Question

displaying an openGL gluSphere at specific X/Y coordinates

Asked by: DanHamm

I am totally new to openGL (I use Delphi) so this may be a naive question.

I am drawing a graph with the following outline code:
    glBegin(GL_LINE_STRIP);  
    // loop
        // assign x, y
        glVertex2i(x1, y1);
        glVertex2i(x2, y2);
    // end loop
    glEnd();
 
This works OK.

However I now wish to generate a sphere, with
  FSphereQuadratic := gluNewQuadric();
  ..
  gluSphere(FSphereQuadratic, 0.2, 32, 32);

(This is all take from an example provided by OG.DELCODE.COM).
What I need to do is to locate the sphere on the graph at a specific XY location.  
Is there a transformation from a 3-D perspective view to 2-D co-ordinates that will allow me to do this.
Alternatively, how do I save the sphere as a bitmap, and how do I then display the bitmap at the right place?

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Asked On
2009-11-01 at 15:32:57ID24862455
Tags

openGL

Topics

3D Game Programming

,

OpenGL Graphics & Game Programming

,

Graphics and Delphi Programming

Participating Experts
1
Points
400
Comments
18

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Answers

 

by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-01 at 15:43:49ID: 25716224

Yes, just call glTranslate with the center-coords of the sphere right before you render it.
This will *move* the sphere to the coords that you pass to glTranslate.

 

by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-01 at 15:47:56ID: 25716236

Here is a tutorial at nehe that shows how to use glTranslate. There is also delphi code at the bottom of the page to download.

http://nehe.gamedev.net/data/lessons/lesson.asp?lesson=02

 

by: DanHammPosted on 2009-11-02 at 09:57:18ID: 25721738

Thanks - that has got me started with a gluDisk.  The code (which works) is:
  FSphereQuadratic := gluNewQuadric();
    ..
  glPushMatrix();
  glColor3ub (255, 128, 0);
  glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
  glLoadIdentity();
  glTranslatef(FCircleX, FCircleY, 0);
          gluDisk(FSphereQuadratic, annRadius, FCircleRadius, 32, 32);
  glPopMatrix();

However when I try the following with a gluSphere:(only the indented code has changed)

  FSphereQuadratic := gluNewQuadric();
    ..
  glPushMatrix();
  glColor3ub (255, 128, 0);
  glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
  glLoadIdentity();
  glTranslatef(FCircleX, FCircleY, 0);
        glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT, GL_AMBIENT, @no_mat);
        glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT, GL_DIFFUSE, @mat_diffuse);
        glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT, GL_SPECULAR, @no_mat);
        glMaterialf(GL_FRONT, GL_SHININESS, no_shininess);
        glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT, GL_EMISSION, @no_mat);
        glColor3f(1, 0, 0); // Set our current rendering colour to red
        gluSphere(FSphereQuadratic, FCircleRadius, 32, 32)
  glPopMatrix();

then I get a ghostly outline but nothing in the middle!  Am I missing something?
As I said I am a complete beginner with openGL, and still awaiting delivery of my "blue book", but I need this in a hurry :)

 

by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-02 at 11:22:43ID: 25722688

if you call this:

  glPolygonMode( GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_FILL );

before you render the object, the OpenGL will render your object solid. If you want to go back to wireframe later, you must call

  glPolygonMode( GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_LINE );

 

by: DanHammPosted on 2009-11-03 at 09:53:29ID: 25731569

Thanks again - cannot check this one out properly for a day or two (it did not work on a quick test), so please could you hold the question open.

 

by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-03 at 09:56:58ID: 25731611

Sure, can you show the code?

 

by: DanHammPosted on 2009-11-04 at 03:39:31ID: 25738295

The code is below.  There is probably a lot of redundant stuff, as I have been cutting and pasting from various working examples.  I have not yet had time to clean it all up (with the aid of the "blue book" which I have now received).

The line drawing works fine, but the attempt to draw the sphere does not.

// One-off initialisation
  fillchar(pfd, SizeOf(pfd), 0);
  with pfd do begin
    nSize := SizeOf(pfd);
    nVersion := 1; {The current version of the desccriptor is 1}
    dwFlags := PFD_DRAW_TO_WINDOW or PFD_SUPPORT_OPENGL or            
                PFD_DOUBLEBUFFER;
    iPixelType := PFD_TYPE_RGBA;
    cColorBits := 24; {support 24-bit color}
    cDepthBits := 32; {depth of z-axis}
    iLayerType := PFD_MAIN_PLANE;
  end; {with} 
  glViewport(0, 0, FNPixX, FNPixY);
  glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION); 
  glLoadIdentity(); // Reset View
  glOrtho(0.0, FNPixX, FNPixY, 0, -1.0, 1.0);
  glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); // Return to the modelview matrix
  glLoadIdentity();
  FglDC := getDC(FInnerPanel_1.Handle); // get device context
  glEnable(GL_COLOR_MATERIAL);
  FSphereQuadratic := gluNewQuadric(); // get our quadratic
  glEnable(GL_BLEND);
  glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
  glShadeModel(GL_FLAT); 
  // on each iteration
  // first do the lines
  glClearColor(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0); // black background
  glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT or GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
  glLineWidth(3.0);                 // set line width
  glBegin(GL_LINE_STRIP); 
  glColor3ub(197, 155, 58);
  while inLoop do
    .. 
    glVertex2i(xI, FTopY - ifInt + FCircleRadius);
  glEnd; 
  // now for the sphere
  glPushMatrix();
  glColor3ub (255, 128, 0);
  glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
  glLoadIdentity();
  glTranslatef(FCircleX, FTopY - FCircleY + FCircleRadius, 0);
  glPolygonMode( GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_FILL );
  glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT, GL_AMBIENT, @no_mat);
  glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT, GL_DIFFUSE, @mat_diffuse);
  glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT, GL_SPECULAR, @no_mat);
  glMaterialf(GL_FRONT, GL_SHININESS, no_shininess);
  glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT, GL_EMISSION, @no_mat);
  gluSphere(FSphereQuadratic, FCircleRadius, 32, 32)
                                              
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by: DanHammPosted on 2009-11-04 at 03:46:39ID: 25738337

Sorry - meant to attach the "ghostly sphere" screenshot

 

by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-04 at 05:10:52ID: 25738899

Ok, lets simplify it and clean up.

- Switch off alpha blending, material and switch on wirframe, if that works we will go back it later.
- Make near and far plane larger, 2 last arguments of glOrtho, depending on size of FCircleRadius.
- Set Line width back to 1 after drawing lines
- each glPushMatrix must have an associated glPopMatrix
etc ..

Please post a screenshot from this code:

// One-off initialisation
  fillchar(pfd, SizeOf(pfd), 0);
  with pfd do begin
    nSize := SizeOf(pfd);
    nVersion := 1; {The current version of the desccriptor is 1}
    dwFlags := PFD_DRAW_TO_WINDOW or PFD_SUPPORT_OPENGL or            
                PFD_DOUBLEBUFFER;
    iPixelType := PFD_TYPE_RGBA;
    cColorBits := 24; {support 24-bit color}
    cDepthBits := 32; {depth of z-axis}
    iLayerType := PFD_MAIN_PLANE;
  end; {with} 
  
FglDC := getDC(FInnerPanel_1.Handle); // get device context
 
FSphereQuadratic := gluNewQuadric(); // get our quadratic
 
glDisable(GL_BLEND);
glDisable(GL_COLOR_MATERIAL);
glShadeModel(GL_FLAT); 
glPolygonMode(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_LINE);
 
glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION); 
glViewport(0, 0, FNPixX, FNPixY);
glLoadIdentity(); // Reset View
glOrtho(0.0, FNPixX, FNPixY, 0, -FCircleRadius * 100.0f, FCircleRadius * 100.0f);
 
// on each iteration
// first do the lines
glClearColor(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0); // black background
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT or GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
 
glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); // Return to the modelview matrix
glLoadIdentity();
    
glLineWidth(3.0);                 // set line width
glColor3ub(197, 155, 58);
glBegin(GL_LINE_STRIP); 
  while inLoop do
    .. 
    glVertex2i(xI, FTopY - ifInt + FCircleRadius);
glEnd; 
 
// now for the sphere
glLineWidth(1.0);                 // set line width
glColor3ub (255, 128, 0);
glPushMatrix();
  glTranslatef(FCircleX, FTopY - FCircleY + FCircleRadius, 0);
  gluSphere(FSphereQuadratic, FCircleRadius, 32, 32)
glPopMatrix();

                                              
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by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-04 at 05:14:15ID: 25738934

Plus do some reading on the nehe-tutorials here:

  http://nehe.gamedev.net/

OpenGL is not exactly very hands-on, its very hard, if you dont know it and copy some code together, its most likely not gonna work.

Better start from the scratch, the red book is very good too.

 

by: DanHammPosted on 2009-11-04 at 08:50:29ID: 25741261

Implemented your code, thanks.  Now shows a continuous outline, as in attached picture.  Appreciate your comments about difficulty.  I knew about push/pop, but carelessly omitted the pop.

Do I need the red book as well as the blue book (which I now have)?

 

by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-04 at 09:07:45ID: 25741481

can you try:

glOrtho(0.0, FNPixX, FNPixY, 0, 0.1, 1000.0);

can you try a bigger radius and post a screenshot?

 

by: DanHammPosted on 2009-11-04 at 11:32:58ID: 25742970

Sorry - must have made a mistake in transcribing the original.  I have now checked and the proper wire frame is displayed, as shown in the enclosed, with your original code (post 04/11/09 01:10 PM, ID: 25738899).

When I replaced the glOrtho() call with your 05:07pm suggestion, I got the identical wireframe ball, but the underlying curve has disappeared.

 

by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-04 at 12:12:01ID: 25743413

>>  I got the identical wireframe ball, but the underlying curve has disappeared.

Ok, lets find the right values. Whats the radius of the circle? Those values define how far the near- and far-plane are away from the camera. All objects must be between those values, in order to see them.

Now we can make the objects solid again.

replace those:

  glPolygonMode(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_LINE);

with this:

  glPolygonMode(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_FILL);


enable color use as material color

  glEnable(GL_COLOR_MATERIAL);

and add a light

  glEnable(GL_LIGHTING)
  glEnable(GL_LIGHT0);

// One-off initialisation
  fillchar(pfd, SizeOf(pfd), 0);
  with pfd do begin
    nSize := SizeOf(pfd);
    nVersion := 1; {The current version of the desccriptor is 1}
    dwFlags := PFD_DRAW_TO_WINDOW or PFD_SUPPORT_OPENGL or            
                PFD_DOUBLEBUFFER;
    iPixelType := PFD_TYPE_RGBA;
    cColorBits := 24; {support 24-bit color}
    cDepthBits := 32; {depth of z-axis}
    iLayerType := PFD_MAIN_PLANE;
  end; {with} 
  
FglDC := getDC(FInnerPanel_1.Handle); // get device context
 
FSphereQuadratic := gluNewQuadric(); // get our quadratic
 
glEnable(GL_COLOR_MATERIAL);
glDisable(GL_BLEND);
glShadeModel(GL_FLAT); 
glPolygonMode(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_FILL);
glEnable(GL_LIGHTING)
glEnable(GL_LIGHT0);
 
glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION); 
glViewport(0, 0, FNPixX, FNPixY);
glLoadIdentity(); // Reset View
glOrtho(0.0, FNPixX, FNPixY, 0, -FCircleRadius * 100.0f, FCircleRadius * 100.0f);
 
// on each iteration
// first do the lines
glClearColor(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0); // black background
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT or GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
 
glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); // Return to the modelview matrix
glLoadIdentity();
    
glLineWidth(3.0);                 // set line width
glColor3ub(197, 155, 58);
glBegin(GL_LINE_STRIP); 
  while inLoop do
    .. 
    glVertex2i(xI, FTopY - ifInt + FCircleRadius);
glEnd; 
 
// now for the sphere
glLineWidth(1.0);                 // set line width
glColor3ub (255, 128, 0);
glPushMatrix();
  glTranslatef(FCircleX, FTopY - FCircleY + FCircleRadius, 0);
  gluSphere(FSphereQuadratic, FCircleRadius, 32, 32)
glPopMatrix();

                                              
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by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-04 at 12:16:28ID: 25743458

If you use lighting, make sure to generate normals for your sphere with:

  gluQuadricNormals(FSphereQuadratic, GLU_SMOOTH);

after you created it with gluNewQuadric

http://www.ugrad.cs.ubc.ca/~cs414/opengl/gluQuadricNormals.html

 

by: DanHammPosted on 2009-11-05 at 05:46:37ID: 25749337

Getting better.  I needed to disable lighting for the curve part (also anti-aliased - a lot better).  Have not yet played around with lighting params and other features (sphere  is now basic and rather dark), but will do this in the next couple of days.  I think I am beginning to get the hang of this.

Thanks v much for your help so far.  Could I keep this one open for a couple of days in case my efforts don't work?  Inclined to up your points when it's all done.  You have been very helpful.

 

by: ikeworkPosted on 2009-11-05 at 06:54:52ID: 25750062

Well, to be blunt, if the solution works, you should close the question.
If you have new questions, you should ask a new question.

However, you can still ask something in this question when you closed it.
But it should be related to the solution, i.e. "displaying an openGL gluSphere at specific X/Y coordinates".

How can I do this-and-that in OpenGL should be covered in a new question, hope you understand that.

ike

 

by: DanHammPosted on 2009-11-09 at 02:40:02ID: 25774733

OK - thanks.  I will stick with the  wire frame for now, and revisit when I have played around some more.

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