Hi everyone. I am new to OpenGL and also to this forum.
I wanted to know which are the benefits of using the newest specifications of OpenGL. Is it not better to use the older versions so more computers are able to run my game?
I ask this because I have been reading this online book Learning Modern 3D Graphics Programming and it uses newer version of OpenGL than mine and I can not even compile the examples.
Thanks in advance.
You can still use GL 2.1 and not use the deprecated functionality. Ie, use your own/3rd party math/matrix lib... Use VAO/VBO shaders, etc.
The benefit to using modern OpenGL is that it will work on most computers (phones, tablets etc), whereas the decades-old version won't.
Oh, really? I didn't know that, in fact, I thought it was the other way around(that older versions where more portable).
Then I wonder why I culdn't compile the examples of the book I said.
I get this error message:
tut1.cpp:10:32: error fatal: glload/gl_3_2_comp.h: No existe el archivo o el directorio
Which means that the file or folder doesn't exist.
Thanks for the answer!
You're getting errors because you probably don't have your development environment set up correctly.
I'd guess modern OpenGL is far better - in terms of both, support and writing in it.
Anyways having OpenGL 2.1 seems like you're having either old integrated GPU, or something is terribly wrong with your graphics drivers.Can you tell us what GPU/drivers do you use?
I don't use any IDE I use g++ under ubuntu 13.
The version of OpenGL is 2.1.
Thanks!
It doesn't have to be an IDE; if the path to the gl headers isn't set up correctly in your environment variables or makefile you'll still get a similar error.
Note that here we're talking about a pure software concept - compiling code - and that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with which version of OpenGL your hardware supports (and always remember that OpenGL is not software). It's possible to compile OpenGL 4.4 code on hardware that only supports 1.1, and vice-versa.
If you're seeing OpenGL 2.1 on Ubuntu 13.04 or 13.10 it's because you're looking at the Mesa drivers. Turns out they lie, they actually secretly support at least GLX+OpenGL 4.1 and EGL+OpenGL|ES 1.3. Of course, the runtime is provided by the DRI2 drivers for your hardware even if you compile against Mesa.I don't use any IDE I use g++ under ubuntu 13.
The version of OpenGL is 2.1.
Thanks!
Then I wonder why I culdn't compile the examples of the book I said.
I get this error message:
That error message implies you have not installed the prerequisite libraries as described in the "Building the Tutorials" chapter of that book. The SDK required for the tutorials should contain the file glload/gl_3_2_comp.h.
