how to ELIMINATE P3D text rotation flicker on a PGraphics Buffer

sirianth

In the code below, where I use the deadpixel library, my text is flickering, and I can't quite figure out why / how to stop it...

import deadpixel.keystone.*;
String[] texts = 
  {
  "#peace, this is what I've wanted from SF --", 
  "market street is always so colorful, the", 
  "Opened Graffiti request via android at 990 Market St", 
  "the Opened Street or Sidewalk Cleaning request", 
  "via android at 1000 Market St", 
  "#sfc, join our lonely little squad tonight,", 
  "the operation nerds gathering, the new False Gods,", 
  "in for some #bigdatatalk, and to answer your email", 
  "#streetstyle #streetphotography #sf #walk #voyager:", 
  "I met this beautiful soul at the #BlueLamp a few months back --", 
  "just posted a photo,", 
  "so impressed,", 
  "I'm suffering through the widthdrawl..."};
String[] mentions =
  { 
  "@melematique + @mistry_chintan", 
  "@JoCrra", 
  "@SF311 Reports", 
  "@SF311 Reports", 
  "@SF311 Reports", 
  "@totallyclubbin", 
  "@calitalieh + @catsynth", 
  "@agentv", 
  "@JoCrra", 
  "@Delany_Rene", 
  "@Delany_Rene", 
  "@WillKirkpatrick", 
  "@hchiu13", 
};
DisplayBox dp1; //single
DisplayBox[] dps; //multiple
PFont font;
PFont fontS;
Keystone ks;
CornerPinSurface surface;
PGraphics offscreen;
float[] widthVariable;
float angle = 0;
float textFade = 0;
float tf = 0;
int counter = 0;
float rCounter = 0;
float tCounter = 0;
int switchVariable = 0;
void setup() {
  font = loadFont("c.vlw");
  fontS = loadFont("b.vlw");
  //fullScreen(P3D, 1);
  size(1325, 750, P3D);
  ks = new Keystone(this);
  surface = ks.createCornerPinSurface(1325, 750, 20);
  offscreen = createGraphics(1325, 750, P3D);
  //dp1 = new DisplayBox(0, texts[0], 0, height/2, 0);
  dps = new DisplayBox[texts.length];
  for (int i=0; i<texts.length; i++) {
    dps[i] = new DisplayBox(i, texts[i], 10, 100+(i*50), 0);
  }
  widthVariable = new float[texts.length];
}
void draw() {
  rCounter+=.05;
  tCounter+=5;
  //setting text widths;
  for (int i=0; i<texts.length; i++) {
    widthVariable[i]=offscreen.textWidth(texts[i])+20;
  }
  PVector surfaceMouse = surface.getTransformedMouse();
  offscreen.beginDraw();
  offscreen.background(0);
  offscreen.textFont(font, 42);
  offscreen.fill(255);

  //(*.) try to figure out the flickering
  //stroke, rect, text, rotate, translate;
  //remember the transparency effects;
  for (int i=0; i<texts.length; i++) {
    dps[i].DRT(255, 5, 0, 255, 255, 255, 0, rCounter, 0, 0, 0, 0);
  }

  offscreen.endDraw();
  background(0);
  surface.render(offscreen);
  //for text-fading;
  textFade = sin(angle);
  angle += 0.25;
  tf = map(textFade, -1, 1, 255/2, 255);
}

void keyPressed() {
  switch(key) {
  case 'c':
    // enter/leave calibration mode, where surfaces can be warped 
    // and moved
    ks.toggleCalibration();
    break;

  case 'l':
    // loads the saved layout
    ks.load();
    break;

  case 's':
    // saves the layout
    ks.save();
    break;
  }
}

class DisplayBox {
  //STRING DATA;
  int sentenceW; //sentenceWidth;
  String sentence; //the string;
  //POSITION DATA;
  float xPos; //x pos
  float yPos; //y pos
  float zPos; //z pos
  //COLORS;
  float sW; //stroke weight;
  float rSC; //stroke color;
  float rST; //stroke transparency;
  float rFC; //fill color;
  float rFT; //fill transparency;
  float tF; //text fill;
  float tT; //text transparency;
  //TRANSLATIONS;
  float transX; //move x
  float transY; //move y
  float transZ; //move z
  //ROTATION DATA;
  float ogX; //origin x
  float ogY; //origin y
  float ogZ; //origin z
  DisplayBox(int sWI, String s, float xP, float yP, float zP) {
    sentenceW = sWI;
    sentence = s;
    xPos = xP;
    yPos = yP;
    zPos = zP;
  }
  //colors, rotations, translations
  void DRT(float rSC, float sW, float rFC, float rFT, 
  float tF, float tT, float rX, float rY, 
  float rZ, float transX, float transY, float transZ) {
    ogX = xPos + widthVariable[sentenceW]/2;
    ogY = yPos - 15;
    ogZ = zPos;
    offscreen.pushMatrix();
    offscreen.translate(transX, transY, transZ);
    offscreen.translate(ogX, ogY, ogZ);
    offscreen.rotateX(rX);
    offscreen.rotateY(rY);
    offscreen.rotateZ(rZ);
    offscreen.translate(-ogX, -ogY, -ogZ);
    offscreen.stroke(rSC);
    offscreen.strokeWeight(sW);
    offscreen.fill(rFC, rFT);
    offscreen.rect(xPos, yPos-42, widthVariable[sentenceW], 50);
    offscreen.fill(tF, tT);
    offscreen.text(sentence, xPos+5, yPos, zPos);
    offscreen.popMatrix();
  }
}

sirianth

created a work around, but wonder if someone's got something smarter:

    offscreen.text(sentence, xPos+5, yPos, zPos+.1);
    offscreen.text(sentence, xPos+5, yPos, zPos-.1);

sirianth

Alright, the work around lets you see the text without flickering as it rotates, but for some reason you can look THROUGH the text and see OTHER text while it's rotating even though transparency for the text is fill(255,255). Hm.

sirianth

never mind figured it out by switching up the method (draw rectangle, then draw text):

void DRT(
    float rSC, float sW, //stroke
    float rFC, float rFT, //rectangle
    float tF, float tT, //text
    float rX, float rY, float rZ, //rotation 
    float transX, float transY, float transZ) { //translation
    ogX = xPos + widthVariable[sentenceW]/2;
    ogY = yPos - 15;
    ogZ = zPos;
    offscreen.pushMatrix();
    offscreen.translate(transX, transY, transZ);
    offscreen.translate(ogX, ogY, ogZ);
    offscreen.rotateX(rX);
    offscreen.rotateY(rY);
    offscreen.rotateZ(rZ);
    offscreen.translate(-ogX, -ogY, -ogZ);
    offscreen.stroke(rSC);
    offscreen.strokeWeight(sW);
    offscreen.fill(rFC, rFT);
    offscreen.rect(xPos, yPos-42, widthVariable[sentenceW], 50);
    offscreen.fill(tF, tT);
    offscreen.text(sentence, xPos+5, yPos, zPos+.1);
    offscreen.text(sentence, xPos+5, yPos, zPos-.1);
    offscreen.popMatrix();
  }

However, are there ways to create text with DEPTH?