Practical OpenGL and GLSL shaders fundamentals with C++ from Udemy

Welcome to the OpenGL, GLSL and computer graphics course.

It is practical and illustrated program, designed to give you a visual intuition and practical skills to program computer graphics using OpenGL, GLSL and C ++

It is raw concentrated squeeze of OpenGL and GLSL knowledge (no "water". no long talks that make you fall asleep)

The course is designed to start from fundamentals - and move to advanced topics like shaders, matrices, transformations, GLSL language, raster effects, texturing and shading.

In fact, the course is very easy to master. Because it is practical, visually illustrated and has code samples and live coding sessions.

It's created to help you develop the visual intuition about 3D programming models (so I developed some beautiful illustrations and visualizations - just to show you how things work "under the hood")

It will help you to build the proper mental models, patterns, and coding skills - to grasp the underlying concepts and internal elegancy of OpenGL machinery, as well as 3D math (because they're tricky)

There are live coding sessions and you get the full access to the source code

The course covers all important topics of modern OpenGL, such as:

- geometry, and buffers, VBOs and VAOs

- transformations and matrices, matrix hierarchy

- shaders and GLSL

- procedural art (and GLSL shaders-generated images)

- texturing

So feel free to explore it and I hope you'll enjoy it just as I did during its creation

What's inside

Learning objectives

Learn opengl and glsl
Explore the modern rendering pipeline and shaders
Feed the vertex data - to buffers (vbo) and setup the buffer formats
Play with shaders and glsl

Make fun procedural computer graphics
Learn 3d transformations: rotation, scale and perspective projection
Load and draw textures (sprites)
Render the 3d geometry

Learn opengl and glsl
Explore the modern rendering pipeline and shaders
Feed the vertex data - to buffers (vbo) and setup the buffer formats
Play with shaders and glsl
Make fun procedural computer graphics
Learn 3d transformations: rotation, scale and perspective projection
Load and draw textures (sprites)
Render the 3d geometry

Syllabus

OpenGL basics

Welcome to the OpenGL and computer graphics course.

The world of computer graphics is amazing! During this course you'll learn how to use modern OpenGL API and render beautiful 2d and 3d images.

This lecture is 101 (introduction) to the fundamental concepts of computer graphics

and typical problems like:

- drawing the basic shapes (circles, triangles)

- rasterizaton

- basic rendering algorithms

- the essence of the CG images

What is OpenGL?

It is a "state machine" that can be set up to perform rendering

Lets dive into the fundamentals of OpenGL machinery. Actually its easy to get the basic idea - OpenGL is a "server" and you apply C-function calls (as a "client") to "access" and "modify" its state. To setup the scene and the OpenGL renders it

Also in this lecture:

- the "phototable" metaphor

- feeding the OpenGL with the geometry (vertices)

- introduction to shaders

- the "rendering pipeline" concept

- OpenGL screen coordinates

This is summary of the Section 3

I highlight some of the important concepts on the geometry (like CW and CCW directions of vertices, loading of multiple vertex buffer objects, setting up shader variables and varyings, etc)

Hope this help to summarize everything and build the general understanding of how the basic shaders machinery works

How do the shadertoy.com masterpieces work?

They use full-screen rendering from within the shaders.

Lets explore the very basic principle to do so

Want to know more about 4D matrices and why we need them?

Let's explore the homogenous coordinates!

This is an elegant mathematical "trick" to make a uniform stack of 4D matrices - to represent not only rotation and scale but also translation (and concatenate the combined transformations easily!).

In real 2d and 3d games engines this ability gives us amazing boost in performance! Where each child sub-node has its own 4D node transformation defined relative to the parent node.

So we only apply the transformation once

ps. actually for the simplicity I explore 3D homogenous coordinate as we cannot think in 4D

but the same logic is applicable to 4D world as well! So just get the principal idea

Lets enter the 3D space!

3D rendering has its own caveats and tricks.

So lets just start simple and build a rotating cube!

A small lesson of how to add the GLM math library.

It will be neccessary to use it to define the projection transformation later

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Teaches modern OpenGL API and GLSL, which are industry standards in computer graphics

Provides comprehensive study of OpenGL and GLSL, including geometry, shaders, textures, and 3D rendering

Offers live coding sessions and access to source code, fostering practical learning and understanding

Developed beautiful illustrations and visualizations to enhance visual intuition and understanding

Suitable for beginners seeking to develop visual intuition and practical skills in computer graphics using OpenGL, GLSL, and C++

Covers geometry, shaders, GLSL, procedural art, texturing, and shading, providing a strong foundation in OpenGL and GLSL principles

Reviews summary

Practical intro to opengl and glsl

According to students, this course provides a solid foundation for learning OpenGL and GLSL fundamentals, especially for those with some C++ background. Many appreciate the practical approach, live coding sessions, and clear explanations of core concepts like shaders, matrices, and textures. Learners found the visual illustrations particularly helpful for understanding the underlying principles. While some setup steps might require attention depending on the operating system, the course is generally seen as a great starting point for diving into modern graphics programming with C++.

Assumes prior knowledge of C++.

"Be aware that you need a solid understanding of C++ before taking this course."

"The course dives into code quickly, requiring comfort with C++."

"It assumes you are already proficient with C++."

"Not for absolute beginners to programming or C++."

"Prior C++ experience is definitely a prerequisite."

Uses visuals to build graphics intuition.

"The visual explanations really helped build intuition about the rendering pipeline."

"Appreciate the illustrations showing how things work 'under the hood'."

"Helped me develop a better visual understanding of 3D concepts."

"The diagrams and visualizations were a great aid to learning."

"Made abstract graphics concepts more concrete through visuals."

Concepts like shaders and matrices explained well.

"The instructor explains complex topics like shaders and matrices very clearly."

"I finally understood how shaders work thanks to the simple explanations."

"The explanations are concise and easy to follow."

"Helped clarify many tricky graphics programming concepts for me."

"The visual approach made abstract ideas much easier to grasp."

Focuses on practical skills with code examples.

"The practical coding exercises and projects are excellent."

"I really appreciate the focus on practical application and live coding."

"Lots of useful code snippets and examples are provided."

"Learned a lot by following the practical demos step-by-step."

"Helped me gain practical skills immediately."

Provides a strong basis in OpenGL/GLSL.

"This course gives a solid foundation for OpenGL and GLSL. Clear explanation of topics."

"I feel I have a solid understanding of the fundamentals after taking this course."

"It is a very good starter if you want to learn OpenGL. It gives you the right base."

"This is a great course for getting started with modern OpenGL programming."

"Provides a strong base for understanding graphics programming concepts."

Initial setup can sometimes be tricky.

"Setting up the environment on MacOS was a bit confusing."

"Had some minor issues getting the libraries configured initially."

"The setup section could be slightly more detailed or updated for newer environments."

"Took me a little while to get everything running smoothly on my machine."

"Encountered a few dependency issues during setup."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Practical OpenGL and GLSL shaders fundamentals with C++ with these activities:

Review the fundamentals of OpenGL

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Refresh your knowledge of OpenGL primitives.

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Review OpenGL documentation
Practice with simple OpenGL programs

Follow online tutorials on OpenGL

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Explore interactive OpenGL tutorials.

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Find online tutorials
Follow step-by-step instructions
Implement concepts in your own code

Form a study group for OpenGL

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Collaborate and learn from your peers.

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Find like-minded peers
Establish regular meetings
Discuss OpenGL concepts
Work on projects together

Four other activities

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Solve coding challenges on OpenGL

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Test your understanding through practical exercises.

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Find coding challenges and exercises
Solve problems using OpenGL and GLSL
Review and analyze solutions

Mentor junior developers in OpenGL

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Share your knowledge and make a difference.

Browse courses on OpenGL

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Offer your services as a mentor
Guide and support junior developers
Share best practices

Create a 3D model and render it using OpenGL

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Apply your OpenGL skills to bring your own 3D creation to life.

Browse courses on 3D Modeling

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Design and create a 3D model
Import the model into OpenGL
Write shaders to render the model
Animate the model

Participate in OpenGL competitions

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Challenge yourself and showcase your skills.

Browse courses on OpenGL

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Find OpenGL competitions
Prepare for the competition
Submit your entry
Review feedback and improve

Career center

Learners who complete Practical OpenGL and GLSL shaders fundamentals with C++ will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Lead Technical Artist

A Lead Technical Artist leads a team of technical artists and is responsible for creating technical assets, such as 3D models, textures, and animations, for use in video games and other digital media. This course may be useful because it provides a comprehensive introduction to computer graphics, including 3D modeling, texturing, and animation, which are essential for creating high-quality technical assets.

See salaries and explore the career path for Lead Technical Artist

Technical Artist

A Technical Artist creates technical assets, such as 3D models, textures, and animations, for use in video games and other digital media. This course may be useful because it provides a comprehensive introduction to computer graphics, including 3D modeling, texturing, and animation, which are essential for creating high-quality technical assets.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist

Lead Game Designer

A Lead Game Designer leads a team of game designers and is responsible for creating the overall concept, design, and storyline for a video game. This course may be useful because it provides a comprehensive introduction to computer graphics, including 3D rendering and texturing, which are essential for creating visually appealing games.

See salaries and explore the career path for Lead Game Designer

Multimedia Artist

A Multimedia Artist creates multimedia content for use in websites, social media, and other digital platforms. This course may be useful because it provides a comprehensive introduction to computer graphics, including 2D and 3D design, animation, and video editing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist

Scientific Visualization Artist

A Scientific Visualization Artist creates visual representations of scientific data for use in research, education, and public outreach. This course may be useful because it provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of computer graphics, including 3D rendering and animation, which are essential for creating visually compelling scientific visualizations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Scientific Visualization Artist

Video Editor

A Video Editor edits and assembles video footage for use in film, television, and other digital media. This course may be useful because it provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of computer graphics, including video editing and compositing, which are essential for creating visually appealing and engaging video content.

See salaries and explore the career path for Video Editor

Simulation Engineer

A Simulation Engineer develops and uses computer simulations to analyze and predict the behavior of complex systems. This course may be useful because it provides a comprehensive introduction to computer graphics, including 3D modeling and rendering, which are essential for creating realistic and accurate simulations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Simulation Engineer

Art Director

An Art Director oversees the visual aspects of a creative project, such as a film, television show, or video game. This course may be useful because it provides a comprehensive introduction to computer graphics, including 2D and 3D design, animation, and video editing, which are essential for creating visually appealing and engaging creative content.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director

Creative Director

A Creative Director develops and executes the creative vision for a project, such as a film, television show, or video game. This course may be useful because it provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of computer graphics, which are essential for creating visually appealing and engaging creative content.

See salaries and explore the career path for Creative Director

Game Designer

A Game Designer creates the overall concept, design, and storyline for video games. This course may be useful because it provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of computer graphics, including 3D rendering and texturing, which are essential for creating visually appealing games.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

User Experience Designer

A User Experience Designer designs the user interface and user experience for websites, apps, and other digital products. This course may be useful because it provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of computer graphics, including 2D and 3D design, which are essential for creating visually appealing and user-friendly digital products.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

Web Designer

A Web Designer creates the visual design and layout of websites. This course may be useful because it provides a strong foundation in the fundamentals of computer graphics, including 2D and 3D design, which are essential for creating visually appealing and user-friendly websites.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Computer Graphics Artist

A Computer Graphics Artist works with computer-aided design software to create 2D and 3D graphics for use in film, television, animation, and video games. This course may be useful because it provides a practical introduction to OpenGL and GLSL, which are essential tools for creating computer graphics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Graphics Artist

Software Engineer

A Software Engineer designs, develops, and tests software applications. This course may be useful because it provides a strong foundation in the fundamentals of computer graphics, which are essential for creating visually appealing and user-friendly software applications.

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Product Designer

A Product Designer creates physical products, such as furniture, appliances, and cars. This course may be useful because it provides a strong foundation in the fundamentals of computer graphics, including 3D modeling and rendering, which are essential for creating visually appealing product designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer