On the heels of our recent feature about NVidia, DirectX, and OpenGL, it seemed almost fitting to pick a book that would help all of you graphics programmers get up-to-speed on the new features in the latest iterations of OpenGL, OpenGL 3.0 and 3.1.  This weeks pick is the classic red book, The OpenGL Programmer’s Guide v3.0 and 3.1 . From the description:

This seventh edition has been updated to include the newest features of OpenGL Versions 3.0 and 3.1, including

  • Using framebuffer objects for off-screen rendering and texture updates
  • Examples of the various new buffer object types, including uniform-buffer objects, transform feedback buffers, and vertex array objects
  • Using texture arrays to increase performance when using numerous textures
  • Efficient rendering using primitive restart and conditional rendering
  • Discussion of OpenGL’s deprecation mechanism and how to verify your programs for future versions of OpenGL

This edition continues the discussion of the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) and explains the mechanics of using this language to create complex graphics effects and boost the computational power of OpenGL. The OpenGL Technical Library provides tutorial and reference books for OpenGL. The Library enables programmers to gain a practical understanding of OpenGL and shows them how to unlock its full potential. Originally developed by SGI, the Library continues to evolve under the auspices of the Khronos OpenGL ARB Working Group, an industry consortium responsible for guiding the evolution of OpenGL and related technologies.

Definately worth the price.

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