Float Support: IE: Syphon could support textures in formats other than GL_BGRA GL_UNSIGNED_INT_8_8_8_8_REV

[bangnoise]

From google code:

Currently all textures passed are GL_UNSIGNED_INT_8_8_8_8_REV GL_BGRA. We could support other types and formats.

Perhaps

1. when creating a server, one can optionally specify the format and type for the frames you're serving. This will default to float RGBA.
2. when creating a client, you can optionally specify the format and type you are interested in receiving. This request may or may not be honoured. This will default to GL_UNSIGNED_INT_8888_REV RGBA.

Internally, the backing chosen will be the "highest" values for format and type requested by any clients, but never a higher value than that set by the server. Consequently in a situation with multiple clients the backing may change during the lifetime of the clients (but only for the better quality-wise). If none of the optional attributes are present, behaviour will be exactly as now.

my current thinking is that clients should transmit their capabilities to servers when they join, and servers should scale down their backing if a client can't deal with what it has selected. Cases where that scaling down would happen should be rare as any sanely-created contexts are going to match capabilities on the same machine

[zumpchke]

Any update on this?

I want to stream a depth map and the 8-bit resolution loses a lot of information.

[kabanena]

bump

I want to share data maps between 2 applications to do mesh sharing, but 8-bit is literally unusable to do things like this.

[vade]

hey @bangnoise - wanted to revisit this.

In Fabric (Fabric-Project/Fabric#127) im working on Syphon support, and Fabric handles all texture access as half float as its native and fast on Apple Silicon.

Now Tahoe is the last intel mac supported OS, and OpenGL is dead, do we want to think about

1. deprecating the opengl back end? (optional compile or flag to include it?)
2. thinking of a metal first 1.0
3. adopting float support?

I'd love to chat through this w you if you have bandwidth somepoint!

Cheers Tom :D

[bangnoise]

@vade absolutely, drop me an email (same address)