OpenGL is a graphics standard and API which targets the desktop and workstation markets. It is designed to be easy to accelerate with dedicated computer hardware, and hence most implementations give greatly improved performance over traditional software rendering. Currently, OpenGL is used for ...
54
votes
15answers
12k views
What are some good learning resources for OpenGL? [closed]
I have been using the OpenGL ES on the iPhone for a while now and basically I feel pretty lost outside to the small set of commands I've seen in examples and adopted as my own. I would love to use ...
35
votes
6answers
5k views
Good resources for learning modern OpenGL (3.0 or later)?
I stumble upon the search of a good resource to start with OpenGL (3.0 or later) . Well, I found a lot of books but none of them can be considered a good resource!
Here two examples:
OpenGL ...
3
votes
2answers
4k views
How do you determine which object/surface the user's pointing at with lwjgl?
Title pretty much says it all. I'm working on a simple 'lets get used to lwjgl' project involving manipulation of a rubik's cube, and I can't figure out how to tell which side/square the user's ...
39
votes
9answers
23k views
Good GUI for OpenGL [closed]
I am starting to learn OpenGL with FreeGLUT using the Superbible and the knowledge i have from my elementary graphics to brush up on my skills.
To get more from this experience i want to integrate a ...
14
votes
2answers
8k views
A good way to build a game loop in OpenGL
I'm currently beginning to learn OpenGL at school, and I've started making a simple game the other day (on my own, not for school). I'm using freeglut, and am building it in C, so for my game loop I ...
34
votes
10answers
6k views
Is learning OpenGL 2.1 useless today?
I'm new to 3D OpenGL/DirectX world and I found out that OpenGL 4.1 and GLSL specifications were just released today.
A friend of mine gave me the Red Book for OGL v2.1 but, as far as I've read, 3.x ...
9
votes
2answers
6k views
converting a mouse click to a ray
I have a perspective projection. When the user clicks on the screen, I want to compute the ray between the near and far planes that projects from the mouse point, so I can do some ray intersection ...
29
votes
9answers
3k views
Should I continue studying OpenGL or just switch to DirectX to give me a better chance of landing a job in the game industry?
I've been learning graphics programming for some time now using OpenGL and Linux. I'm pretty familiar with most of the concepts, but I would really like to further my knowledge and eventually pursue a ...
11
votes
3answers
4k views
Starting out with OpenGL when most tutorials are out of date
I'm sure there are already a bunch of questions like this asked, but the constant updating of the OpenGL library throws them all away, and in a month or two, the answers here will be worthless again.
...
2
votes
4answers
10k views
Starting programming in 3D with C++
EDIT: There aren't sufficient enough tutorials for what I'm trying to do in Python, so I'm going to take my time and slowly build up my skills in C++. It's hard to trip and not land in a book of C++ ...
3
votes
3answers
6k views
How can I rotate a camera about it's target point?
I'm drawing a scene where the camera freely moves about the universe. The camera class keeps track of the view (or look at) point, the position of the camera, and the up vector. These vectors/points ...
14
votes
2answers
5k views
How many threads should an Android game use?
At minimum, an OpenGL Android game has a UI thread and a Renderer thread created by GLSurfaceView. Renderer.onDrawFrame() should be doing a minimum of work to get the higest FPS. The physics, AI, ...
7
votes
1answer
5k views
Making a HUD/GUI with OpenGL (LWJGL)
I'm at the stage in my game development where I need to make a HUD or GUI. I've never gotten to this part, so I don't know how its done. I tried rendering a simple quad at a fixed position on the ...
20
votes
7answers
2k views
How to get PS3/Xbox 360 experience without having access to Dev kits?
I am a budding game programmer trying to get into the industry programming for PS3, Xbox 360. The main problem I see is the need to demonstrate my skills to a potential employer, but without access ...
13
votes
6answers
2k views
Modern Shader Book?
I'm interested in learning about Shaders: What are they, when/for what would I use them, and how to use them. (Specifically I'm interested in Water and Bloom effects, but I know close to 0 about ...
12
votes
4answers
1k views
How to avoid texture bleeding in a texture atlas?
In my game there is a Minecraft-like terrain made out of cubes. I generate a vertex buffer from the voxel data and use a texture atlas for looks of different blocks:
The problem is that the texture ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
How does UVW texture mapping work?
I'm trying to understand the mathematical theory behind UVW mapping. Can anyone explain me how UVW mapping works? Or at least provide me a pointer?
15
votes
3answers
7k views
What is the difference between OpenGL ES and OpenGL?
Android uses OpenGL ES, what is the difference between it and OpenGL?
4
votes
3answers
3k views
Should I use Game Engines to learn to make 3D games?
HI i am a software engineering student in his second-last year.
I am proficient with C,C++,C# and java programming languages, and being a student of engineering I have studied calculus, vectors etc ...
3
votes
2answers
933 views
interpolating frames in a vertex shader
My models are stored as a set of meshes, each with a vertex list and normal list per key-frame, and indices for GL_TRIANGLES which is shared for all frames. Each frame I lerp between two adjacent ...
5
votes
1answer
3k views
Making a camera in a 2D game (glOrtho)
I'm trying to make a camera that follows my character and it seems I've managed. However, I don't know how to limit that my camera don't follow me when my character reachs the boundaries of the ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
2D Platformer Collision Handling
I am trying to create a 2D platformer (Mario-type) game and I am some having some issues with handling collisions properly. I am writing this game in C++, using SDL for input, image loading, font ...
2
votes
3answers
892 views
Optimized rendering of a cube mesh world
I want to render a cube-mesh (a.k.a. Minecraft-style) world. If I render each existing cube it will eat up FPS pretty quickly. How can I optimize it? I understand that the point is to not render ...
1
vote
2answers
376 views
SAT, How Do I Find The Penetration Vector?
I've just successfully implemented Separating Axis Theorem (SAT) in my game but I was wondering how do I find the penetration vector? I heard it can be useful for collision response. e.g. The harder ...
0
votes
4answers
225 views
Opengl lighting not working
I have rendered a spinning model in LWJGL. I have calculated normals and enabled lighting. Now I make a light:
float lightpos[] = {0, 0, 0, 0};
FloatBuffer lightposb = ...
0
votes
3answers
277 views
How to deal with VBOs when rendering mesh's that may or may not be displayed?
I'm working on a multiplayer game and will be displaying other players near the player. At most 16 players could be near the gamer however there could also be 0. What I'm thinking of doing is ...
0
votes
3answers
430 views
OpenGL 2D Depth Perception
I have a 2D RPG game written in Java using LWJGL. All works fine, but at the moment I'm having trouble deciding what the best way to do depth perception is. So , for example, if the player goes in ...
0
votes
2answers
416 views
CubeRealm OpenGL rotation problems, need help. :\
I'm totally new to OpenGL and I'm working on a Sandbox game called CubeRealm. My problem you see is rotation. I've got it in my head that to rotate the 'camera' I just rotate all the scene by the ...
-8
votes
2answers
679 views
Creating a Game Engine with a C++ Compiler?
I'm thinking of creating a Game Engine with a C++ Compiler using OpenGL but I don't know how to create a compiler in an application. Do I have to write the compiler? or could I use (for example) the ...
43
votes
8answers
5k views
Why do we move the world instead of the camera?
I heard that in an OpenGL game what we do to let the player move is not to move the camera but to move the whole world around.
For example here is an extract of this tutorial: OpenGL View matrix
...
35
votes
1answer
2k views
How can I reduce aliasing in my outline glow effect?
I'm trying to replicate the glowing outline effect in the Left 4 Dead game. The effect causes an objects outline to glow, even when the object is occluded. Here is a screenshot of the effect:
I'm ...
16
votes
1answer
3k views
File format for static and animated 3D models
I'm currently writing a 3D game in C++ with OpenGL and I'm coming to the part where to load 3D models in. Therefore I'm looking for popular file formats and techniques to
display static meshs and
...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
Why does OpenGL >= 3 only allow VBOs?
I see that OpenGL versions 3 and up eliminate the use of client-side rendering. Immediate mode has been eliminated, and vertex arrays seem to be deprecated. Instead, if I understand correctly, VBOs ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
Lighting in a Minecraftian World
Minecraft is a game that is largely based on a heightmap and uses that heigtmap information to flood the world with light. From my understanding the highest point in the heightmap is the end of the ...
6
votes
5answers
4k views
What alternatives to GLUT exist?
I am trying to learn OpenGL, and I just found out that GLUT is obsolete. I already know SDL, and it seems it is a good alternative. Should I use SDL to develop games with OpenGL, or are there any ...
18
votes
3answers
4k views
For voxel rendering, what is more efficient: pre-made VBO or a geometry shader?
Given a fairly static voxel array, what is more efficient: using the CPU to pre-generate a VBO to render the voxel faces (ignoring more advanced forms of rendering like marching cubes for now) or ...
17
votes
6answers
2k views
Creating a retro-style palette swapping effect in OpenGL
I'm working on a Megaman-like game where I need to change the color of certain pixels at runtime. For reference: in Megaman when you change your selected weapon then main character's palette changes ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
What OpenGL version(s) to learn and/or use?
So, I'm new to OpenGL... I have general knowledge of game programming but little practical experience.
I've been looking into various articles and books and trying to dive into OpenGL, but I've ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Draw contour around object in Opengl
I need to draw contour around 2d objects in 3d space. I tried drawing lines around object(+points to fill the gap), but due to line width, some part of it(~50%) was covering object. I tried to use ...
12
votes
5answers
2k views
What is the purpose of the canonical view volume?
I'm currently learning OpenGL and haven't been able to find an answer to this question.
After the projection matrix is applied to the view space, the view space is "normalized" so that all the points ...
10
votes
2answers
2k views
Efficient skeletal animation
I am looking at adopting a skeletal animation format (as prompted here) for an RTS game. The individual representation of each model on-screen will be small but there will be lots of them!
In ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
Fixed-Function vs Shaders: Which for beginner?
I'm currently going to college for computer science. Although I do plan on utilizing an existing engine at some point to create a small game, my aim right now is towards learning the fundamentals: ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
glsl demo suggestions?
In a lot of places I interviewed recently, I have been asked many a times if I have worked with shaders. Even though, I have read and understand the pipeline, the answer to that question has been no. ...
5
votes
1answer
459 views
How to insert and remove blocks quickly in a Minecraftian world?
I currently have volume data for the world stored as an array of booleans. I then check each empty block and if it has non-empty neighbors the faces get drawn. This prevents me from sending a bunch ...
4
votes
2answers
516 views
What is the order-less rendering technique that allows partial transparency?
I've seen somewhere rendering technique that allows order-less rendering of partially transparent sprites/objects.
Though I can't remember what the technique is called, so I'm having trouble Googling ...
12
votes
8answers
13k views
Getting Started with 2d Game Dev (C++): DirectX or OpenGL?
So, i'm a student looking to get my foot in the door of game development and im looking to do something 2D, maybe a tetris/space invaders/something-with-a-little-mouse-interaction clone.
I pointed ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
OpenGL: VBO or glBegin() + glEnd()?
I recently was given this link to a tutorial site from someone who I gave the original OGL Redbook to. The third header down says distinctly to forget glBegin() & glEnd() as the typical render ...
8
votes
5answers
6k views
Drawing lots of tiles with OpenGL, the modern way
I'm working on a small tile/sprite-based PC game with a team of people, and we're running into performance issues. The last time I used OpenGL was around 2004, so I've been teaching myself how to use ...
6
votes
3answers
490 views
Font outline in OpenGL, FTGL
I'm using FTGL library to render fonts in my game, but I have completely no idea how to create an outline around text. Achieving a shadow could be easy, because I can simply do it like this:
(pseudo ...
6
votes
3answers
758 views
What is a better abstraction layer for D3D9 and OpenGL vertex data management?
My rendering code has always been OpenGL. I now need to support a platform that does not have OpenGL, so I have to add an abstraction layer that wraps OpenGL and Direct3D 9. I will support Direct3D 11 ...
