How do I orbit one object around another?

Question

I am trying to do animation using glut. I have 2 squares overlapping to each other and i want other square to rotate around this central object without rotating themselves. I want to rotate in orbit manner. I am calculating circular path using parametric equation and translating that one of the square to that distance. i am calling this function in a loop.

Here is my code in which the motion of other square is not in a orbit instead it moves along a diagonal of middle one. Let me know where it is going wrong. I have added expected image as well

Answer 1

First some little tips:

1) Instead of:

if (i > 360) i=0;

Try

i %= 360;

2) glPushMatrix and glPopMatrix are useless in your code, as you apply them on the identity matrix.

3) User GL_TRIANGLES or GL_QUADS instead of GL_POLYGON

4) Avoid global variables, they cause a lot of problems.

Solution:

Probably a typo:

Change

glTranslatef(distance_x, distance_x, 0.0);

To

glTranslatef(distance_x, distance_y, 0.0);