I was wondering if anyone could give me any help on this subject. I want to focus more on the aspect of graphics programming. What parts of C++ must I master before I start in on OpenGL? I know it will be a while before I can start on it, maybe a year or so, but I want to keep my goal in mind and perspective. Right now, I am reading a book on C++ and I currently finished the chapter on functions. Thanks for your help.

Errmm - im a newb C++ programmer myself (Im in second year AP course at H.S), and I would recommend you know more then that before you start; trust me - you''ll save yourself a lot of headaches . I guess you should familiarize yourse;f with c++ more, and learn to read boring code first, before branching out into graphics. Just my
return double(DOLLAR_VALUE / 100 * 2);

I started learning OpenGL when I just had a strong grasp of the basics of C++. The hardest part of learning OpenGL for me was learning all the Window''s API in order to create the window and setting up a rendering context. So, I would say, if you know the basics of C++ and have a grasp of the Window''s API, go for it. You never learn unless you try.

doesn''t that give half a cent? I think you mean to divide by 50. I don''t know.....maybe not.

I would reccomend learning as much as you can about C++ first as a firm grasp makes everything easier.

Especially in graphics programming some of the code (at least good code) can be very c++ intensive. Of course I say this assuming you dont know c either.

And as far as the
double(DOLLAR_VALUE / 100 * 2);
Anon #2 it does return 0.02 assuming that DOLLAR_VALUE is defined as something like 1.0

Its all about the order of operations, even the smallest parts of the language form a huge impact =P

Well, this is my first post here.

I am a second year CS major who hopes to one day program video games for a console game developer. Anyways, I just started a graphics course, and to this point I have just finished taking my second serious programming course. I have a relatively firm grasp of C++. I have learned a bit of Win32 programming in my free time, and have dabbled in a bit of DirectX and GBA programming. I am not really comfortable with working with any system yet though. At this point in time it takes a great deal of labor to get anything done.

The graphics course I am taking is in OpenGL, and I am not finding it excessively hard, although I have just begun it. Anyways, that''s my experience. I suggest that you at least familiarize yourself with Win32 programming and some form of graphics before you start jumping into anything major.

Hi,

If you want to get into graphics programming with OpenGL you actually don''t need to know a lot about C++.

First off, OpenGL is only a C API (not C++) and you therefore don''t need to know a lot C++ to use it.

So in my opinion you should go for it soon. One other poster commented that you need to learn some Windows programming first. No true; you can use the free library called GLUT which is made to get beginning OpenGL programmers up and running fast. Later when you get better you can switch to using SDL or doing it in Windows directly.



Jacob Marner, M.Sc.
Console Programmer, Deadline Games

Yes, I am familiar with glut, but what I meant was that it would be a lot easier to comprehend what glut was doing and to use it in a proper manner if you understood at least some of what it was doing. It''s not essential, but it''s definately a bonus.