Book Image

OpenGL Game Development By Example

By : Stephen Madsen, Robert Madsen
Book Image

OpenGL Game Development By Example

By: Stephen Madsen, Robert Madsen

Overview of this book

OpenGL is one of the most popular rendering SDKs used to develop games. OpenGL has been used to create everything from 3D masterpieces running on desktop computers to 2D puzzles running on mobile devices. You will learn to apply both 2D and 3D technologies to bring your game idea to life. There is a lot more to making a game than just drawing pictures and that is where this book is unique! It provides a complete tutorial on designing and coding games from the setup of the development environment to final credits screen, through the creation of a 2D and 3D game. The book starts off by showing you how to set up a development environment using Visual Studio, and create a code framework for your game. It then walks you through creation of two games–a 2D platform game called Roboracer 2D and a 3D first-person space shooter game–using OpenGL to render both 2D and 3D graphics using a 2D coordinate system. You'll create sprite classes, render sprites and animation, and navigate and control the characters. You will also learn how to implement input, use audio, and code basic collision and physics systems. From setting up the development environment to creating the final credits screen, the book will take you through the complete journey of creating a game engine that you can extend to create your own games.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
OpenGL Game Development By Example
Credits
About the Authors
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

The camera


In Chapter 2, Your Point of View we compared creating games to making a video recording. Your video camera captures a part of the view in front of you. If objects move into or out of that field of view, they are no longer in the video recording.

3D games use a camera as well. OpenGL allows you to move the game camera on six axes: up, down, left, right, in, and out. As you move the game camera, the objects that are in its view change.

Let's say that you center the camera on the car in the scene and pan to the left or right. The car will move in and out of the field of view. Of course the same occurs if you pan the camera up or down. Move back (or zoom out) and the car appears smaller. Move forward (or zoom in) and the car appears larger. Tilt the camera and the car will appear to be going uphill, downhill, or even appear upside down!

Remember those home movies?

Remember those home movies where the whole scene would jump around as the camera moved? Obviously, the position and movement...