Open Graphics Library - API for 2D and 3D computer graphics
Questions tagged [opengl]
60 questions
394
votes
14 answers
Why do game developers prefer Windows?
Is it that DirectX is easier or better than OpenGL, even if OpenGL is cross-platform? Why do we not see real powerful games for Linux like there are for Windows?

M.Sameer
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97
votes
2 answers
Why have hardware-accelerated vector graphics not taken off?
I'm working on an app that involves real-time manipulation of vector paths at 60fps, and I'm very surprised by how little information there is on the subject. At first, I tried to implement my idea using CoreGraphics, but it didn't perform…

Archagon
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53
votes
14 answers
Why does DirectX use a left-handed coordinate system?
I considered posting on Stack Overflow, but the question strikes me as being far too subjective since I can't think of a reasonable technical explanation for Microsoft's choice in this matter. But this question has bugged me for so long and the…

greyfade
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32
votes
7 answers
Writing in C for Performance?
I know I have quite frequently heard that C typically has a performance advantage over C++. I didn't really think anything else of it until I realized that MSVC doesn't even seem to support the newest standard of C, but the newest it supports it C99…

Daniel Underwood
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21
votes
5 answers
Why don't modern libraries use OOP
I'm a beginner-level C++ programmer, but I understand the concepts of the language fairly well. When I began to learn external C++ libraries, like SDL, OpenGL (maybe something else too), to my great surprise I found out that they don't use C++…

Saage
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18
votes
3 answers
How would you unit-test or perform the most effective automated testing on graphics code for OpenGL?
I'm writing a game and the accompanying graphics engine on top of OpenGL in C++. Im also a fan of good coding processes and automated testing. Graphics code + testing seems pretty immiscible, since the output is often visual only, or very heavily…

Max
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17
votes
4 answers
What is the relationship between OpenGL, GLX, DRI, and Mesa3D?
I am starting out doing some low-level 3D programming in Linux. I have a lot of experience using the higher level graphics API OpenInventor.
I know it is not strictly necessary to be aware of how all these things fit together but I'm just curious.…

ttb
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14
votes
2 answers
Suggestions for a GUI library in Haskell
As the Haskell Wiki itself states:
There is a large number of GUI libraries for Haskell. Unfortunately there is no standard one and all are more or less incomplete. In general, low-level veneers are going well, but they are low level. High-level…

Bface
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12
votes
3 answers
Android, OpenGL and extending GLSurfaceView?
This question is part-technical, part-meta, part-subjective and very specific:
I'm an indie game dev working on android, and for the past 6 months I've struggled and finally succeeded in making my own 3D game app for android. So I thought I'd hop on…

Spoon Thumb
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8
votes
1 answer
How can I optimize a program's performance when no profiling tools are available?
I am currently working on an OpenGl program whose performance I would like to improve. The performance is okay but not ideal on powerful dedicated GPUs, but is abysmal on integrated graphics (< 10 fps). In a normal program (CPU-based, no OpenGl or…

john01dav
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8
votes
1 answer
Is hardware accelerated GUI data kept on the GPU
I am doing some research as to how most hardware accelerated GUI libraries work. I am actually only care about the rendering backends of them here. I am trying to figure out what would be the best way to try and write my own as a sort of side…

Gerharddc
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7
votes
2 answers
Why use SDL and OpenGL instead of just OpenGL?
I've been seeing people combine SDL2 and OpenGL (glfw.h or glut.h) for a while now, I've done some research and found out SDL2 runs on OpenGL. So why does people combine these two? Some people discussed how they use SDL2 for making the window and…

Nfagie Yansaneh
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6
votes
2 answers
Abstraction of VAOs, VBOs and Models
I have gone down the rabbit hole that is abstracting away a working game engine in OpenGL and C++. Before reaching the other side I'd like to ask about my current design, which is - the more I look at it - eventually in need of a major revision. I…

Felix
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6
votes
0 answers
Incorporating existing 2D OpenCL/OpenGL application in 3D scene
There is an existing real-time, scientific visualization application that uses OpenCL and OpenGL to render complex 2D graphs. My goal is to incorporate this application into a 3D rendered scene. At the very minimum, the desired application would…

Liam Kelly
- 169
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6
votes
2 answers
What is GLFW in relation to OpenGL
Now this question might sound (/ is) stupid, but I'm just getting into OpenGL.
So I installed GLFW source and I'm looking at some easy examples. What I'm noticing is, that the code still contains "typical" OpenGL functions, like glColor or glVertex,…

hgiesel
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