A OpenGL 3D Navigation program with glRotatef, glTranslatef, gluLookAt

#include <GL/glut.h> // Once you include glut.h (you don't need gl.h or glu.h)

GLfloat GLfloat GLfloat GLfloat GLfloat GLfloat GLfloat GLfloat GLfloat out)

X = 0.0f; // Translate screen to x direction (left or right) Y = 0.0f; // Translate screen to y direction (up or down) Z = 0.0f; // Translate screen to z direction (zoom in or out) rotX = 0.0f; // Rotate screen on x axis rotY = 0.0f; // Rotate screen on y axis rotZ = 0.0f; // Rotate screen on z axis rotLx = 0.0f; // Translate screen by using the glulookAt function (left or right) rotLy = 0.0f; // Translate screen by using the glulookAt function (up or down) rotLz = 0.0f; // Translate screen by using the glulookAt function (zoom in or

void glDisplayLines(void); // Did declare the function // so I did not have to check for order of the functions // Initialize the OpenGL window void init(void) { glClearColor (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0); // Clear the color glShadeModel (GL_FLAT); // Set the shading model to GL_FLAT glEnable (GL_LINE_SMOOTH); glHint(GL_LINE_SMOOTH_HINT, GL_NICEST); // Set Line Antialiasing } // Draw the lines (x,y,z) void display(void) { glClear (GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT); // Clear the Color Buffer glPushMatrix(); // It is important to push the Matrix before calling // glRotatef and glTranslatef glRotatef(rotX,1.0,0.0,0.0); // Rotate on x glRotatef(rotY,0.0,1.0,0.0); // Rotate on y glRotatef(rotZ,0.0,0.0,1.0); // Rotate on z glTranslatef(X, Y, Z); // Translates the screen left or right, // up or down or zoom in zoom out // Draw the positive side of the lines x,y,z glBegin(GL_LINES); glColor3f (0.0, 1.0, 0.0); // Green for x axis glVertex3f(0,0,0); glVertex3f(10,0,0); glColor3f(1.0,0.0,0.0); // Red for y axis glVertex3f(0,0,0); glVertex3f(0,10,0); glColor3f(0.0,0.0,1.0); // Blue for z axis glVertex3f(0,0,0); glVertex3f(0,0,10); glEnd(); // Dotted lines for the negative sides of x,y,z glEnable(GL_LINE_STIPPLE); // Enable line stipple to use a // dotted pattern for the lines glLineStipple(1, 0x0101); // Dotted stipple pattern for the lines glBegin(GL_LINES);

glColor3f (0.0, 1.0, 0.0); // Green for x axis glVertex3f(-10,0,0); glVertex3f(0,0,0); glColor3f(1.0,0.0,0.0); // Red for y axis glVertex3f(0,0,0); glVertex3f(0,-10,0); glColor3f(0.0,0.0,1.0); // Blue for z axis glVertex3f(0,0,0); glVertex3f(0,0,-10); glEnd(); glDisable(GL_LINE_STIPPLE); // Disable the line stipple glPopMatrix(); // Don't forget to pop the Matrix glutSwapBuffers(); } // This function is called whenever the window size is changed void reshape (int w, int h) { glViewport (0, 0, (GLsizei) w, (GLsizei) h); // Set the viewport glMatrixMode (GL_PROJECTION); // Set the Matrix mode glLoadIdentity (); gluPerspective(75, (GLfloat) w /(GLfloat) h , 0.10, 100.0); glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); glLoadIdentity(); gluLookAt (rotLx, rotLy, 15.0 + rotLz, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0); } // This function is used for the navigation keys void keyboard (unsigned char key, int x, int y) { switch (key) { // x,X,y,Y,z,Z uses the glRotatef() function case 'x': // Rotates screen on x axis rotX -= 0.5f; break; case 'X': // Opposite way rotX += 0.5f; break; case 'y': // Rotates screen on y axis rotY -= 0.5f; break; case 'Y': // Opposite way rotY += 0.5f; break; case 'z': // Rotates screen on z axis rotZ -= 0.5f; break; case 'Z': // Opposite way rotZ += 0.5f; break; // j,J,k,K,l,L uses the gluLookAt function for navigation case 'j': rotLx -= 0.2f; glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); glLoadIdentity(); gluLookAt (rotLx, rotLy, 15.0 + rotLz, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0); break; case 'J': rotLx += 0.2f;

glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); glLoadIdentity(); gluLookAt (rotLx, rotLy, 15.0 + rotLz, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0); break; case 'k': rotLy -= 0.2f; glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); glLoadIdentity(); gluLookAt (rotLx, rotLy, 15.0 + rotLz, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0); break; case 'K': rotLy += 0.2f; glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); glLoadIdentity(); gluLookAt (rotLx, rotLy, 15.0 + rotLz, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0); break; case 'l': // It has a special case when the rotLZ becomes // less than -15 the screen is viewed from the opposite side // therefore this if statement below does not allow rotLz be less than -15 if(rotLz + 14 >= 0) rotLz -= 0.2f; glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); glLoadIdentity(); gluLookAt (rotLx, rotLy, 15.0 + rotLz, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0,0.0,0.0); break; case 'L': rotLz += 0.2f; glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); glLoadIdentity(); gluLookAt (rotLx, rotLy, 15.0 + rotLz, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0); break; case 'b': // Rotates on x axis by -90 degree rotX -= 90.0f; break; case 'B': // Rotates on y axis by 90 degree rotX += 90.0f; break; case 'n': // Rotates on y axis by -90 degree rotY -= 90.0f; break; case 'N': // Rotates on y axis by 90 degree rotY += 90.0f; break; case 'm': // Rotates on z axis by -90 degree rotZ -= 90.0f; break; case 'M': // Rotates on z axis by 90 degree rotZ += 90.0f; break; case 'o': // Default, resets the translations vies from starting view case 'O': X = Y = 0.0f; Z = 0.0f; rotX = 0.0f; rotY = 0.0f; rotZ = 0.0f; rotLx = 0.0f; rotLy = 0.0f;

rotLz = 0.0f; glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); glLoadIdentity(); gluLookAt(rotLx, rotLy, 15.0f + rotLz, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f); break; } glutPostRedisplay(); // Redraw the scene } // called on special key pressed void specialKey(int key, int x, int y) { // The keys below are using the gluLookAt() function for navigation // Check which key is pressed switch(key) { case GLUT_KEY_LEFT : // Rotate on x axis X -= 0.1f; break; case GLUT_KEY_RIGHT : // Rotate on x axis (opposite) X += 0.1f; break; case GLUT_KEY_UP : // Rotate on y axis Y += 0.1f; break; case GLUT_KEY_DOWN : // Rotate on y axis (opposite) Y -= 0.1f; break; case GLUT_KEY_PAGE_UP: // Rotate on z axis Z -= 0.1f; break; case GLUT_KEY_PAGE_DOWN:// Rotate on z axis (opposite) Z += 0.1f; break; } glutPostRedisplay(); // Redraw the scene } // Main entry point of the program int main(int argc, char** argv) { glutInit(&argc, argv); glutInitDisplayMode (GLUT_DOUBLE | GLUT_RGB); // Setup display mode to // double buffer and RGB color glutInitWindowSize (600,600); // Set the screen size glutCreateWindow("OpenGL 3D Navigation Program"); init (); glutReshapeFunc(reshape); glutDisplayFunc(display); glutKeyboardFunc(keyboard); // set window's key callback glutSpecialFunc(specialKey); // set window's to specialKey callback glutMainLoop(); return 0; }

Introduction
I think one of the most important steps for beginners is to learn how to create a 3D space and navigate in this space. It is especially important to know how to navigate in 3D space. It can be very confusing for beginners. This program shows how to navigate in 3D space.

Using the Code

The base code is from the redbook "OpenGL Programming Guide (Third Edition)". This is a beginner level program to show how to navigate in 3D space. It uses glRotatef(), glTranslatef() and gluLookAt() functions. I divided the 3D space with lines. The intersection of the x,y,z arises is the location (0,0,0). The doted parts of the lines are the negative sides of the axises.The z axis is not viewable, because we look at the space from (0,0,15) coordinates. I rotated the above picture so that the z axis can be seen.

Green for x axis Red for y axis Blue for z axis x,X - rotates on x axis // uses glRotatef() function y,Y - rotates on y axis " z,Z - rotates on z axis " left_key - translates to left (x axis) // uses glTranslatef() right_key - translates to right (x axis) " up_key - translates up (y axis) " down_key - translates down (y axis) " page_up - translates on z axis (zoom in) " page_down - translates on z axis (zoom out) " j,J translates on x axis // uses glLookAt() k,K translates on y axis " l,L translates on z axis " b,B rotates (+/-)90 degrees on x axis n,N rotates (+/-)90 degrees on y axis m,M rotates (+/-)90 degrees on z axis o,O brings everything to default (starting coordinates)

Notice that glTranslatef and gluLookAt() behave the same. However, it is not exactly the same. You can figure out by using this program.