SetRenderTarget mystery

I have been trying to figure out how SetRenderTarget works exactly. I have the following code:

Code (CSharp):

1.  
2. RenderTargetIdentifier rtID = new RenderTargetIdentifier(this.rt);
3. buffer.SetRenderTarget(rtID);
4. buffer.DrawMesh(mesh, matrix, this.MeshMat, 0, -1, MaterialProperties);
5. this.RenderCamera.AddCommandBuffer(CameraEvent.AfterForwardOpaque, buffer);
6.  

However because the Camera's render target isn't set explicitly, it still renders to screen. How exactly does the command buffer's SetRenderTarget work in contrast to setting the render target on the Camera script explicitly?

 

Maybe you've already figured it out by now, but it works exactly the same way. The only difference here with command buffers is when the action happens. That is to say, it's just another operation in the list of operations that makes up the whole command buffer. It only happens whenever the camera event is triggered, and only after all the previous operations that was added to it.

When there is no explicit render target specified, the camera actually renders to the "back buffer" (i.e. directly onto the viewport). If you want to render elsewhere, you can use the buffer.GetTemporaryRT() command to get another target to render to before calling SetRenderTarget on it.

 

@AkashicMike Actually I think you missunderstood, as currentCamera.targetTexture != Graphics.SetRenderTarget .
The former sets where the camera should end up with it's result. (if nothing set then backbuffer).
The latter sets where the currently used drawMesh/blit commands are rendered to. Then after that the camera continues on and will set different render textures depending on where in the pipeline it is.