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> This is the exact opposite of what I want, actually: imgui keeps promising an official mode that doesn't totally melt the machine from running at peak refresh rate the entire time

I don't know what to tell you when you're fucking with an immediate mode UI library...

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Unless you are targeting Atari 2600, immediate mode still retains state in the form of a frame buffer. Your video game should not repaint if nothing has changed since last frame, e.g. when paused, let alone a text editor.

So you're arguing that the definition of an IM UI library necessarily includes running at full screen refresh rate the entire time?

Then how is it that many people, myself included, are able to hack fix this to only update when required? Why does the imgui dev himself promise official support for this?

Retained mode (for desktop apps) was/is primarily about creating an object heirachy that allows you to minimize full redraws and the like --- you'd assume, for something immediate mode, that you're basically asking to push frames directly without any barriers

The most efficient way to answer the "no redraw needed" question is orthogonal to the "question" of whether or not to do redraws when not needed.

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