Why is there no "setBool"(and others) function in the ShaderMaterial-class?

[Dinkelborg]

OpenGL ES declares the following types as valid within the GLSL language:

• void
• bool
• int
• float
• vec2,vec3,vec4
• bvec2,bvec3,bvec4
• ivec2,ivec3,ivec4
• mat2,mat3,mat4
• sampler2D
• samplerCube

why does the BABYLON.ShaderMaterial class only have set-functions for 

• Texture
• Float, Floats
• Color3,Color4
• Vector2,Vector3

and

• Matrix

I need a boolean uniform in my shader, is there any way I can still set a value for it or could you please add the missing set-functions?

[GameMonetize]

you can use int for bool as well

[Dinkelborg]

There is also no setInt function

[RaananW]

Both the engine and the Effect class have setBool function, you could use them, no?

 

btw - Javascript has no "integer" class. only number. So everything is a float :-) I guess you could cast the float in your shader after setting it. But I am no shader expert, can't really say how well this will work.

[Dinkelborg]

It's not like I cannot use a float, in fact I did just create a float and made its value 1.0 or 0.0 so that I can check in the shader for it, but that just isn't what floats are made for really... and I think a boolean is cheaper than a float, so if one day anyone wants to create a huge shader that needs - I don't know - 300 booleans it might make a difference if there is 300 float variables instead ...
 

I don't exactly understand how the engine's or effect-class' setBool function would help me set a boolean value in my shaderMaterial... ?



All I'm saying is, that GLSL knows more variable types as there are set-functions in the shaderMaterial-class, if the shaderMaterial class wants to make it easier for the user to set a value for a shader-uniform by automatically finding the uniform-index and handing the value to the shader, then it should do so for all available variable (or uniform) types. Otherwise there is a shortcut for like 5 variable types and if one wants to use one of the other 7 or so that don't have this shortcut, he has to go the long way anyways, so why even bother getting to know the shortcut?

[GameMonetize]

You can use the effect directly (even if using float is the same actually): mat.getEffect().setBool