OpenGL.GL.EXT.vertex_array_bgra

OpenGL extension EXT.vertex_array_bgra

This module customises the behaviour of the OpenGL.raw.GL.EXT.vertex_array_bgra to provide a more Python-friendly API

Overview (from the spec)

This extension provides a single new component format for vertex arrays to read 4-component unsigned byte vertex attributes with a BGRA component ordering.

OpenGL expects vertex arrays containing 4 unsigned bytes per element to be in the RGBA, STRQ, or XYZW order (reading components left-to-right in their lower address to higher address order). Essentially the order the components appear in memory is the order the components appear in the resulting vertex attribute vector.

However Direct3D has color (diffuse and specular) vertex arrays containing 4 unsigned bytes per element that are in a BGRA order (again reading components left-to-right in their lower address to higher address order). Direct3D calls this "ARGB" reading the components in the opposite order (reading components left-to-right in their higher address to lower address order). This ordering is generalized in the DirectX 10 by the DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM format.

For an OpenGL application to source color data from a vertex buffer formatted for Direct3D's color array format conventions, the application is forced to either:

1. Rely on a vertex program or shader to swizzle the color components from the BGRA to conventional RGBA order.

2. Re-order the color data components in the vertex buffer from Direct3D's native BGRA order to OpenGL's native RGBA order.

Neither option is entirely satisfactory.

Option 1 means vertex shaders have to be re-written to source colors differently. If the same vertex shader is used with vertex arrays configured to source the color as 4 floating-point color components, the swizzle for BGRA colors stored as 4 unsigned bytes is no longer appropriate. The shader's swizzling of colors becomes dependent on the type and number of color components. Ideally the vertex shader should be independent from the format and component ordering of the data it sources.

Option 2 is expensive because vertex buffers may have to be reformatted prior to use. OpenGL treats the memory for vertex arrays (whether client-side memory or buffer objects) as essentially untyped memory and vertex arrays can be stored separately, interleaved, or even interwoven (where multiple arrays overlap with differing strides and formats).

Rather than force a re-ordering of either vertex array components in memory or a vertex array format-dependent re-ordering of vertex shader inputs, OpenGL can simply provide a vertex array format that matches the Direct3D color component ordering.

This approach mimics that of the EXT_bgra extension for pixel and texel formats except for vertex instead of image data.

The official definition of this extension is available here: http://www.opengl.org/registry/specs/EXT/vertex_array_bgra.txt