OpenGL Game Programming by Kevin Hawkins, Dave Astle
Published May 2001
List Price: $59.99, Your Amazon.com Price: $37.79
Course Technology PTR Price: $47.99
Average rating:
Amazon Sales Rank: 134,252
Summary Provides thorough coverage of OpenGL for beginners, as well as how to integrate OpenGL with the non-graphics components of DirectX. Also includes chapters on special effects, physics, creating a game engine, and the implementation of a full game. Hey, it's written by 2 members of the GDNet staff, how can you go wrong?
Note: Due to a publisher error, the source code was missing from the the CD in the first printing of this book. This was corrected in the second (and every other) printing since then. If you own a copy from the first printing, the source code can be obtained from http://glbook.gamedev.net
Superb book for beginners - really really easy to understand, use and modify.
The engine at the back is small but useful and you can do a simple fps game with it in no time.
The great thing is that because the simp engine is small (perfect for beginners) you can understand every single part of it. This has meant that I've been able to upgrade it, add my own stuff, change stuff around, put OpenAL sound into it, add better collision detections, add a better terrain engine etc etc
I've used it to write my own 5 level game so far and another in progress !
I've had this book for a while. I really didn't see any major faults. The best part is that it is all sumed up at the end and an actual game is made. I have done very well with it due to that it is quite interesting, including shadows and special effects, which many books lack.
I can not hide the fact that this book is great for beginners.
however, the most frustrating thing about it is that when it comes to core and real game programming stuff, it starts to include few explanations and dump the code with few comment lines.
This book is great!It teaches you OpenGL and DirectX programming, and as far as I know; it's the only OpenGL book that covers making an engine(simp engine) and a game(A First Person Shooter).It really dives into the OpenGL API and for that, it's worth every penny!It's coverage on physics modeling and special effects is mind blowing.I can say that I will be picking up Beginning OpenGL game programming for sure!
<cons>
It seems like it covers too much information.
</cons>
This books provides a comprehensive coverage of everything you need to get started with OpenGL, covering the general API and techniques needed to use it in good detail. It scores bonus points by introducing other useful features, such as DirectSound and DirectInput, enabling the reader to understand how a whole game engine fits together...
The final project, developing a simple game engine, is very rewarding once you have got the whole thing working, although the supplied code is a little buggy in places. (It still works, and I learnt more by fiddling with it to try to solve the bugs that I did by just running the code from the CD).
This is what I call a GREAT book. If you know C++ then go for this book. The great pro of this book is that you don't need to know nothing. It only assumes you know C++. In the first chapter you'll learn about some 3D Game history, OpenGL and DirectX features, history and some more. Then you'll learn the basics of Win32 programming. After that you'll learn some 3D Math concepts, and only then you'll learn OpenGL. In the final chapters you'll learn Direct Audio and Direct Input, Game Physics, how to build an engine, and even more you can imagine. Strongly Recomended.
Pros:
- It ONLY assumes you know C++,
- Great guide for learning OpenGL
- Covers a large range of programming areas, no book in OpenGL teaches DirectX, so this book ROCKS.
- the CD is a must, with some advanced concepts, source from some games, tools, libraries, etc.
Cons:
- It's cost? Maybe 59$ is too much, but the book's worth it.
This book got my 10 rating. It's really the best book we can have. Worth every dollar you put in it.
PS: Knowledge of Windows Programming is not needed, but it's better to have it.
First of all, If your coming from a background of beginner level C/C++ programming you may find the first chapter on Windows Programming abit of a mind flood as facts are pounded at you and really do require memorizing to ensure you can initialize a Win32 / OpenGL window properly. Once you've got over that initial chapter however things start to change for the better, as 3D Mathematics and basic OpenGL Commands are slowly introduced. I would suggest purchasing this book in conjunction with a 3D math book if your not really comfortable with Matrices and Vectors however. The book itself is truly brilliant, the topics covered should keep the beginner programmer going for ages, and by the end of it have an understanding of OpenGL well enough to tackle some more advanced topics of 3D Game Programming. Yes! This book does not cover 2D Programming, but anyone who can get their head around topics contained in this book, should have no problem writing a half decent 2D game!
Very good book on OpenGL. I am experienced with Direct3D, and found that learning OpenGL from this book was painless and easy. It also includes a cool simple FPS demo using concepts from the book. The only problem is the publisher errors which are fixed in the latest edition.
This is a really good book, great for beginners. It contains not only information about OpenGL, but also game programming, DirectAudio basics and somewhat game physics. I've read the book in Polish translation, and I rally recommend it for evryone!
Really this is a great book. I got it today and have read about 100 pages. The 3D math part wasn´t as hard as I thought it would be, and this far I haven´t had any problems understanding what is written. Have been using Direct3D for graphics until now but it kinda got on my nerves so I decided to give OpenGL a try, and this book has really opened my eyes for the API. Any newbies that´s thinking of getting an OpenGL book should check this out, it´s awesome.
This book is great, it lived up to my expectations! When I started reading this book, I was already quite good with C/C++, and I only knew OpenGL a tiny bit (I should stress how much easier this book, and likely other OpenGL or DirectX books, will be if you have a good understanding of C/C++.). Before I started reading it, OpenGL seemed quite daunting, but this book managed to ease me into understanding the API, and got my problem-solving mind ready for 3D problems. The copy of this book that I've received must be the second edition, the included CDs now have all of the source codes. Also, For anyone in Canada who is planning to purchase this book online, I would recommend www.amazon.ca ; try to avoid amazon.com because the shipping costs and delivery times are far higher.
This is one hell of a great book; I learned everything I need to know about OpenGL (well not everything...) in about 3 months. There aren't very many typos in the text, but just a heads up for the ones who don't know why the source in Chapter 16 acts weird (ie. jumps between all the buttons) , it's because he has the m_keys[] array declared as an int and it needs to be a char. Oh well anyway go buy it...
This book introduces the GLUT users to WIndows programming, so it is easy to use and understand. The run-through is great, the steps are nice, and all in all it is a great book.
I would recommend this book to any OpenGL game programmer. :)
Very good book. Great for anyone with considerably knowledge in C++, even if you are a beginner to game and/or graphics programming. It teaches Win32, a lot of OpenGL, and other things that you will need in making a game, including particle effects, physics, and .md2 loading. I used to hate all DirectX, but now I can use DirectInput and DirectSound with ease. There are a few problems with the book though. The section on blending and lighting was a little iffy. The AI coverage is limited to the 2 pages that explain AI for the monsters in the FPS you make at the end of the book. In fact, you might find a few parts of the SimpEngine (the engine made at the end of the game) very hard to understand unless you've read the book extremely well and understand linked lists and C++ very well. Other than that, this book has my thumbs up!
this book is simply EXCELLENT! I would have dropped the rating to 9 for it not having the source code on the CD, but I rose that back to 10 because after reading the site a little, I found it was the Publisher's fault. That is all okay now though, because I'm having them deliver a (free) replacement CD right now and everything else is GREAT. When I bought this book, I already knew quite a bit about OpenGL (and a whole lot about C++) but I forced myself to read through the simple chapters again. After reading through what I (thought) I already knew, I was amazed at the details of it and how much I was approaching in the wrong way. Thanks! you guys did a great job
I've just bought this book, it's very good but marred by the duff CD (although I have now downloaded the sources and relevant bits), odd glitch in source code, and some poor quality printing on some of the pages. The content however is excellent.
I would've rated this book a 9 if those flaws hadn't been present.
The source of ch20 from te website is not complete it's missing a header file. I mailed Jeff (Nehe) about it, he stated that it was all in order when he sent it to the publisher.
So basicly, tot the writers of the book: Job well done. To the publisher... Hmmm, next time don't screw up like this again. It's really anoying havind to write your own header file because it's missing in the zip file. (it's a header file of one of the simple engine classes)
A very good book for beggining and intermediate programmers. It explains in a very detailed manner how the math behind game programming works, and it not only teaces you OpenGL(the API) it teaches you Windows Programming, and Game Programming. After reading this book, you can easily make first person shooters(not my favorite type of game, but I now realize how easy they can be to make).
The only fault the book had was the CD, and its not big deal really because you can download all of the source code.
This book focuses only on 3D programming though. You probably could make a half decent 2D game after reading this book, but it is definetaly more towards teaching 3D.
My friend asked me if this book is good, and the first thing that popped into my head was, "This book is a gift from God." If your intrested in OpenGL, this is the way to go.
Ok. I really want to make a different view for people to debate on, for whether or not they like the book:
Pros-
An absolute beginner (who has some knowledge of DOS-based C++) can learn Windows programming basically from this book. I would suggest reading the win32 c++ tutorials on www.winprog.org before going to the second part of the book.
It teaches the basics and beyond, and can easily be used as a reference to intermediate OpenGL game developers.
There are very few grammatical errors, and very few (if any) errors in the code, which is always good, because in other books alot of the code is messed up and it makes it hard to learn OpenGL.
It teaches not only OpenGL, but Direct Sound and Direct Input. These are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for making games.
Cons-
The book doesnt teach 2D game programming, basically at all. I believe this is important to make an OpenGL book good, because, there are no 2D OpenGL books out there. For this I give the book minus 1 ;)
The source code was missing on the cd, but that's not big deal because you can just download it.
The only other con is the mathematics on chapter 3. It doesn't teach the mathematics well enough, but I didn't lower my rating because of this, because the book wasn't meant to teach you mathematics it is meant to teach you OpenGL.[]
I suggest this book to anyone who wants to learn OpenGL, and how ant to make 3D games, I must repeat again 3D games. BUT, if you read this book, it will be much easier to learn 2D OpenGL, because this teaches you the game programming behind it also:). Good Luck to anyone else reading this book!
Ok I have finally recieved my book! =) I can tell you this much it ROCKS! The first chapter you are introduced to the win32API. I find this easy to follow and understand. Next you go into OpenGL and that is where I am at right now and find it very well wrote. I will have to say this much, readers should know a fair amount of C++ before reading this book! But then again this book isn't here to teach you C++ just OpenGL coding. Well worth the $$. So what are you waiting for go and pickup a copy today!
The book is simply awesome. It's a thorough reference that's essential to anyone beginning in OpenGL development. Topics are explained well and aren't made to sound more complicated than they really are. I'd give it a 10 but I have to bring it down to an 9 cuz the source code consists of 21 empty zip files. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN DOWNLOAD THE SOURCE CODE? Editor's note: Source code is available at http://glbook.gamedev.net for those books that have empty zip files.
I haven't bought this book, yet, I'm saving up my money first. So instead, I've been cracking the book open at the local bookstore, and it's already answered tons of my questions. First Rate.
Yeah, great book for learning OpenGL although it does require a good understanding of C++. But this should be expected because the books purpose is to teach the reader the OpenGL API.
It covers most things that you could possibly need, to develop in OpenGL. What makes it better is that it is one of the few books to cover OpenGL from the perspective of a games developer and therefore is useful for showing how to implement OpenGL's features into a game. The book also teaches the reader how to implement the none-graphical features of DirectX into a game.
I think this book is great and in combination with Nehe's site have helped me understand OpenGL.
This is simply top notch material, just what I needed. Everything is easy to follow and I'd say it's now the best openGL book out there! tricks of the wgpg: DirectX :: OpenGL game programming: OpenGL get a copy asap!
This is an excellent book. Very much to-the-point so not exactly for a real beginner, but if you have the aptitude you can pick things up fairly easy. Be warned though, there are a number of errors ranging from simple grammatical/spelling errors to errors in the code snippets (most likely an oversight -- which makes me wonder where the technical editor was). Once again, you should have a semi-decent understanding of at least C to be able to see these code flaws. But overall, this makes for excellent learning material. I hope a 2nd Edition comes out soon fixing the typographical errors (as well as the CD).
The CD was made by NeHe but I'm pretty sure it wasn't his fault there is no source on there, but the publishers! They forgot to put it on there after Jeff finished the CD :)
I finally got my hands on a copy and this book is great! Good job Kevin and Dave! My CD does have empty zip files as well, but that is ok. If you want to learn how to use OpenGL then buy this book!
Hello OpenGL brothers of the world. This is TheSupremeCan and I'd like to say this book is wonderful. I've been programming for only 3 years, because I'm only 15, but this book is a great step. However the CD sucks, or at least my copy. The source code is missing and the DirectX 8 sdk doesn't work. I'd like to see this fixed.
-editor's note: the source code is available online.
I'll give the book 5 stars but the CD I'll give 3 stars because all the SOURCE CODE is missing!!! Why? NeHe said he made it himself and that is was sooo good. Yeah all the demos and sdk's but hwere's the source???
The book is great and easy to read. The only problem i found was that the source code never showed up on the winzip files. Is anyone else having this problem? I hope they plan to fix it if it is a problem w/ the cd and not just my computer! But besides that a really good book!!!!
Well i too have ordered my copy of this book, i hope it delivers what is promised but it looks damned good, and especially because jeff from nehe has been working hard on the cd along with many other people.
Update to come when i get my book over here in the UK.
Thank you, God! And I mean that with all sincerity. A book that finally understands the needs of those who have little idea of how to program graphics. OpenGL is the ideal language, at least for me, to code graphics, and with this book I feel like a serious 3D programmer. A great writing style that simplifies concepts that other books somehow make difficult. Those of you who wish to know some DirectX (apart from Direct3D) will also benefit from this text, but only in relation to OpenGL.
Very helpful commented clear code with compiled executables incase you can't install the SDK correctly. The thing that prevent it from getting full marks is the fact that the source for the examples has to be got online, but I will forgive them for that! ;)
The authors expertise shines through with the clarity and simplicity of the text. I wonder if id software will hire me with my flash demo created with the knowledge gained from this book???
Save yourself some cash, buy this single book on OpenGL coding with C/C++ under Win32 and also save yourself months of time!
IF you want a desktop book you can carry around then this book is just as good if not the same as the red book. However because you can just learn off the web theres not much point in paying the money
For the last 2 years, I had been trying to learn how to use Direct3D [unsuccessfully, might I add]. Eventually, someone recommended that I give OpenGL a try.
I did just that. Within hours of reading this book, I was already programming textures and lights. Very well written [with some slight typos here and there, but who cares].
If you can use C/C++ and want to program graphics, get this book.
By the way - OpenGL is exponentially easier than Direct3D. Give it a shot.
This is really a great book for beginners !!! You can find all the basic information that you need for undestand how a game is create. I think that this book is the best starting point that you can find until now.
If you know C++ you can appreciate the last chapters where the authors presents a simple game engine.
I am disappointed for the cd : i can't find the source code. But this is a minor issue.
I'll just paste in one of my two Amazon ratings; I think it says most of what I feel:
"This book has many things going for it. Its advanced texturing, Win32 programming, and physics sections shine. The engine design section is concise and well-assembled too.
It also has some flaws. The particle engine is sorely lacking in terms of examples and somewhat in its flexibility. I really wish the guys had spent more time on comprehensive material on the different types of matrices, though the matrix math section is good despite this. Texture coordinates needed more coverage. It would have been very nice for them to have used SDL or another cross-platform library for input and sound, because one of the main purposes of OpenGL is portability, and DirectInput/Sound lock you into the Window platform. Also note that the first printing books have no source included(...).
This has been corrected in successive printings.
It may seem like I'm tearing this book apart, but I assure you I'm not. Most of the flaws I mentioned were very minor in comparison to the brilliance of the good points. This book was the sole impetus for my finally buckling down and learning OpenGL after months of trying. It has volumes of useful information for any skill level, and I would most definitely recommend it as a first read for anyone interested in using OpenGL for games.
P.S. In case I didn't make this clear: BUY THE BOOK! "
this book is perfect for beginners and experienced coders alike. thorough code examples on a CDROM, as well as a sample game engine and a game created using the engine, make learning fun and easy. i would recommend this book for anybody getting into game programming with OpenGL!
The book was ok, more time needs to be spent on making the results scaled right. Recompiling until you get a good size for polygons can be a pain.
Also, the book was cheaply printed, several pages are falling out and the book is in two peices after a couple days of normal use; which kept me from giving it a higher rating.
Just as people before put it. This book is awesome. I think my copy is a newer release copy, it has 2 CDS with it. The original which was missing the source code,etc. And a new cd with all the correct files and information. A Great buy!
this is very useful book for beginner who want to learn openGL programming .
this book step by step guide you to how
to create 3d game engine using openGL.
Game programing with OpenGl book is well writed yeah some typos around but who cares about grammer if you have a great technology in your hands, well done this book!, Other topic opengl well its a wonderful api cant compare to others even software rendering apis.
What i want to express i had been programing in other apis and those doesnt give you the practical and easy of use in a 3d api that you can do anything in few of minutes even with extensions i just wanna say that with the next upgrade of opengl 2.0 you will do awesome stuff that other apis can do plus easy of use and of course cross platform!!, Long life to OpenGL!!.
Fantastic book. Combines opengl and game programming techniques, though you will need more to become a pro. I'm a bit concerned by the fact that it is entitled 'opengl game programming' when it should be: 'opengl game programming in windows'. I've read the other reviews here, and am a bit confused by the claims the the source code is missing from the cd. My cd includes all source code, and the book itself is NOT falling apart.
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