ok so ive been trying to learn opengl/c++ for past few months and whenever i read the MSDN lib i instantly get lost reading online tutorials im getting lost even reading the redbook(OGL programming guide) i get lost anyone have some tips or pointers on learning opengl/c++ i have trouble remembering what i read after i read it(read a page in a book and forget it almost instantly) and this as im sure you can understand is very annoying cause it makes reading the MSDN lib or the redbook(OGL programming guide) even the easiest stuff to do i forget and or get lsot reading it..like computing the normals of a vector..very easy yes..but some reason i get lost(jsut an example) normally im a visual learner but cant really learn this visually.. please no flames not posting here to be ridiculed.. just looking for some help and advice also if anyone is interested in helping me out..can do it via ICQ,MSN or yahoo..jsut let me know and ill email contact info [edited by - fealingstupid on January 18, 2004 9:05:20 AM]

What if you stop reading and just start coding? Stop reading about vector mathematics, start making some exercises. Code as much as you can, check the books for particular spot what to do and continue coding. You cannot learn by just reading.

You can''t expect to remember everything you read, especially programming stuff because of its complex nature. Just treat things like MSDN, the redbook etc. as reference sources (which is what they are). I certainly don''t remember much from such sources, so when I can''t remember how some function or feature works I look at its documentation, if I happen to remember it for next time, great, but I don''t worry if I don''t. You''ll find that all developers, and I mean ALL developers are constantly refering to documentation to get their job done.

However, one thing you could do if you really want to remember something is to take a more active approach. So when you read about something, say display lists for example, you go and write a small program that uses them, this will help fix the information in your memory.

HTH

RandomError

The way i learn almost everything is just donwloading some examples, playing around with the sourcecode for about an hour, changing all possible variables (of course not letting the program crash ) and then, if i really didn't understand something, i'd read the documentation on it. When most things are clear in some way, i'd start coding a program using the technique described and add some others and then look at the influence the new technique has.
I am doing this for about a half a year now and it works fine!

EDIT: just a good tip:
When you read an article and you notice you forgot something described earlier in the article, read the article again from the beginning up to the point where stopped reading the last time. Then let that article rest for an hour or so and read it again, from the beginning.

[edited by - Tree Penguin on January 18, 2004 10:13:58 AM]

thanks guys was the info i was looking for

i spent 3 years doing CGI with 3dsmax and have desided to move into c++/OpenGL cause i didnt want to only make 3d models i wanted to make games/screensavers

as for my goal right now..i do have one set wich is a solar tour of our solar system(screensaver)..figured it is simple enough

and i have already layed out the screensaver proc and dialog box and set it up for opengl..jsut a mater of getting the hang of opengl i guess..
least i know im not the only one then..good to know that its a common thing
the most reasoning for the post was my frustration with texturing and creating a sphere(math for the sphere)..i did buy 3d math primer cause i heard it was a good book and am on chapt 7 of that along with getting the free version of OpenGL Programming guide 1.1..owuld love to buy me the many books out there but at 60 bux a pop thats jsut a bit to much right now

ill just keep at it...

oh PS:
when i said OpenGL/C++ i didnt meen i was laerning both at same time from scratch..i did spend a month and learn the basic C lang. and some on C++ Class''s but im still learning as i go(C++)..

again thanks..your replies have corrected my fealings and have given me more reason to push on

if anyone would like to chat via ICQ please feal free 25366398..
i do know learning was much easier having a friend to talk things over with when i was learning CGI with 3dsmax

How do you do cgi with 3dsmax?

To start simple with opengl, get the glut lib and example programs from:

http://www.xmission.com/~nate/glut.html

Compile them and play with them. That way you''ll leave the bloody windows programming for much later.