Thread: opengl

I know I know someone is going to start laughing their ass off but how do you lauch opengl? Is opengl a program or do you have to use a graphics program? I'm confused?

OpenGL is an interface which gives you access to the functionality implemented in your video card's device drivers in order to render primitives (polygons).

So does opengl work with c++ or just c or what? I don't know any c whatsoever


Edit: how do I get to designing stuff for the game?

OpenGL works fine with C++. Did you just ignore that link I posted last time you asked something like this?

Also, SLOW DOWN. You're trying to take on things you're obviously not prepared to. You don't just jump right into programming the next Warcraft. You learn the language and then move from there.

I understand what your saying, but if I know how to do this then I have more motive/ideas for programs. That way I will have more stuff to mess around with and in turn I will get curious about something, attempt it, ask questions, learn a great deal in the process.

> I understand what your saying

You obviously don't.

ok............... so maybe I don't I'll just go read myself some tutorials then.

I don't know where you are in your learning of C++, but from what I gather, I am inclined to think that the advice of the others is quite appropriate. If you are through the basics, here is something to consider:
Learn the STL real well.
- It is a much easier library to get started off with than OpenGL.
- It is a very useful library in a lot of programming contexts.
- It uses a number of techniques that are good to know.
- The way it is designed, it helps reinforce good design habits. This last one is real important. Something like OpenGL is a bit looser, and it is pretty easy to write code with it that is seriously lacking in design.

Cheers

So does opengl work with c++ or just c or what? I don't know any c whatsoever


Edit: how do I get to designing stuff for the game?

C++ encapsulates C (for the most part, with some various nit picky differences). what I'm telling you is that if you know C++, you essentially know C, and I *know* they are different but don't argue with me in this scenario.

And again, OpenGL is a set of function pointers. These point to functions implemented inside your video card device drivers. You can tell your video card to do things like draw triangles on the screen.

Designing stuff for the game is TOTALLY different from learning to program with OpenGL. If you just want to MAKE games, I wouldn't suggest learning programming, as, well, it's extremely hard.

Also, SLOW DOWN. You're trying to take on things you're obviously not prepared to. You don't just jump right into programming the next Warcraft. You learn the language and then move from there.

Yeah...you would likely quickly become overwhelmed and demotivated and just quit (which to be honest is what happens to the majority of people that try to make it with game programming).


I'd also like people to just kind of back off of cerin for a little bit. Posting a bunch of links and saying 'go read this on your own' isn't always the best advice when you don't even understand the very basic *idea* of what it is you are reading about. I'm not saying I'm going to wipe his arse for him, I'm just saying it sometimes helps to kind of, you know, help give them a foot in the door by explaining things in lay men's terms. He was actually asking very easy-to-answer, very specific questions.