Question

I am not able to render my all objects using more than 1 pair of vertex and index buffer objects. To check everything, I initialized just 3 objects and render them. This results in a distorted geometry for the first two and the third objects geometry renders somewhat fine (not perfect).

When I just initialize all of the 3 but render just first, it again shows distorted geometry and somehow the third geometry is more visible (even when I am not rendering it).

However, If I am initializing and rendering any one of them, it renders just fine (perfect).
here is my code:

float tempAngles[4] = {0, 60, 180, 360};
pieOne = [[IVNode alloc]initWithPieGeometry:0.75 thickness:0.20 startAngle:tempAngles[0]*M_PI/180   andEndAngle:tempAngles[1]*M_PI/180];

glGenBuffers(1, &vertexBuffer1);
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, vertexBuffer1);//vertexBuffer[i]);
glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, [pieOne.pie getVertexSize]*sizeof(GLfloat), [pieOne.pie returnVertexArray] , GL_STATIC_DRAW);

glGenBuffers(1, &indexBuffer1);
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer1);
glBufferData(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, [pieOne.pie getIndicesSize]*sizeof(GLushort),[pieOne.pie returnIndexArray], GL_STATIC_DRAW);

pieTwo = [[IVNode alloc]initWithPieGeometry:1.0 thickness:0.20 startAngle:tempAngles[1]*M_PI/180 andEndAngle:tempAngles[2]*M_PI/180];

glGenBuffers(1, &vertexBuffer2);
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, vertexBuffer2);//vertexBuffer[i]);
glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, [pieTwo.pie getVertexSize]*sizeof(GLfloat), [pieTwo.pie returnVertexArray] , GL_STATIC_DRAW);

glGenBuffers(1, &indexBuffer2);
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer2);
glBufferData(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, [pieTwo.pie getIndicesSize]*sizeof(GLushort),[pieTwo.pie returnIndexArray], GL_STATIC_DRAW);


pieThree = [[IVNode alloc]initWithPieGeometry:0.75 thickness:0.20 startAngle:tempAngles[2]*M_PI/180 andEndAngle:tempAngles[3]*M_PI/180];

glGenBuffers(1, &vertexBuffer3);
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, vertexBuffer3);//vertexBuffer[i]);
glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, [pieThree.pie getVertexSize]*sizeof(GLfloat), [pieThree.pie returnVertexArray] , GL_STATIC_DRAW);

glGenBuffers(1, &indexBuffer3);
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer3);
glBufferData(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, [pieThree.pie getIndicesSize]*sizeof(GLushort),[pieThree.pie returnIndexArray], GL_STATIC_DRAW);

//#define BUFFER_OFFSET(i) ((char *)NULL + (i))
glEnableVertexAttribArray(GLKVertexAttribPosition);
glVertexAttribPointer(GLKVertexAttribPosition, 3, GL_FLOAT, GL_FALSE, 6*sizeof(GLfloat), BUFFER_OFFSET(0));
glEnableVertexAttribArray(GLKVertexAttribNormal);
glVertexAttribPointer(GLKVertexAttribNormal, 3, GL_FLOAT, GL_FALSE, 6*sizeof(GLfloat), BUFFER_OFFSET(12));

Now In my rendering function I have:

-(void)glkView:(GLKView *)view drawInRect:(CGRect)rect
{

glClearColor(0.77f, 0.88f, 1.0f, 1.0f);     
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);


float yellow[3][4] = {1.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f,
    1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f,
    1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f};

glUseProgram(_program);
//1st   
GLKMatrix4 model = GLKMatrix4Identity;// GLKMatrix4MakeTranslation(1.5, 0, 0);
_modelViewProjectionMatrix = GLKMatrix4Multiply(_modelViewProjectionMatrix, model);

glUniformMatrix4fv(uniforms[UNIFORM_MODELVIEWPROJECTION_MATRIX], 1, 0, _modelViewProjectionMatrix.m);
glUniformMatrix3fv(uniforms[UNIFORM_NORMAL_MATRIX], 1, 0,_normalMatrix.m);
glUniform4f(uniforms[COLOR_VECTOR], yellow[0][0], yellow[0][1], yellow[0][2], yellow[0][3]);   

//bind corresponding buffer before drawing
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer1);
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer1);
glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, [pieOne.pie getIndicesSize], GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, (void*)0);

//2nd    
model = GLKMatrix4MakeTranslation(0, -1, 0);
_modelViewProjectionMatrix = GLKMatrix4Multiply(_modelViewProjectionMatrix, model);

glUniformMatrix4fv(uniforms[UNIFORM_MODELVIEWPROJECTION_MATRIX], 1, 0, _modelViewProjectionMatrix.m);
glUniformMatrix3fv(uniforms[UNIFORM_NORMAL_MATRIX], 1, 0,_normalMatrix.m);//
glUniform4f(uniforms[COLOR_VECTOR], yellow[1][0], yellow[1][1], yellow[1][2], yellow[1][3]);   

//bind corresponding buffer before drawing
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer2);
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer2);
glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, [pieTwo.pie getIndicesSize], GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT,(void*)0);

//3rd
model = GLKMatrix4MakeTranslation(-1.5, 0, 0);
_modelViewProjectionMatrix = GLKMatrix4Multiply(_modelViewProjectionMatrix, model);
glUniformMatrix4fv(uniforms[UNIFORM_MODELVIEWPROJECTION_MATRIX], 1, 0, _modelViewProjectionMatrix.m);
glUniformMatrix3fv(uniforms[UNIFORM_NORMAL_MATRIX], 1, 0,_normalMatrix.m);
glUniform4f(uniforms[COLOR_VECTOR], yellow[2][0], yellow[2][1], yellow[2][2], yellow[2][3]);   

//bind corresponding buffer before drawing
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer3);
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer3);
glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, [pieThree.pie getIndicesSize], GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, (void*)0);

}

getIndicesSize returns the number of elements in indexArray.
getVertexSize return the number of elements in vertexArray.
returnVertexArray returns the vertex array of the geometry.
returnIndexArray returns the index array of the geometry.
vertex array is of type GLfloat.
index array is of type GLushort.

Number of elements in vertex array generated is 24522.
Number of elements in Index array generated is 22680.
On the internet, only examples of multiple VBO/IBO I found were not using GLkit and they did exactly what I am doing here in terms of initializing buffers and rendering.
I have spent almost 2 days on this issue. I feel there is some very basic thing missing. Somehow the last bound buffer affects all other geometries I feel (based on my results as I explained above). Could it be a simulator issue (I don’t think so)? Fast response will be appreciated. Thanks

Answer 1

You seem to have some confusion about how the glVertexAttribPointer functions are supposed to work. When you call glVertexAttribPointer, it tells OpenGL:

On the next draw call, render starting from the address of the currently bound buffer plus the provided buffer offset.

After this, it doesn’t matter if you change what buffer is bound, because the pointer still points to the buffer that was bound at the time of the function call.

Therefore in this code:

glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer1);
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer1);
glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, [pieOne.pie getIndicesSize], GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, (void*)0);

Calling glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER) does absolutely nothing here, because you’re not updating the pointer.

glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer1);
//need to set glVertexAttribPointers here
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, indexBuffer1);
glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, [pieOne.pie getIndicesSize], GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, (void*)0);