Introduction to OpenGL

What is OpenGL?

• High performance window independent system interface to graphics hardware.
• Originally designed by SGI (1982).
• Constructs a shape from geometric primitives.
• Arranges objects in a 3D world.
• Assigns various attributes to objects.
• Converts objects into pixels.
• No commands for windowing tasks or user interaction.
• No high-level commands.
• State machine model

OpenGL Conventions

• C Library of ~ 350 distinct functions.
• All commands begin with gl.
• All constants begin with GL_.
• x-axis is horizontal; y-axis is vertical; z-axis denotes depth.

Notes

• Li and Thomas from University of Delaware's OpenGL Tutorial
• Sudhanshu Semwal from University of Colorado's more detailed OpenGL Tutorial

References

• JOGL javadoc
• OpenGL man pages