Beginning OpenGL Game Programming (Game Development Series) (Paperback)

~ Dave Astle (Author), Kevin Hawkins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

An excellent way for programmers who want to make the leap from 2D to 3D graphics to do so. -- GameDev.net, John Hattan, May 2004

Product Description

Beginning OpenGL Game Programming provides new game programmers with a complete introduction to 3D game programming using OpenGL. All of the basic elements of OpenGL as it applies to game development are covered. You will learn how to apply these elements to games. The material is designed to be completely accessible to beginners, with complete but concise coverage to ensure the highest value.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology PTR; 1 edition (March 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592003699
• ISBN-13: 978-1592003693
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #532,642 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This item is part of The Course PTR Game Development Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Information from the author, May 20, 2004

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

As an author, it's important to me that potential readers of this book know what they are getting in advance, so that they can have all the information they need when deciding whether or not to buy it.

This book is intended for people who have some experience programming in C++ who can make a basic program on their platform of choice. Some knowledge of 3D math will be helpful, though not strictly required.

This book focuses on teaching the portions of OpenGL that are relevant to game development. Topics covered include using OpenGL with Win32, states, primitives, transformations and matrices, color, lighting, materials, blending, fog, images and bitmaps, texture mapping (including mipmapping, multitexturing, combiners, texgen, and environment mapping), extensions, displaying text, display lists, vertex arrays, frustum culling, and buffers. The material is pulled together in a Battle Chess-like example game in the final chapter. The demo programs were written for Windows, but we separated the platform specific code from the OpenGL code, so they should be easily portable to other platforms.

This book started out as a second edition of OpenGL Game Programming, but we decided to split it into two volumes (the second of which will be available next year). If you've already read the original book, you probably don't need this one, though you'll definitely find some useful things in it. We've reviewed everything and corrected many technical errors, as well as updating the text for OpenGL 1.5. Many sections have been completely rewritten, and we've added a new chapter and several new sections. We've also included many of the chapters from the original book on the CD, so at half the price (or less) we think it's a great value.

Additional information about the book, including contact information for Kevin and myself, can be found at glbook.gamedev.net. We're committed to providing continual support for this book, so don't hesitate to contact us.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great value for beginners, April 25, 2004

By	Louis E. Dargin "Louis E. Dargin II" (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is basically an updated version of "OpenGL Game Programming", with the old chapters on DirectX placed in a CD-ROM. It is definitely for C++ programmers who are unfamiliar with OpenGL. It doesn't focus on intermediate or advanced topics like performance, 3d math, collision detection, etc; it just covers the API. If you want to start learning OpenGL, and would like to use it to quickly make something that you can see, I recommend this book.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Buy for Beginners, December 26, 2004

By	B. Nardone (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Beginning OpenGL Game Programming is a great introduction for those with little to no experience with OpenGL.

I have used it both as an introduction for a few projects I worked on as well as a refresher for a position I will soon begin.

Intended for a beginner (obviously), it does a very good job of getting someone up to speed swiftly. Unlike the many other books in the field, it manages to stay at only roughly 300 pages. That the authors managed to put so much information in such a (relatively) small number of pages is impressive.

The book doesn't waste time with stories and constant vernacular like "cool" and "dude" as so many other related titles do. However, while maintaining a professional feel, it is by no means a boring or a dry read.

Another aspect that is worth mentioning is the quality of the code and examples themselves. While most books will build a massive, hard to follow engine, Beginning OpenGL Game Programming manages to keep it under control. Much like the book itself, the source is without unnecessary bloat. I was able to look back on any chapter and read the source without having to jump to prior chapters for code clarification or explanation.

Lastly, I can say firsthand that the authors are easily reached and quite dedicated to the book.

For the incredibly low price, this is a terrific bargain.