Getting Started With Opengl

[arrrgh]

I wish to get started with 3D on the Pandora but have run in to a few problems. I was going to download the ImgTec OGL ES 2.0 emulator, but it turned out that my graphics card wasn't new enough to support it. So, I'm wondering, would it be best to learn OGL ES 1.1 for now, but by the sound of it it's quite different from 2.0. Or should I just wait for my Pandora to come and use SDL until then?

 

[billykater]

If you really want to get 3D I would suggest going with OPENGL ES 1.1. Depending on your needs that will be sufficient for a first app (Pandora supports 1.1 too). Later on you can always switch to 2.0 for a different Project as porting will not be that easy unless you abstract your API.

I don't know if the SDL port for Pandora has any support for OpenGL ES yet and using Desktop GL won't be that portable unless you know what to avoid. Also keep in mind that SDL without OpenGL is for 2D only.

 

[argor]

I wish to get started with 3D on the Pandora but have run in to a few problems. I was going to download the ImgTec OGL ES 2.0 emulator, but it turned out that my graphics card wasn't new enough to support it. So, I'm wondering, would it be best to learn OGL ES 1.1 for now, but by the sound of it it's quite different from 2.0. Or should I just wait for my Pandora to come and use SDL until then?

the pandora supports opengl es 1.1 :rolleyes: and opengl es 2

 

[arrrgh]

the pandora supports opengl es 1.1

Ah, sorry. Didn't know this.

 

[centralnoise]

Besides, OpenGL ES 2.0 involves more maths since the rendering pipeline is shader based. Best to learn OpenGL ES 1.1 first, much easier.

 

[MadDog]

What have you done with 3D before? If you're new to 3D irrespective of the API then there is a lot to learn. If this is the case may be better to start with a PC based 3rd party 3D engine and learn how to get stuff to work in a game. I hear that Torque is a good one and well supported.

If you've done 3D with DX fixed function, go for GL 1.1, if you've played around with shaders in DX9 the I would recommend to go for GLES 2.0.

For GLES 1.1 get the book OpenGLES Game Development ISBN 1-59200-370-2
Good book to get you started although a little dated now.

For GLES 2.0 get OpenGL ES 2.0 Programming Guide ISBN 0-321-50279-5

Have you tried the ATI GLES 2.0 emulator?

It may be better to start with normal GL 2.0 then move onto GLES 2.0 when you've got a Pandora to play with.

The 3D engine I've coded for our product runs GLES 1.1 / 2.0 (1.1 is for N95 etc...) but also runs DX9 just so we can do all our development on windows (allows demos at trade shows on big monitors to be high res). Also because most of our customers have a windows port of their application so again helps with their development.

So if you get stuck getting GL or GLES to work on your system then start with DX and abstract it out. Although for a game to run at maximum speed this may not be the best solution.

 

[darkblu]

i dont think that the API is the major thing to learn, and be concerned about, when doing 3d. APIs come and go, but your understanding of what is going on should always be there.

if you are just starting with 3d i would suggest two things that have nothing to do with 3d APIs:

* brush up your linear algebra skills, and bush them up to a shine - vector bases, transformations, matrices, etc: when it comes to 3d you will need to be thinking in linear algebra terms. having a basic understanding of numerical methods, precision and error estimates is needed too, but that can wait for later.

* read some fundamental texts on 3d. you can start with

fundamentals of computer graphics, Foley et al
http:\\www.amazon.com/Computer-Graphics-Principles-Practice-Programming/dp/0201848406

advanced animation and rendering techniques, Watt & Watt
http:\\www.amazon.com/Advanced-Animation-Rendering-Techniques-Press/dp/0201544121

the above two are really fundamental. and the next one is a concise reference to the most common math apparatus you would need for 3d (all that linear algebra in a nut shell, but do not assume you can skip your linear algebra fundamentals by that)

math for 3d game programming and computer graphics, Eric Lengyel
http:\\www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Programming-Computer-Graphics-Development/dp/1584502770

 

[Butterman]

Yup ^^

If you don't know the math to begin with, the rest is going to be quite hard. If you already know basic OpenGL, you can just use this:

CODE

http://pandorawiki.org/OpenGL_ES_1.1_Tutorial



To move over to ES. It's really not that hard, they don't really take anything out. If you're a beginner, shaders can be really, really intimidating.

 

[Capn_Fish]

Just because your graphics card isn't "supported" doesn't mean it doesn't work. It runs fine (if slowly) on my Intel 855GM integrated graphics.

 

[PSyMastR]

For AMD's OGL ES 2.0 emulator, how much graphics memory should I give that closely represents the performance of the Pandora?

 

[Pickle]

The TI SDK also has some decent tutorials for opengl-es and theres also the demos.