Tagged Questions
25
votes
10answers
3k views
What makes a game look “good”?
I am working on a 3D space game using OpenGL and C++ and I am planning to focus on giving the game modern, eye-catching graphics, but the more I think of it the more I realise I don't really know what ...
22
votes
4answers
11k views
Vertex Array Object (OpenGL)
I've just started out with OpenGL I still haven't really understood what Vertex Array Objects are and how they can be employed.
If Vertex Buffer Object are used to store vertex data (such as their ...
17
votes
3answers
1k views
What's the difference between mesh and a model?
Which one is created first? For example if a team worked on a graphical asset of a car, what would be a model and what would be a mesh of the car?
11
votes
3answers
13k views
Fastest way to draw quads in OpenGL ES?
I am using OpenGL ES 2.0
I have a bunch a quads to be drawn, would love to be able to have to pass only 4 vertices per quad as if I were using GL_QUADS, but basically I just want to know the best way ...
11
votes
1answer
1k views
Rolling my own scene graph
Hello Game Development SE!
I'm crawling my way through OpenGL with the hopes of creating a simple and very lightweight game engine. I view the project as a learning experience that might make a ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
Fixed-Function vs Shaders: Which for beginner?
I'm currently going to college for computer science. Although I do plan on utilizing an existing engine at some point to create a small game, my aim right now is towards learning the fundamentals: ...
10
votes
3answers
3k views
Why do pixel shaders not let us read directly from the framebuffer or the depth buffer?
Letting me sample the framebuffer or the depthbuffer in the pixel shader would be an extremely useful feature. Even just being able to know the depth or the color of whatever is behind the current ...
9
votes
2answers
7k views
OpenGL ES 2.0 Point Sprites Size
I am trying to draw point sprites in OpenGL ES 2.0, but all my points end up with a size of 1 pixel...even when I set gl_PointSize to a high value in my vertex shader.
How can I make my point sprites ...
9
votes
1answer
337 views
Mesh manipulation on GPU vs CPU
Just a bit curious - where do you perform mesh manipulations, on the CPU or in the shader?
I've been doing everything on the CPU and a friend suggested moving things on to the GPU side.
If you're ...
9
votes
1answer
3k views
Generate an endless 3D race track
How would I go about generating the track for this game I'm trying to prototype?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQwn7Ufypqo
It should be an endless tunnel that sweeps along a 3D spline, with some ...
8
votes
4answers
616 views
I need help with 3d shading/lighting
How do you guys handle shading in a 3d game? I have a directional light source that shades one side of a tree made of cubes. The remaining 3 sides all get ambient shading only. So the 3d effect is ...
8
votes
5answers
1k views
Geometric Transformations on the CPU vs GPU
I've noticed that many 3d programs normally do vector/matrix calculations as well as geometric transformations on the CPU. Has anyone found an advantage in moving these calculations into vertex ...
7
votes
2answers
5k views
Most common 3D model format for opengl
I'm a novice that is starting to play with OpenGL ES on Android devices. To practice OpenGL I wanted to create a small game engine and so I was wondering what the best 3D model file format would be.
...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
Optimizing Octree Rendering
Say I have an octree and at a certain level I store VBOs in that octree. I know the dimensions of of the nodes that own the vbo so I can do basic frustum culling. That works nicely because everything ...
6
votes
1answer
361 views
Display Lists in OpenGL
I heard that there was a faster method of displaying vertices, rather than recreating the GL_TRIANGLES, each time the scene is drawn. I thought I read somewhere that this method was obselete. Why ...
