View Full Version : Want to learn openGL. How to start?
csnplt
Sep 4, 2009, 11:34 PM
I want to learn openGL, so I could make some iPhone games. I'm already comfortable with objective-c and cocoa touch, so I don't need any help there.
What I'm wondering is if any of you could recommend a good book to start with, or some other good resource. Should I get an openGL ES 2.0 book? I'm not really interested in programming for older devices besides the iPhone 3GS and up, so would that be good? Or should I get an older openGL ES 1 book? Should I get a regular openGL book instead?
I want the most up to date book that is good, and one that would be easy to apply to iPhone development. In other words, I don't want to learn one thing, than relearn it in another way.
Thanks for your help.
Kingbombs
Sep 5, 2009, 01:29 AM
there isn't really an OpenGL ES iphone book but are probably some for other mobile systems using opengl ES
imo just use all the online tutorials which are just as good
check them out over at http://www.71squared.com/
and this sit has some good ones to:
http://web.me.com/smaurice/AppleCoder/iPhone_OpenGL/iPhone_OpenGL.html
and NeHe is main place for OpenGL and they have sone OpenGL ES tutorials there to
jalagl
Sep 5, 2009, 02:08 AM
The Red Book (http://www.amazon.com/OpenGL-Programming-Guide-Official-Learning/dp/0321552628/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252134151&sr=8-1) for OpenGL, hands down.
As for iPhone development, I have to say that I have no experience, but normally O'Reilly's books are good enough to get you started. They have a few on Objective-C (http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Objective-C-2-0-Stephen-Kochan/dp/0321566157/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252134274&sr=1-12) and on iPhone development (http://www.amazon.com/iPhone-SDK-Application-Development-Applications/dp/0596154054/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252134274&sr=1-6).
xsmasher
Sep 5, 2009, 10:21 AM
The Red Book (http://www.amazon.com/OpenGL-Programming-Guide-Official-Learning/dp/0321552628/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252134151&sr=8-1) for OpenGL, hands down.
Seconded. It doesn't specifically cover openGL ES, but it it's easy to ignore what isn't supported, and it does cover viewports, transforms, vertex ordering, texturing... all the fundamentals. You can get a 4th edition for under $5.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131103628?ie=UTF8&tag=smasher02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0131103628
If you haven't done C for a while, you'll probably need the K&R C book to brush up on structs, C arrays, etc.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131103628?ie=UTF8&tag=smasher02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0131103628
csnplt
Sep 5, 2009, 11:09 PM
Seconded. It doesn't specifically cover openGL ES, but it it's easy to ignore what isn't supported, and it does cover viewports, transforms, vertex ordering, texturing... all the fundamentals. You can get a 4th edition for under $5.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131103628?ie=UTF8&tag=smasher02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0131103628
If you haven't done C for a while, you'll probably need the K&R C book to brush up on structs, C arrays, etc.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131103628?ie=UTF8&tag=smasher02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0131103628
I read some reviews that said that it was using deprecated API's. Is that applicable to openGL ES, or does ES use older desktop API's?
Thanks for the recommendations. What about a book specific to openGL ES 2.0? Would that be good?
Kingbombs
Sep 6, 2009, 12:39 AM
I read some reviews that said that it was using deprecated API's. Is that applicable to openGL ES, or does ES use older desktop API's?
Thanks for the recommendations. What about a book specific to openGL ES 2.0? Would that be good?
OpenGL ES, the ES stands for embedded systems, so mobile systems etc
If OpenGL works on the platform is depending on if your chips and the OS allow it
No matter what iphone OS you are developing for, OpenGL ES 1.0 or 1.1 will work
It doesn't really matter if you are using deprecated API's because you are just using ObjC as a kind of interface to implement your OpenGL code
(Although you shouldn't use them, find a book thats up to date)
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