Books : OpenGL(R) SuperBible: Comprehensive Tutorial and Reference (4th Edition)

• OpenGL(R) Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL(R), Version 2.1 (6th Edition)
• OpenGL(R) Shading Language (2nd Edition)
• OpenGL(R) Library (4th Edition)
• OpenGL(R) Programming on Mac OS(R) X: Architecture, Performance, and Integration
• OpenGL(R) Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL(R), Version 2 (5th Edition)
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OpenGL ® SuperBible, Fourth Edition, begins by illuminating the core techniques of “classic” OpenGL graphics programming, from drawing in space to geometric transformations, from lighting to texture mapping. The authors cover newer OpenGL capabilities, including OpenGL 2.1’s powerful programmable pipeline, vertex and fragment shaders, and advanced buffers. They also present thorough, up-to-date introductions to OpenGL implementations on multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, UNIX, and embedded systems.

Coverage includes

·         An entirely new chapter on OpenGL ES programming for handhelds

·         Completely rewritten chapters on OpenGL for Mac OS X and GNU/Linux

·         Up-to-the-minute coverage of OpenGL on Windows Vista

·         New material on floating-point color buffers and off-screen rendering

·         In-depth introductions to 3D modeling and object composition

·         Expert techniques for utilizing OpenGL’s programmable shading language

·         Thorough coverage of curves, surfaces, interactive graphics, textures, shadows, and much more

·         A fully updated API reference, and an all-new section of full-color images

You’ll rely on this book constantly–whether you’re learning OpenGL for the first time, deepening your graphics programming expertise, upgrading from older versions of OpenGL, or porting applications from other environments.

Now part of the OpenGL Technical Library–The official knowledge resource for OpenGL developers

The OpenGL Technical Library provides tutorial and reference books for OpenGL. The Library enables programmers to gain a practical understanding of OpenGL and shows them how to unlock its full potential. Originally developed by SGI, the Library continues to evolve under the auspices of the OpenGL Architecture Review Board (ARB) Steering Group (now part of the Khronos Group), an industry consortium responsible for guiding the evolution of OpenGL and related technologies.

Contents

Preface  xxvii

About the Authors  xxxv

Introduction  1

Part I: The Old Testament

Chapter 1     Introduction to 3D Graphics and OpenGL  9

Chapter 2     Using OpenGL  33

Chapter 3     Drawing in Space: Geometric Primitives and Buffers  73

Chapter 4     Geometric Transformations: The Pipeline  127

Chapter 5     Color, Materials, and Lighting: The Basics 173

Chapter 6     More on Colors and Materials  229

Chapter 7     Imaging with OpenGL  251

Chapter 8     Texture Mapping: The Basics  303

Chapter 9     Texture Mapping: Beyond the Basics  341

Chapter 10   Curves and Surfaces  377

Chapter 11   It’s All About the Pipeline: Faster Geometry Throughput  421

Chapter 12   Interactive Graphics  457

Chapter 13   Occlusion Queries: Why Do More Work Than You Need To? 481

Chapter 14   Depth Textures and Shadows  495

Part II: The New Testament

Chapter 15   Programmable Pipeline: This Isn’t Your Father’s OpenGL  515

Chapter 16   Vertex Shading: Do-It-Yourself Transform, Lighting, and Texgen  547

Chapter 17   Fragment Shading: Empower Your Pixel Processing  567

Chapter 18   Advanced Buffers  601

Part III: The Apocrypha

Chapter 19   Wiggle: OpenGL on Windows  641

Chapter 20   OpenGL on Mac OS X  685

Chapter 21   OpenGL on Linux  713

Chapter 22   OpenGL ES — OpenGL on the Small  735

Appendix A    Further Reading/References  773

Appendix B    Glossary  777

Appendix C   API Reference  783

Index  1141

Average Rating:

Rating: - Not only good for reference but also for learning from scratch
I am using Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition for C++ running on Windows XP Professional SP3 (regularly updated),
and it is true that if you are looking trough windows examples you are going to experience some problems since the examples are produced with Visual Studio 2003, but none the less if you are a C++ developer and you know your way around a little bit, and I say
a little bit, you will be allright.

For example, you need to provide the libraries needed to your compiler's default directories, just read the "readme.txt" files that comes
with the examples. And if you are using the latest version of Visual Studio as I am (2008), you need to say your linker that it must ignore the LIBC.LIB library for a successfull compile, just goto properties, C++ tab, select ... Read More

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Rating: - This is a good book.
This book is helpful, only problem for me personally is that I program in C# while this book uses C++. This means that for instance this book uses Matrix functions which are available in the C++ library but which aren't available in C#. But other than that this book is really nice to have because you can learn a lot about OpenGL from this book, which is the purpose of this book. In three words: A Good Buy

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Rating: - Great Reference
The SuperBible is a great OpenGL reference. I work with OpenGL daily, and find myself turning to the SuperBible more than the RedBook most weeks. The SuperBible focuses less on the specific syntax and expands a little bit more on application, which is nice when trying to answer some higher-level questions, or at design-time. Let me put it this way: I was originally going to expense this purchase through work, but ended up keeping the book for my own personal collection instead.

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Rating: - Good primer, heavy on examples
Nice intro/refresher to OpenGL, the only bummer is that it's now become a bit dated by the recent release of OpenGL 3.0 and Apple's OpenCL.

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Rating: - Best OpenGL book out there for beginners and experienced alike
This book has three great uses: as a learning tool for beginners, as an update for intermediates, and as a reference for experts. All groups can be benefited from this book.

With regards to the first, this book provides a much more natural progression between the topics when read front to back. Also, it does not assume a lot of mathematical knowledge, and it will provide some of it as it goes along.

Also, for people who know OpenGL 1.x, this book will be a great way of being introduced to shader programming as part of OpenGL. Also, something I found invaluable in this book is the chapters in optimization (buffer objects, etc). It talks enough about optimizing OpenGL to high-performance applications without delving into 3D engine design (something that is out of the cope), ... Read More