OpenGL SuperBible, Second Edition (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

by Richard S Wright (Author), Michael Sweet (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The OpenGL SuperBible lives up to its name: nearly 700 pages of examples, function descriptions, and code snippets for the Windows-based programmer trying to get up to speed on coding OpenGL graphics.

This new edition has been revised and updated to include OpenGL 1.2, which offers more features and tighter integration with hardware accelerators than any earlier version. Sections are logically broken down into graphics fundamentals and an introduction to OpenGL, the "Meat and Potatoes" of OpenGL rendering, and the specifics of OpenGL programming for Windows.

Long on examples and function descriptions, the book is a bit short on pictures, color plates, and screen shots. However, the accompanying CD-ROM has all the examples used in the book, some other exciting examples of OpenGL programming (the flight simulator with the terrain generator is remarkably smooth, for example), and the OpenGL library toolkits (GLUT 3.7, MESA 3, ZLIB 1.1.3, and others). It doesn't contain, however, a searchable electronic version of the book, which would have been very valuable given its complexity. But the book is thorough, and it covers every aspect of OpenGL programming, making it a good reference for anyone who codes for graphics applications, in spite of its shortcomings. --Mike Caputo

Product Description
OpenGL SuperBible, Second Edition is a comprehensive, hands-on guide that provides everything you need to program with the new version of OpenGL. Find the necessary guidance in applying complex concepts-such as drawing in space; points, lines, and polygons; moving around in space; color, lighting, and materials; Raster graphics in OpenGL; texture mapping; 3D modeling and object composition; fog and blending visual effects; curves and surfaces; OpenGL pixel format and rendering context; non-Windows rendering; and more.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Pearson Education; 2 edition (December 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571691642
• ISBN-13: 978-1571691644
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #917,939 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthy intro to OpenGL, January 7, 2001

By	Dave Astle (GameDev.net) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's hard not to write a review of an OpenGL book without comparing it to the Red Book, so I'll go ahead and do just that. Overall, I think the Superbible is every bit as useful as the Red Book, but in different ways. Although the Red Book has more detailed coverage, the Superbible focuses more on the practical side, covering the things you'll use and how you'll use them. Where the Red Book remains entirely platform-independent, the Superbible has quite a bit of Windows specific information, which is good since that's what a lot of us use. Finally, while the Red Book provides fairly generic OpenGL coverage, the Superbible is geared more toward real-time applications and games, which makes it a bit more appealing to folks like me.

One really nice thing about this book is that it assumes no previous graphics programming experience (unlike the Red Book). It's also written in a more conversational tone. Those two factors combined probably make it a better book for beginners. If your objective is to make games, and you want to use OpenGL for them, then, at the time of writing, this is really the only book available on OpenGL containing any significant amount of game-specific material (though I *cough* have it on good authority that an OpenGL game programming book is on the horizon...)

To sum up, I think that the Superbible's OpenGL coverage is quite good, it's extremely well written, and the code examples are both illustrative and useful. If you choose it as your means of learning OpenGL, you won't be disappointed.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Were having Fun, February 8, 2000

By	Golden Lion "Reader" (North Ogden, Ut United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This is my fourth year using the SuperBible to teach OpenGL to University Students. Were having fun: colorcube, adventures of a marble, the animated hand, and numerous other projects. I lecture from the Opengl SuperBible second edition over a fifteen week course. I particular like the number of graphic illustrations combined with concepts. I can progressive build my students through the semister chapter by chapter. I recommend the second edition as valued OpenGL book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning OpenGL fast and easily,, March 28, 2001

By	Mark A. Drake - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm an aspiring video / computer game programmer, so I didn't have much choice on wether or not do buy an OpenGL book or not. And let me tell you, this is one book that will be used for quite some time.

Yes, it is true that it doesen't teach EVERYTHING about OpenGL, but it teaches you plenty to start using it accuratly and even goes into some more advanced features. I use this book so much now that I just sit it on my monitor and when I need it, I just grab it.

If you need to learn OpenGL then this is the best way to go, if you need to get deeper into the subject, then I suggest you get the red book, after this one.