OpenGL is a low-level graphics library specification. It makes available to the programmer a small set of geomteric primitives - points, lines, polygons, images, and bitmaps. OpenGL provides a set of commands that allow the specification of geometric objects in two or three dimensions, using the provided primatives, together with commands that control how these objects are rendered.
Since OpenGL drawing commands are limited to those that generate simple geometric primitives (points, lines, and polygons), the OpenGL Utility Toolkit (GLUT) has been created to aid in the development of more complicated three-dimensional objects such as a sphere, a torus, and even a teapot. GLUT may not be satisfactory for full-featured OpenGL applications, but it is a useful starting point for learning OpenGL.
Setting Up Compilers
- Windows Using MS Visual C++
Installing GLUT
- Most of the following files (ie. OpenGL and GLU) will already be present if you
have installed MS Visual C++ v5.0 or later. The following GLUT files will need
to be copied into the specified directories.
- To install:
- right-click each link
- choose Save Link As...
- accept the default name (just click Save)
- libraries (place in the lib\ subdirectory of Visual C++)
- include files (place in the include\GL\ subdirectory of Visual C++)
- dynamically-linked libraries (place in the \Windows\System subdirectory
- Most of the following files (ie. OpenGL and GLU) will already be present if you
have installed MS Visual C++ v5.0 or later. The following GLUT files will need
to be copied into the specified directories.