Hi,
I’m new to OpenGL and I was wondering where I should start learning to program OpenGL.
I wanted to use Ruby to do so and I’ve gotten OpenGL to work with Ruby by installing the gems (there are still some errors trying to execute some of the examples which came with the gem).
But now I’m stuck with OpenGL. Where should I start learning? Are there any good books I should read?
All help is appreciated!
To start OpenGL programming with Ruby, you'll need to use a library called "Ruby-OpenGL" (or "gl"). Here's a basic guide to get you started:
Install Ruby: First, make sure you have Ruby installed on your system. You can download and install Ruby from the official website:
https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/downloads/
Install OpenGL Libraries: You'll need to have OpenGL libraries installed on your system. The installation process may vary depending on your operating system. For example, on Linux, you can install OpenGL libraries using the package manager (e.g., sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dev for Ubuntu).
Install Ruby-OpenGL Gem: Ruby-OpenGL is a Ruby binding for OpenGL. You can install it using RubyGems, the package manager for Ruby. Open a terminal and run the following command:
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gem install ruby-opengl
Write Your First OpenGL Program: Once you have Ruby and Ruby-OpenGL installed, you can start writing OpenGL programs in Ruby. Here's a simple example to create an OpenGL window using the GLUT library:
ruby
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require 'opengl'
require 'glut'
glutInit
glutInitDisplayMode(GLUT_RGB | GLUT_DOUBLE | GLUT_DEPTH)
glutInitWindowSize(640, 480)
glutCreateWindow("Ruby OpenGL")
glutDisplayFunc -> {
glClearColor(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0)
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT)
glColor3f(1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
glutSolidTeapot(0.5)
glutSwapBuffers
}
glutMainLoop
This code creates a simple window with a teapot rendered in it using OpenGL commands.
Run Your Program: Save the code above to a file (e.g., opengl.rb) and run it using the Ruby interpreter:
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ruby opengl.rb
That's it! You've written and executed your first OpenGL program in Ruby. From here, you can explore more advanced OpenGL features and create more complex graphics applications. The OpenGL documentation and tutorials can be valuable resources as you continue your journey into OpenGL programming.
