What is the best way to store and geometry data ?

Lets supose i want to represent some geometry with a collection of N points where 3 consecutive points represent a triangle (for example 0,1,3 is first triangle and 4,5,6 is the second), N colors, N texcoord points and N normals. Each index refers to the same point. So i have a class called for example Geometry with methods getCoord(i, Point p); getColor(i, Color c); getTexCoord(i, Point p) and finnaly getNormal(i, Vector v).


public class Geometry {
  private ? coords
  private ? texCoords
  private ? normals
  private ? colors
  public void getCoord(int i, Point p) { ... }
  public void getTexCoord(int i, Point p) { ... }
  public void getColor(int i, Color c) { ... }
  public void getNormal(int i, Vector v) { ... }
  public void setCoord(int i, Point p) { ... }
  public void setTexCoord(int i, Point p) { ... }
  public void setColor(int i, Color c) { ... }
  public void setNormal(int i, Vector v) { ... }
}

Im considering several possibilities to store geometry data.

Use javax.vecmath data structures with arrays:

public Point3f[] coords = { new Point3f(0f,0f,0f), ... };

Use javax.vecmath data structures with ArrayLists:

public ArrayList<Point3f> coords;

Use an array of an array of floats:

public float[][] coords = { {0f, 0f, 0f}, ... };

Use a linear array:

public float[] coords = { 0f, 0f, 0f, ... };

Use an array of nio buffers instead of an array of float arrays.

Use a niobuffer instead of a linear float array.

Use a varient of Point3f implemented with a nio buffer. Something like Point3fBuffer.

What would be the most efficient method in general and the better to use with jogl in particular in order to store all the geometry data?

I use (direct!) FloatBuffers as you can upload them to the GPU without a datacopy.

FloatBuffer v, t, c, n.

Or even interleaved, but then you’ll be pretty restricted in the order of your components per element.

So float buffers is the best option.

Bellow that what would be the best choice, arrays of Point3f and similar objects or a linear array of floats for everything (with interleaved data or not)?

The manswer to this question really depedns on how you are goign to USE the data.

Store it in the manner that gives most efficient use.

For instance, if its Java3D data you want to store it in the J3D structures. If its ODE data you may want to store it in the manner ODE wants to see it in. If its data for search then you may want very different data structures.

There is no one magic data structure that is best for all uses.