Lots of the same mesh?

In 2d I would load an image and draw it several times at array position in a 2d tilemap.

How can i make lots of the same mesh and have different xyz position for it?

Heres what I tried. Psuedo Code
===================

global mymesh =  bbloadmesh(mymesh)

Type Block
field mesh
field x
field y

function create()
local b:block = new block
b.x = Rand(0,800)
b.y = Rand(0,500)
b. mesh = bbCopyMesh(mymesh)
end function

method PosMesh()
bbpositionentity(mesh , x , y, z)
end method

Create 10 Meshes

while not bbkeyhti(blah

for local b:block = eachin blahbooly
b.posmesh
next
wend

Is copymesh the wrong command to use?

Another thing, how do I load a mesh and not have it display until it's created?

Currently when I load a mesh with loadmesh it displays it on screen. I don't want it to do that. I just want to load it and then when I need it draw it. HideEntity hides it, I know.

Thinjk of it like 2d. When you load a 2d image it's not automatically there until it's drawn.

We so know so little B3D dont we ;)

I think that CopyMesh makes a low/real copy of the Mesh, whilst CopyEntity makes a "Pointer" copy of the entity.

That is CopyMesh takes loads of memory, but CopyEntity doesnt. We probably need a B3D programmer to tell us for sure

Use copyentity for simple copies of the entity which you don't plan on using mesh commands on, which actually change the mesh structure ie positionmesh, scalemesh.
This is a quick simple workaround me thinks. bit rusty with bmax

Type block
  global MainMesh = CreateCube()
  field DoRender:int
  field entity:int
  field x:float, y:float, z:float

function create()
  local b:block = new block
  b.x = Rand(0,800)
  b.y = Rand(0,500)
  b. mesh = bbCopyEntity(block.MainMesh);is this right, not    sure you access globals from type this way?
end function

method render(draw = true)
   DoRender = draw
end method

method draw:int()
  if DoRender
    Showentity entity
  else
    hideentity entity
  endif
end method

method PosMesh()
bbpositionentity(entity, x , y, z)
end method

end type

for local b:block = eachin blahbooly
  b.draw()
  b.posmesh
next

edit: i have put a simple loop in but you would need a while/wend with bbupdateworld and bbrenderworld.

What H&K said is correct.

Hide it before your first call to RenderWorld.

Import blitz3d.blitz3dsdk

bbBeginBlitz3D()

bbGraphics3D 800,600

Local light=bbCreateLight()
Local camera=bbCreateCamera()
bbPositionEntity camera,0,0,-10

Local master=bbLoadMesh(AppDir + "\visual\sr_tree000.b3d")
bbHideEntity master             '<--*****

'Local copy=bbCopyMesh(master)

While Not bbKeyHit(BBKEY_ESCAPE)

	bbRenderWorld          '<--*****
	
	bbFlip 
	
Wend