--generate a mapping from unique values to plain numbers --useful for arbitrarily ordering things that don't have --a natural ordering implied (eg textures for batching) local unique_mapping = {} unique_mapping._mt = { __index = unique_mapping, __mode = "kv", --weak refs } --(used as storage for non-weak data) local _MAP_VARS = setmetatable({}, { __mode = "k" --only keys are weak }) function unique_mapping:new() local r = setmetatable({}, self._mt) --set up the actual vars _MAP_VARS[r] = { current_index = 0, } return r end function unique_mapping:_increment() local vars = _MAP_VARS[self] vars.current_index = vars.current_index + 1 return vars.current_index end function unique_mapping:map(value) local val = self[value] if val then return val end local i = self:_increment() self[value] = i return i end return unique_mapping