Opengl Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning Opengl, Version 1.1 (Otl) [Paperback]

Mason Woo (Author), Jackie Neider (Author), Tom Davis (Author), OpenGL Architecture Review Board (Corporate Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201461382 | ISBN-13: 978-0201461381 | Publication Date: January 1997 | Edition: 2nd

Explaining how graphics programs using Release 1.1, the latest release of OpenGL, this book presents the overall structure of OpenGL and discusses in detail every OpenGL feature including the new features introduced in Release 1.1. Numerous programming examples in C show how to use OpenGL functions. Also includes 16 pages of full-color examples.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The OpenGL graphics libraries offer programmers the ability to construct and render remarkably realistic 3-D scenes that can incorporate multiple lighting sources, various types of perspective, and various special effects. The OpenGL Programming Guide is a comprehensive and definitive resource on using the extensive capabilities offered by OpenGL. Beginning with coverage of basic OpenGL objects--points, lines, and polygons--it advances through functions for selecting colors, lighting, reflective properties, texture, atmospheric haze, and more. Basic concepts of 3-D graphics are made accessible with analogies to cameras, and advanced sidebars and appendices go into deep detail about OpenGL.

Product Details

• Paperback: 650 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub (Sd); 2nd edition (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201461382
• ISBN-13: 978-0201461381
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #850,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Graphics & Multimedia > OpenGL

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great generic platform OpenGL book, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Opengl Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning Opengl, Version 1.1 (Otl) (Paperback)

This is a wonderful OpenGL book. I especially like the fact that it is specifically written to be platform independant. Other books fail because they try to concentrate on one type of platform, like Win95/98/NT. It does use GLUT but it uses it as a tool to allow the reader to learn the concepts and get right to work with the fun stuff rather than tinkering with the specifics of your OS. This book is especially welcome to Linux programmers because of the fact that it doesn't concentrate on the Windows API and instead uses GLUT to work across all platforms.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply best place to learn OpenGL, March 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Opengl Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning Opengl, Version 1.1 (Otl) (Paperback)

As consumer grade 3D accelerators began to support the OpenGL ICD many Win32 programmers are using the OpenGL 3D API to develop real-time 3D applications. This new breed of OpenGL developers are looking for a good place to start. The Offical Guide to Learning OpenGL (also refered to as "the redbook") is that starting place.

Mason Woo and the OpenGL Review Board, along with other contributors walk the reader though well thought out example programs and explain in detail each OpenGL function call. The chapters are well organized, and authors take a complete platform independate approach to OpenGL. An excellent choice for a college text book on the subject of real-time 3D graphic programming.

The only other book to be considered is the OpenGL SuperBible, but it's poorly organized in comparison and focuses only on the Win32 platform. This book should only be considered if the reader is new to programming and needs to be walked though setting up the development enviroment (such reads should consider going back and learning more about their IDE before venturing into OpenGL programming anyway)

For overall content, reference and presentation the OpenGL Programming Guide is the best book I've read covering any API.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GLUT BUY!, June 23, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Opengl Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning Opengl, Version 1.1 (Otl) (Paperback)

as a winNT programmer, i broke my teeth trying to understand OpenGL with the use of the MSDN library. although the MSDN library does offer a few tech articles about how to begin using the NT port of OpenGL, it does a poor job at explaining the basics of OpenGL. moreover, in the best of microsoft tradition, the WGL functions (win32 to openGL interface) are cumbersome and very unintuitive and make the learning process almost impossible. this book on the other hand, throws you into the water by releaving you of all the annoying initialization details and technical details that you would only want to know once you have a feel for the OpenGL API. this is done with the use of the GLUT library. while it is true that GLUT is not the most efficient way to write openGL code, it is better to start learning openGL using GLUT then to have to understand each and every detail of openGL architechture before you can draw one vertex. this is an easy escape. I am most pleased with this book and cant wait to finish it... go fetch...