OpenGL is a powerful software interface used to produce high-quality, computer-generated images and interactive applications using 2D and 3D objects, bitmaps, and color images.The OpenGLreg; Programming Guide, Fifth Edition, provides definitive and comprehensive information on OpenGL and the OpenGL Utility Library. The previous edition covered OpenGL through Version 1.4. This fifth edition of the best-selling "red book" describes the latest features of OpenGL Versions 1.5 and 2.0, including the introduction of the OpenGL Shading Language.You will find clear explanations of OpenGL functionality and many basic computer graphics techniques, such as building and rendering 3D models; interactively viewing objects from different perspective points; and using shading, lighting, and texturing effects for greater realism. In addition, this book provides in-depth coverage of advanced techniques, including texture mapping, antialiasing, fog and atmospheric effects, NURBS, image processing, and more. The text also explores other key topics such as enhancing performance, OpenGL extensions, and cross-platform techniques.This fifth edition has been extensively updated to include the newest features of OpenGL Versions 1.5 and 2.0, including: Storage of vertex arrays in buffer objects for faster rendering Occlusion queries for course-grain visibility testing Non-power-of-two dimensioned texture maps Point sprites Separate stencil operations for RGB and alpha Rendering to multiple color buffers using GLSL Most importantly, this edition discusses the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) and explains the mechanics of using this new language to create complex graphics effects and boost the computational power of OpenGL.

Dave Shreiner is an OpenGL engineer at SGI

The OpenGL graphics system is a software interface to graphics hardware. (The GL stands for Graphics Library.) It allows you to create interactive programs that produce color images of moving three-dimensional objects. With OpenGL, you can control computer-graphics technology to produce realistic pictures or ones that depart from reality in imaginative ways. This guide explains how to program with the OpenGL graphics system to deliver the visual effect you want. What This Guide Contains This guide has 15 chapters. The first five chapters present basic information that you need to understand to be able to draw a properly colored and lit three-dimensional object on the screen. Chapter 1,"Introduction to OpenGL,"provides a glimpse into the kinds of things OpenGL can do. It also presents a simple OpenGL program and explains essential programming details you need to know for subsequent chapters. Chapter 2,"State Management and Drawing Geometric Objects,"explains how to create a three-dimensional geometric description of an object that is eventually drawn on the screen. Chapter 3,"Viewing,"describes how such three-dimensional models are transformed before being drawn on a two-dimensional screen. You can control these transformations to show a particular view of a model. Chapter 4,"Color,"describes how to specify the color and shading method used to draw an object. Chapter 5,"Lighting,"explains how to control the lighting conditions surrounding an object and how that object responds to light (that is, how it reflects or absorbs light). Lighting is an important topic, since objects usually don't look three-dimensional until they're lit. The remaining chapters explain how to optimize or add sophisticated features to your three-dimensional scene. You might choose not to take advantage of many of these features until you're more comfortable with OpenGL. Particularly advanced topics are noted in the text where they occur. Chapter 6,"Blending, Antialiasing, Fog, and Polygon Offset,"describes techniques essential to creating a realistic scene--alpha blending (to create transparent objects), antialiasing (to eliminate jagged edges), atmospheric effects (to simulate fog or smog), and polygon offset (to remove visual artifacts when highlighting the edges of filled polygons). Chapter 7,"Display Lists,"discusses how to store a series of OpenGL commands for execution at a later time. You'll want to use this feature to increase the performance of your OpenGL program. Chapter 8,"Drawing Pixels, Bitmaps, Fonts, and Images,"discusses how to work with sets of two-dimensional data as bitmaps or images. One typical use for bitmaps is describing characters in fonts. Chapter 9,"Texture Mapping,"explains how to map one-, two-, and three-dimensional images calledtexturesonto three-dimensional objects. Many marvelous effects can be achieved through texture mapping. Chapter 10,"The Framebuffer,"describes all the possible buffers that can exist in an OpenGL implementation and how you can control them. You can use the buffers for such effects as hidden-surface elimination, stenciling, masking, motion blur, and depth-of-field focusing. Chapter 11,"Tessellators and Quadrics,"shows how to use the tessellation and quadrics routines in the GLU (OpenGL Utility Library). Chapter 12,"Evaluators and NURBS,"gives an introduction to advanced techniques for efficient generation of curves or surfaces. Chapter 13,"Selection