OpenGL API simple summary

• first edition 2018-8-28

OpenGL API

Drawing Primitives

• glBegin(Glenum mode)
  
  • mode: GL_TRIANGLES, GL_QUADS, etc
• glVertex3f(GLfloat x,GLfloat y,GLfloat z)
  
  • Draw one vertex; must be after glBegin();
• glEnd()
  
  • End of a group of primitives
• glColor3f(GLbyte red, GLbyte blue,GLbyte green)
  
  • Set the color for vertices drawn after the call
• glNormal3f(GLfloat nx,GL float ny, GLfloat nz)
  
  • Set the normal vector
• glTexCoord2f(GLfloat s,GLfloat v)
  
  • Set the texture coordinates
• glMatrixMode(GLenum mode)
  
  • Set the current matrix
  • mode: GL_MODELVIEW, GL_PROJECTION
• glLoadIdentity()
  
  • Loads the identity matrix into the current matrix
• glLoadMatrixf(Glfloat *matrix)
  
  • Load and arbitrary matrix
  • matrix: An array of values in column-major form; elements from same column are contiguous
• glGetFloatv(GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX,matrix)
• glGetFloatv(GL_PROJECTION_MATRIX,matrix)
  
  • Gets a matrix- use sparingly

Transformations

• glFrustum(GLfloat left,GLfloat right,GLfloat bottom,GLfloat top,GLfloat near,GLfloat far)
  
  • Multiplies the current matrix by a perspective matrix
  • Parameters set up a viewing frustum( clipped pyramid ) representing the visible space
• glOrtho(Glfloat left,Glfloat right,GLfloat bottom,GLfloat top,GLfloat near,Glfloat far)
  
  • Similar to glFrustum(), but sets up an orthographic projection instead

Matrix Stack

• glPushMatix()
  
  • Pushes a copy of the current matrix down on the matrix stack
  • There is one matrix stack per mode; GL_PROJECTION and GL_MODEVIEW each have their own stack
• glPopMatrix()
  
  • Replaces the current matrix with the top of the stack, and then pops the stack

Lighting

• glEnable(GL_LIGHTING)
  
  • Enable lighting
• glEnable(GL_LIGHTX)
  
  • Enable lightX
• glLightfv(GL_LIGHo,GL_AMBIENT,GLfloat *params)
• glLightfv(GL_LIGHo,GL_SPECULAR,GLfloat *params)
• glLightfv(GL_LIGHo,GL_DIFFUSE,GLfloat *params)
  
  • sets the ambient,diffuse,specular light for the light #o
  • params: 4-vector:[red,green,blue,alpha]
• glLightfv(GL_LIGHTo,GL_POSITION,GLfloat *params)
  
  • Set the light position or direction
  • params: 4-vector:[x,y,z,point?]; if last argument is non-zero the light is a point light.
• glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT,GL_AMBIENT,GLfloat *params)
• glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT,GL_SPECULAR,GLfloat *params)
• glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT,GL_DIFFUSE,GLfloat *params)
  
  • sets the ambient, diffuse, and specular material colors
  • params: 4-vector: [red,blue,green,alpha]
• glMaterialf(GL_FRONT,GL_SHININESS,Glfloat params)
  
  • sets the hardness/shininess(size of specular highlights)
  • param: shininess in the range[0,128]

Other

• glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT|GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT)
  
  • Must call at the beginning of each frame
• glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST)
  
  • Enable depth-testing using depth buffer
• These functions let you draw from arrays, rather than using glColor,glVertex,etc.
  
  • glEnableClientState(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY)
  • glEnableClientState(GL_NORMAL_ARRAY)
  • glEnableClientState(GL_COLOR_ARRAY)
  • glVertexPointer()
  • glNormalPoint();
  • glColorPointer();
  • glDrawArrays();