Three.js: Slow TextGeometry creation

[bidolah]

Description of the problem

My script add many text to scene (look in sample). Time to create TextGeometry greatly increased compared to Three.js v.84

Code sample

var textGeometry = new THREE.TextGeometry(l, {font: this.defaultFont, size: '2', height: 0});
var text = new THREE.Mesh(textGeometry, this.textMaterial);
text.position.set((p1.x + p2.x) / 2, (p1.y + p2.y) / 2, 0);
return text;

Three.js version

• [ ] Dev
• [x] r85
• [ ] ...

Browser

• [ ] All of them
• [x] Chrome
• [ ] Firefox
• [ ] Internet Explorer

OS

• [ ] All of them
• [x] Windows
• [ ] macOS
• [ ] Linux
• [ ] Android
• [ ] iOS

Hardware Requirements (graphics card, VR Device, ...)

[WestLangley]

Use TextBufferGeometry, instead.

[WestLangley]

@mrdoob @Mugen87

It might not be worth it, but In the TextGeometry constructor, for example, instead of this pattern,

this.fromBufferGeometry( new TextGeometry( text, parameters ) );
this.mergeVertices();

we could do this:

var bufferGeometry = new TextGeometry( text, parameters );

this.fromBufferGeometry( bufferGeometry );
this.mergeVertices();

this._bufferGeometry = bufferGeometry.toNonIndexed(); // apparently, non-indexed is expected

which would alleviate the creation of the same geometry three times.

[mrdoob]

Tempting... But I think I would rather deprecate Non-BufferGeometry code ASAP instead.

Not sure what the strategy for that should be... Maybe rename THREE.Geometry to THREE.LegacyGeometry...?

[Mugen87]

If users want to manipulate a geometry, THREE.Geometry is easier to use. Is this a not feature we want to retain? THREE.LegacyGeometry gives the impression it is something deprecated and should not be used anymore.

[mrdoob]

If users want to manipulate a geometry, THREE.Geometry is easier to use. Is this a not feature we want to retain?

I don't think we can keep THREE.Geometry as it is. Was thinking of giving another try at an object that makes it easy to construct geometry but that maps better to THREE.BufferGeometry. A THREE.GeometryConstructor of sorts...