OpenGL Object Hierarchy

Programming

Graphics and GPU Programming

Published December 28, 2000 by Arturo Montieri, posted by Myopic Rhino

Do you see issues with this article? Let us know.

This is a simple example of object hierarchy. We can think of object hierarchy as a mode of representing a complex object composed of more simple ones related to each other. In this tutorial we'll learn two new GL commands: [font="Courier New"][color="#000080"]glPushMatrix()[/color][/font] and [font="Courier New"][color="#000080"]glPopMatrix()[/color][/font] to accomplish our goal, which is modeling a simple robot. [size="5"]The robot structure [table][tr][td]

[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]Fig. 1a - Object Hierarchy[/td][td]1b - GL model[/td][td]1c - GL light model[/td][/tr][/table] Note the relationships between objects: Leg is pelvis child and pelvis is bust's child, forearm is arm's child and arm is shoulder's child, shoulder is bust's child too, and so on. So, if we move bust for example, legs and arms move too. This is an object hierarchy. Every piece of the robot is modeled into a function and stored in a display list so we'll have:

void struct_part_name(void)
{
  glNewList(part_name,GL_COMPILE);
  .../* GL Commands to model */
  glEndList();
}

So, for example here is the code for left arm:

void struct_left_arm(void)
{
  glNewList(left_arm,GL_COMPILE); 

	// Shoulder
	glTranslatef(1.1,0.25,0.0);
	glScalef(0.5,0.5,0.5);
	glColor3ub(128,128,128);
	glutSolidSphere(0.5,20,20);
  
	// Arm
	glTranslatef(0.0,-1.10,0.0);
	glScalef(0.5,1.5,0.5);
	glColor3ub(255,255,255);
	glutSolidCube(1.0);

  glEndList();
}

Note that in this example I'll use some GLUT commands to draw Spheres and Cubes so remember to link gl/glut.h in the headers section as indicated below

...
#include 
...

The most important function is DrawRobot() that draws all the parts of the robot and which uses the OpenGL commands glPushMatrix() and glPopMatrix() to estabilish the relationships between objects. [size="5"]Pseudocode

void DrawRobot()
{
  glPushMatrix();   /* all objects are bust's son
                  	that is if we move bust all other parts move too */  
  	
	/*-------------------- DRAW HEAD AND BUST -----------------------*/ 
	glPushMatrix();
   	/* Draw head */
  	/* Draw bust */ 

	glPopMatrix();

[attachment=3301:head&bust.jpg]

 	/*---------------- DRAW RIGHT ARM AND FOREARM --------------*/ 
	glPushMatrix();
  	glPushMatrix();
     	/* Draw Right arm */ 

  	glPopMatrix();

  	glPushMatrix();   /* forearm is arm's child */
    	/* Draw Forearm */ 
  	glPopMatrix();
	glPopMatrix();

[attachment=3302:arm&forearm.jpg]

 	/*-------------- DRAW LEFT ARM AND FOREARM -----------------*/ 

	glPushMatrix();
  	glPushMatrix();
     	/* Draw Left arm */ 
  	glPopMatrix();

  	glPushMatrix();   /* forearm is arm's child */
    	/* Draw Forearm */ 
  	glPopMatrix();
	glPopMatrix();

[attachment=3303:arm&forearml.jpg]

 	/*------------------ DRAW PELVIS AND LEGS ----------------*/ 
	glPushMatrix();   /* another glPushMatrix because
                    	if we move pelvis the legs move too...
                    	(legs are pelvis' son) */ 
  	glPushMatrix();
     	/* Draw pelvis */ 
  	glPopMatrix();
    	
  	glPushMatrix();
    	glPushMatrix();
       	/* Draw Right thigh */ 
    	glPopMatrix();
  	
    	glPushMatrix();   /* leg is thigh's child */
      	/* Draw Leg */ 

    	glPopMatrix();
  	glPopMatrix();
	
  	glPushMatrix();
    	glPushMatrix();
       	/* Draw Left thigh */ 
    	glPopMatrix();
  	
    	glPushMatrix();   /* leg is thigh's child */
      	/* Draw Leg */ 
    	glPopMatrix();
  	glPopMatrix();

	glPopMatrix();

  glPopMatrix();
}

[attachment=3304:pelvis&legs.jpg] [size="5"]The Code

void DrawRobot(void)
{
  /*-------------BUST AND HEAD--------------*/
  glPushMatrix();
	glRotatef(bust_angle_y,0,1,0);
	glRotatef(bust_angle_x,1,0,0);
	glPushMatrix();
  	glCallList(bust);
  	glCallList(head);
	glPopMatrix();

	/*--------RIGHT ARM AND FOREARM---------*/
	glPushMatrix();
  	glTranslatef(0,0.25,0);
  	glRotatef(right_arm_angle,1,0,0);
  	glTranslatef(0,-0.25,0);
  	glPushMatrix();
    	glCallList(right_arm);
  	glPopMatrix();
 	 
  	glPushMatrix();
    	glTranslatef(1.25,-0.7,0);
    	glRotatef(right_forearm_angle,1,0,0);
    	glTranslatef(-1.25,0.7,0);
    	glCallList(right_forearm);
  	glPopMatrix();
	glPopMatrix();
    
	/*---------LEFT ARM AND FOREARM---------*/
	glPushMatrix();
  	glTranslatef(0,0.25,0);
  	glRotatef(left_arm_angle,1,0,0);
  	glTranslatef(0,-0.25,0);
  	glPushMatrix();
    	glCallList(left_arm);
  	glPopMatrix();

  	glPushMatrix();
    	glTranslatef(1.25,-0.7,0);
    	glRotatef(left_forearm_angle,1,0,0);
    	glTranslatef(-1.25,0.7,0);
    	glCallList(left_forearm);
  	glPopMatrix();
	glPopMatrix();

and so on... In the main function I added some keys to control the robot. They are: '1' & 'Q'
'2' & 'W'
'3' & 'E'
'4' & 'R'
'5' & 'T'
'6' & 'Y'
'7' & 'U'
'8' & 'I'
KEY ARROWS
PGUP & PGDOWN
'V' 'B' 'N' 'M'right arm control
right forearm control
left arm control
left forearm control
left thigh control
left leg control
right thigh control
right thigh control
rotate model
light control
camera control
And finally the bin & source are attached to this article. Happy coding... Arturo "IRIX" Montieri : [email="montieri@hotmail.com"]montieri@hotmail.com[/email]

1 Likes -2 Comments

Comments

Afry

This program can not run on my computer, please help on this error problem

June 16, 2015 04:17 AM

You must log in to join the conversation.

Don't have a GameDev.net account? Sign up!

Describes how to use OpenGL's matrix stack to attain an object hierarchy.

OpenGL Object Hierarchy

Comments

Recommended Tutorials

Other Tutorials by Myopic Rhino

OpenGL Object Hierarchy

Comments

Recommended Tutorials

Other Tutorials by Myopic Rhino

Reticulating splines