ANNOUNCE: 2.3 of OpenGL Utility Toolkit
Mark Kilgard
OpenGL programmers wanting a simple OpenGL toolkit,
The OpenGL Utility Toolkit (GLUT) is a toolkit for making it easier to
explore OpenGL programming. It implements a simple windowing API for
OpenGL. GLUT was described in the Nov/Dec '94 issue of The X Journal
magazine. I am now announcing version 2.3 of the GLUT API version 2
distribution.
The 2.3 distribution fixes bugs, improves portability, and adds more
demos (including GLUT with Open Inventor demos). All GLUT users are
encouraged to upgrade to GLUT 2.3. See the CHANGES file included with
the distribution for more details about what has been fixed/improved.
The purpose of GLUT is to make OpenGL programming much easier so those
interested in 3D graphics can easily begin exploring OpenGL. You will
need an OpenGL development system for X to make use of this GLUT
implementation. GLUT is designed to be window system independent so a
Windows NT and/or OS/2 implementation should be possible, making GLUT a
truly portable interface for 3D graphics (I am only supplying an X11
implementation).
You can get the distribution by anonymous ftp to sgigate.sgi.com in the
pub/opengl/xjournal/GLUT directory. For URL literate people, try:
ftp://sgigate.sgi.com/pub/opengl/xjournal/GLUT/
You will find the following:
README 2 Kb Wed Aug 2 17:35:00 1995
glut.2.3.tar.Z 847 Kb Wed Aug 2 17:34:00 1995
glut.2.spec.ps.Z 131 Kb Wed Aug 2 17:34:00 1995
glut.column1.ps.Z 113 Kb Thu Mar 30 17:03:00 1995
glut.2.3.tar.Z is the GLUT distribution itself. It includes the
library source code, a set of GLUT test programs, example GLUT
programs, and an example of implementing a GLUT Fortran binding (for
IRIX 5.3).
New GLUT demos include two Open Inventor GLUT demos (you need Open
Inventor to compile them). duckpond swims a 3D duck around in a pond.
globe rotates a sphere texture mapped with the earth's surface. Other
new (non Open Inventor) demos are: hanoi, a towers of hanoi solver in
3D; abgr; triselect; texenv; stenciltst; stars; fogtst.
Older GLUT example programs include a human kinetics demo (walker); a
3D origami program which folds a paper airplane (origami); dolphins,
whales, and sharks swimming in a 3D ocean (atlantis); an MTV-like
texture mapping demo of the face of yours truly (mjkwarp); a 3D
lighting laboratory (lightlab); spinning 3D hoops that form the olympic
logo (olympic); a 3D sliding block puzzle (glpuzzle); the classic SGI
Ideas in Motion demo in GLUT (ideas); a spinning cube projecting a
shadow (scube); spotlight demo (spots); etc. A large number of the
OpenGL Programming Guide examples are converted to GLUT.
glut.column1.ps.Z is PostScript (5 pages) for my first OpenGL column
published in The X Journal. The article will introduce you to the
basics of GLUT programming.
glut.2.spec.ps.Z is a PostScript (48 pages) version of the GLUT
specification (updated for 2.3).
The GLUT distribution should work on the following platforms:
o DEC Alpha workstation running OSF/1 with Open3D layered product
o IBM RS/6000 workstations running AIX with OpenGL support
o SGI workstation running IRIX 5.2 or higher supporting OpenGL
o Template Graphics Software's OpenGL for Sun workstations
o Mesa 1.2 (and 1.1) for Unix workstations, including Linux PCs
and SunOS 4.1.x.
Questions about GLUT can be directed to the comp.graphics.api.opengl
newsgroup.
SHAMELESS BUT HOPEFULLY HELPFUL PLUG: Since November 1994, The X Journal
carries a column on OpenGL that I write. Each column uses GLUT for the
examples. If you are looking to learn about OpenGL, this may be a good
place. The X Journal (ISSN 1056-7003) is published six times per year,
bimonthly by SIGS Publications, 71 West 23rd St, 3rd floor, NY, NY
10010, 212-242-7447. Subscription rates - one year (six issues)
individual: $39 domestic; $64 Canada and Mexico; $79 foreign;
institutional: $99 domestic; $124 Canada and Mexico; $139 foreign.
Send address changes and subscription orders to: The X Journal, PO Box
5050, Brentwood, TN 37024-5050. For service on current subscriptions,
call 800-361-1279(v); or 215-785-6073(f); or subscr...@sigs.com
(email).
LEGAL STUFF: The programs and documentation in the GLUT distribution
were developed by Mark J. Kilgard and are Copyright 1994 by Mark J.
Kilgard unless otherwise noted. The programs are not in the public
domain, but they are freely distributable without licensing fees.
These programs are provided without guarantee or warrantee expressed or
implied. GLUT is not endorsed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. or the OpenGL
Architectural Review Board.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Much thanks to OpenGL engineers at DEC, IBM,
Microsoft, SGI, and TGS as well as Brian Paul from the University of
Wisconsin for helping me ensure the portability of this code to non-SGI
graphics platforms. Also thank you to GLUT users for your feedback and
bug fixes.
- Mark Kilgard
m...@sgi.com