New to OpenGL. How to I install it?

[fandecine]

Hi guys!
Sorry but I am a beginner. I just bought the book "OpenGL superbible". I should get it within a few days. I have only one question. I have Windows XP with VC++ 6.0. What do I need to do in order to start coding? Do I have to download something else or I am already set and just have to type the codes?
I will really appreciate your help.
Thanks.
LD

[BlackJack]

For starting up, the stuff shipped with VC++ is enough.

#include "gl/gl.h"

and add opengl32.lib to your project. Check the internet for tutorials and there you go. You had not needed to buy a book. Too many books are always better than too less on the one hand, hehe, but they unfortunately also cost money and in the internet there are far more far better informations about GL for free.

This should work for you without downloading any additional things: (draws a simple quad, one light is switched on and the normals are rotated, was just an experimental thing):

 
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "gl/gl.h"
#include "math.h"
 
HINSTANCE	hInst;
HWND		hWnd; //window handle
ATOM		WinClass;
 
//handled needed by GL
HDC						WinDC; 
HGLRC					RC;	 
int						PixelFormat; 
PIXELFORMATDESCRIPTOR	Pfd;
 
//forwarded functions
ATOM				RegisterClass( HINSTANCE hInstance );
BOOL				InitInstance( HINSTANCE, int );
LRESULT CALLBACK	WndProc( HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM );
 
int APIENTRY WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,
                     HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                     LPSTR     lpCmdLine,
                     int       nCmdShow )
{
	MSG msg;
	WinClass=RegisterClass(hInstance);
	if( !InitInstance( hInstance, nCmdShow ) ) 
		return FALSE;
 
	while( GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0) ) 
	{
		TranslateMessage( &msg ); DispatchMessage( &msg );
	}
	return msg.wParam;
}
 
ATOM RegisterClass( HINSTANCE hInstance )
{
	WNDCLASSEX wcex;
 
	wcex.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX); 
 
	wcex.style			= CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW;
	wcex.lpfnWndProc	= (WNDPROC)WndProc;
	wcex.cbClsExtra		= 0;
	wcex.cbWndExtra		= 0;
	wcex.hInstance		= hInstance;
	wcex.hIcon			= 0;
	wcex.hCursor		= LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
	wcex.hbrBackground	= (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW+1);
	wcex.lpszMenuName	= 0;
	wcex.lpszClassName	= "Mesh3Test";
	wcex.hIconSm		= 0;
 
	return RegisterClassEx(&wcex);
}
 
BOOL InitInstance( HINSTANCE hInstance, int nCmdShow )
{
	hInst = hInstance; // Instanzzugriffsnummer in unserer globalen Variable speichern
	hWnd = CreateWindow((char*)WinClass, "lp", WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
	  CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
 
	if( !hWnd ) 
	{
	  return FALSE;
	}
 
	SetWindowPos(hWnd,NULL,0,0,640,480,0);
 
	// -------------------- set up OpenGL -------------------------
 
	WinDC=GetDC(hWnd);
	memset(&Pfd,0,sizeof(Pfd));
 
	Pfd.nSize=sizeof(Pfd); Pfd.nVersion=1; Pfd.dwFlags=PFD_DRAW_TO_WINDOW | PFD_SUPPORT_OPENGL | PFD_DOUBLEBUFFER;
	Pfd.iPixelType=PFD_TYPE_RGBA; Pfd.cColorBits=16; Pfd.cDepthBits=16; Pfd.iLayerType=PFD_MAIN_PLANE;	
	PixelFormat = ChoosePixelFormat(WinDC, &Pfd);
	SetPixelFormat(WinDC, PixelFormat, &Pfd);
 
	RC = wglCreateContext(WinDC);
	wglMakeCurrent(WinDC,RC);
	glClearColor(0.f,0.f,0.f,1.f);
	glDepthFunc(GL_LEQUAL);
	glDepthMask(true);
	glViewport(0,0,640,480);
	glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
 
	// --------------------------------------------------------------
 
	ShowWindow( hWnd, nCmdShow );
	UpdateWindow( hWnd );
 
	return TRUE;
}
 
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
	switch( message ) 
	{
		case WM_PAINT:
 
			{
				glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
 
				float mfFrTop,mfFrRight,mfFrBottom,mfFrLeft;
				#define pi 3.141592653f
 
				glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
				glLoadIdentity();
 
				//calculate and set the viewcone
				mfFrTop    = 10/*nearclip*/*(float)tan((60/*v. viewa.*//2.f)*(pi/180.f));
				mfFrRight  = mfFrTop*(90/*h. viewa.*//60/*v. viewa.*/);
				mfFrBottom = -mfFrTop;
				mfFrLeft   = -mfFrRight;
				glFrustum(mfFrLeft,mfFrRight,mfFrBottom,mfFrTop,10/*nearclip*/,1000/*farclip*/);		
 
				glEnable(GL_LIGHTING); //enable lighting
				glEnable(GL_LIGHT0); //enable light 0
				glLightModeli(GL_LIGHT_MODEL_LOCAL_VIEWER,GL_FALSE); //local viewer shall not matter
				glLightModeli(GL_LIGHT_MODEL_TWO_SIDE,GL_FALSE); 
 
				//setup infinite directional light
				float lightpos[4] = {0.f,0.f,1.f,0.f};
				glLightfv(GL_LIGHT0,GL_POSITION,lightpos);
 
				glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
				glLoadIdentity();
 
				int deg = (GetTickCount()/5) % 360;
 
				glColor3f(1,1,1); //shared color for all vertices
				glNormal3f((float)cos(deg*pi/180.f),0,(float)sin(deg*pi/180.f)); //shared normal for all vertices
				glBegin(GL_QUADS);
					glVertex3f(-20,-20,-100);
					glVertex3f(20,-20,-100);
					glVertex3f(20,20,-100);
					glVertex3f(-20,20,-100);
				glEnd();				
 
				SwapBuffers(WinDC);
			}
			break;
		case WM_DESTROY:
			PostQuitMessage( 0 );
			break;
		default:
			return DefWindowProc( hWnd, message, wParam, lParam );
   }
   return 0;
}