these features together. Ex : to get the facet normal from a picked mesh.
A rotating torus knot with facet data enabled and a Solid Particle System (SPS) moving balls with simple custom physics :
if any, bounce back the particle.
https://www.babylonjs-playground.com/#7ATLX -
By default, the partitioning is set to 10 subdivisions per axis. These subdivisions are applied to the mesh bounding box.
Actually, it's a bit smarter. It divides the biggest bounding box dimension by 10 and adjust the other ones to their ratio to this biggest.
Example : if the mesh is sized 200 on X, 100 on Z and 3 on Y, it will subdive X in 10 subdivisions, Z in 5 subdivisions and Y in only 1.
10 subdivisions is an arbitrary default value. You can change it according to your mesh geometry.
Just keep in mind these two principles :
getClosestFacetAtCoordinates(). So if you deal with a huge mesh with plenty of very small facets like the BJS skull, you can easily set the subdivision number to 50, but if you deal with your own ribbon built with only one hundred big facets, you should probably reduce this number to 4.
To set the number of subdivisions, just use the property .partitioningSubdivisions. It will be taken in account at the next call to updateFacetData() and can be changed at will.
mesh.partitioningSubdivisions = 50; // set a bigger value than the default one (integer)
mesh.updateFacetData(); // now the internal partitioning has 50 blocks per axis
You can also enlarge a bit the space used by the blocks to have a bigger "detection zone" (remember that if (x, y, z) is outside the block zone, the methods return null).
By default, the block area is 1% bigger than the mesh bounding box in order to keep a little space between the peripheric blocks and their contained facets.
You can set your own value with the property .partitioningBBoxRatio (default = 1.01). It will be taken in account at the next call to updateFacetData() and can be changed at will.
mesh.partitioningBBoxRatio = 1.05; // 5% bigger than the bounding box instead of 1% bigger
mesh.updateFacetData(); // now the internal block area if 5% bigger than the bounding box
In order to understand, here are two examples :
ratio = 1.20 (20% bigger) https://www.babylonjs-playground.com/#UZGNA#1 -
As said in the first part, you need to call once updateFacetData() to enable the feature.
This is enough if the mesh geometry keep unchanged afterwards.
Nonetheless, if you update or morph your mesh afterwards, you need to call updateFacetData() again to force the partitioning recomputation.
var mesh = myBlenderImportedMesh; // import some mesh from an external source
mesh.updateFacetData(); // enable facetData
// ... process here using the mesh with its current geometry and FacetData
if (condition) {
customMorphFunction(mesh); // update the mesh geometry
mesh.updateFacetData(); // update the facet data
}
updateFacetData() can be called on demand, even in the render loop. However this method as a CPU cost, actually exactly the same than the static method ComputeNormals().
So if your mesh has a very huge amount of facets like the BJS skul, this can take some times.
Some of the provided BJS mesh types are updatable/morphable by their dedicated methods : the parametric shapes and the SPS.
CreateXXX() with the parameter instance,setParticles().For these specific types of updatable meshes, you don't need to call updateFacetData() by your own, if the feature is already enabled.
It will be done automatically, generally in an optimized way, inside the process loop of the mesh geometry update.
var paths = someArrayOfPaths;
var mesh = BABYLON.MeshBuilder.CreateRibbon("m", {pathArray: paths, updatable: true}, scene); // create an updatable ribbon
mesh.updateFacetData(); // enable the feature once
// morphing function : change the ribbon geometry
var morphRibbon = function(k) {
for (var p = 0; p < paths.length; p++) {
var path = paths[p];
for (var i = 0; i < path.length) {
path[i].y = Math.sin(k) * Math.cos(i);
}
}
}
var k = 0.0;
// render loop
scene.registerBeforeRender(function() {
morphRibbon(k); // change the geometry
BABYLON.MeshBuilder.CreateRibbon(null, {pathArray: paths, instance: mesh}); // actually morph the ribbon
// No need for updateFacetData() here, CreateRibbon() just did it ... faster !
k += 0.01;
});
Example :
Custom simple physics on a dynamically morphed ribbon : https://www.babylonjs-playground.com/#XVGK0#3 -