I do not think that any real optimization is possible here. see, you have to run through dimensions^3 number of elements despite the style of code you use. I assume that not the FOR operator takes much time, but the graphic output.

Yeah, in the actual sketch the values and image produced with(in) the FOR loops change on every frame. So it's not really static information nor a static image that can be stored and re-used unfortunately. Also the line "point(x,y,z);" which is the line causing much of the frameRate drop in this example, is the crucial one I use in the actual sketch.

As a non-programmer I'm just asking here, but could any of these be useful for something like this...

• Bitwise operations
• VBOs, PBOs and FBOs
• Checking if the point(x,y,z) is on or off screen

Just wondering...

I got some frameRate improvements using opengl calls, so might investigate that route some more...

1. import javax.media.opengl.*;
2. import processing.opengl.*;
3. 
   
4. PGraphicsOpenGL pgl;
5. GL gl;
6. 
   
7. int dimensions = 200;
8. 
   
9. // OPENGL RESULTS with all black points
10. // dimensions 50 = frameRate 380
11. // dimensions 100 = frameRate 53
12. // dimensions 150 = frameRate 15
13. // dimensions 200 = frameRate 7
14. 
    
15. // OPENGL RESULTS with individually (remapped) colored points
16. // dimensions 50 = frameRate 151
17. // dimensions 100 = frameRate 20
18. // dimensions 150 = frameRate 6
19. // dimensions 200 = frameRate 3
20. 
    
21. void setup(){
22.   size(500,500,OPENGL);
23.   frameRate(1000);
24.   pgl = (PGraphicsOpenGL) g;
25.   gl = pgl.beginGL();
26.   gl.glPointSize(1.0);
27.   gl.glColor3f(0,0,0);
28. }
29. 
    
30. void draw() {
31.   background(255,255,255);
32.   translate(width/2-dimensions/2,height/2-dimensions/2,300);
33.   pgl.beginGL();
34.   gl.glBegin(GL.GL_POINTS);
35.   for (int x=0; x<dimensions; x++) {
36.     for (int y=0; y<dimensions; y++) {
37.       for (int z=0; z<dimensions; z++) {
38. //        gl.glColor3f(map(x,0,dimensions,0,1),map(y,0,dimensions,0,1),map(z,0,dimensions,0,1));
39.         gl.glVertex3f(x,y,z);
40.       }
41.     }
42.   }
43.   gl.glEnd();
44.   pgl.endGL();
45. 
    
46.   println("Frame: " + frameCount + " || FrameRate : " + frameRate);
47. }

I think VBO's would help as might the clipping.  Here is an example of a displaylist.  Get pretty good performance out of that.

1. import javax.media.opengl.*;
2. import processing.opengl.*;
3. PGraphicsOpenGL pgl;
4. GL gl;
5. int displayList;
6. int dimensions = 200;
7. // OPENGL RESULTS with all black points
8. // dimensions 50 = frameRate 380
9. // dimensions 100 = frameRate 53
10. // dimensions 150 = frameRate 15
11. // dimensions 200 = frameRate 7
12. // OPENGL RESULTS with individually (remapped) colored points
13. // dimensions 50 = frameRate 151
14. // dimensions 100 = frameRate 20
15. // dimensions 150 = frameRate 6
16. // dimensions 200 = frameRate 3
17. void setup() {
18.   size(500,500,OPENGL);
19.   frameRate(1000);
20.   pgl = (PGraphicsOpenGL) g;
21.   gl = pgl.beginGL();
22.   gl.glPointSize(1.0);
23.   gl.glColor3f(0,0,0);
24.   displayList = gl.glGenLists(1);
25.   gl.glNewList(displayList, GL.GL_COMPILE);
26.   gl.glBegin(GL.GL_POINTS);
27.   for (int x=0; x<dimensions; x++) {
28.     for (int y=0; y<dimensions; y++) {
29.       for (int z=0; z<dimensions; z++) {
30.         //        gl.glColor3f(map(x,0,dimensions,0,1),map(y,0,dimensions,0,1),map(z,0,dimensions,0,1));
31.         gl.glVertex3f(x,y,z);
32.       }
33.     }
34.   }
35.   gl.glEnd();
36.   gl.glEndList();
37.   pgl.endGL();
38. }
39. void draw() {
40.   background(255,255,255);
41.   translate(width/2-dimensions/2,height/2-dimensions/2,300);
42.   pgl.beginGL();
43.   gl.glCallList( displayList );
44.   gl.glEnd();
45.   pgl.endGL();
46.   println("Frame: " + frameCount + " || FrameRate : " + frameRate);
47. }

OpenGL display lists are static ((( - thus it is not a complete solution. I remember having the same problem on drawing multiple OpenGL 3d-dots.. however I was using C++.

Thanks guys. Will look into all this some more.

@noncom: I forgot to change the dimensions in the second code (in the code posted it's at 200), but if you put it at 50 like in the first example you can fairly compare the frameRates.

Oh, true I missed that... I see that in the  http://forum.processing.org/topic/opengl-and-p3d-slow-rendering thread, they advice to use a library...