ComputeBuffer.count

If I create a ComputeBuffer with ComputeBufferType.Append and some capacity, is the buffer's .count property the capacity I created it with, or the count of the number of items actually .Appended to it inside the compute shader?

I feel like the docs are confusing here.

 

The .count property is the total capacity of the buffer. In order to get the buffer's current counter value in C# script, you'll need to do something like this:

Code (CSharp):

1. private ComputeBuffer AppendBuffer;
2. private ComputeBuffer CounterValueBuffer; // holds one uint value
3. private AsyncGPUReadbackRequest asyncRequest;
4.  
5. void Update()
6. {
7.     // Process previous frame's data
8.     asyncRequest.WaitForCompletion(); // HACK - avoid this blocking wait if possible
9.     if (!asyncRequest.hasError)
10.     {
11.         int numItemsInAppendBuffer = (int)(asyncRequest.GetData<uint>()[0]);
12.         DoSomething(numItemsInAppendBuffer);
13.     }
14.  
15.     DispatchYourComputeShaderKernel();
16.  
17.     // Asynchronously get the buffer's counter value
18.     int byteOffset = 0;
19.     ComputeBuffer.CopyCount(AppendBuffer, CounterValueBuffer, byteOffset);
20.     asyncRequest = AsyncGPUReadback.Request(CounterValueBuffer, CounterValueBuffer.stride, byteOffset);
21. }