Query on VertexFormat

CesiumJS
1

Hi

I was going through the tutorial on the link. When I came to the example of rewriting the initial code using geometries and appearances I got a bit confused. Why do we call vertexFormat under geometry as shown below ? As far as I know a Vertex is just an intersection of two lines. Could you please explain why is VertexFormat essential for plotting the rectangle on the Globe ?

[Code excerpt from the link where I am confused]

var viewer = new Cesium.Viewer('cesiumContainer');
var scene = viewer.scene;
// original code
// scene.primitives.add(new Cesium.RectanglePrimitive({
//     rectangle : Cesium.Rectangle.fromDegrees(-100.0, 20.0, -90.0, 30.0),
//     material : Cesium.Material.fromType('Dot')
// }));
var instance = new Cesium.GeometryInstance({
  geometry : new Cesium.RectangleGeometry({
    rectangle : Cesium.Rectangle.fromDegrees(-100.0, 20.0, -90.0, 30.0),
**->**    vertexFormat : Cesium.EllipsoidSurfaceAppearance.VERTEX_FORMAT
  })
});

scene.primitives.add(new Cesium.Primitive({
  geometryInstances : instance,
  appearance : new Cesium.EllipsoidSurfaceAppearance({
    material : Cesium.Material.fromType('Dot')
  })
}));
2

I asked this question because the rectangle is still drawn on the globe
even when I comment the line "vertexFormat : Cesium.
EllipsoidSurfaceAppearance.VERTEX_FORMAT"

3

A vertex is not just a position; it can contain any number of attributes that describe the surface at the point: normal, texture coordinate, and color are common per-vertex attributes in Cesium. The vertex format describes what attributes each vertex contains, which determines what appearances/material it is compatible with. The default vertex format will work in most cases, but may have extra data that is not needed, usually texture coordinates.

For more on computer graphics in general, see the Cesium recommended reading list.

Patrick