I have to learn OpenGL and get a basic OpenGL app built, and I have a few questions:
- What are specific things programmers need to know to program in these frameworks?
- How does the shader language in 2.0 affect using these libraries?
- Are there any compelling reasons to start with 1.x before 2.0?
1
As already mentioned OpenGL 1.x and 2.x are very different.
OpenGL ES 1.0 uses a fixed pipeline, which is a fancy way of saying you use built-in functions to set lights, vertexes, colors, cameras, and more.
OpenGL ES 2.0 uses a programmable pipeline, which is a fancy way of saying all those built-in functions go away, and you have to write everything yourself.
To get more info on topic with good tutorials, check resources listed below
- Advanced Game Programming with OpenGL
- OpenGL ES 2.0 For Beginners Tutorial
- official link to OpenGL.org
OpenGL ES 2.0 can be hard to understand coming from 1.1 especially if one was using the fixed pipeline as a black box.
In 2.0 you write programs in a C-like language called GLSL that are executed in the graphics card for each vertex or fragment.
For 2.0 you do absolutely need to know your vectors from your matrixes in order to do anything.
I’d recommend using the 1.1 manuals for reference if anything to get all the basic useful matrixes and then using 2.0 as fixed pipelines are just not coming back anytime soon.
GLSL is easy and once you have emulated the old fixed pipeline you can extend it to do things like cel-shading or reflections.