This book is about graphics programming based on OPENGL. The program ming language is C++. The programs will run under various operating systems, among them WINDOWS 9x, ALPHA-STATIONS (Digital workstations) and SILI CON GRAPHICS workstations. Hardware is used if accessible. The book provides a graphics library. This library is based on OPENGL and expands the elemen tary routines. Thus, the reader is enabled to realize direct geometrical thinking without having to care much about implementation. The enclosed modules provide the reader with solutions for: • The most common intersection problems and measuring tasks of both pla nar and spatial geometry. • The creation ofarbitrary geometric objects, e.g., by means ofdifferent kinds of "sweeping." • The creation of the most general solids by means of Boolean operations (intersection, union, and complements of solid polyhedra). The book presents: • A well documented, versatile, and robust geometry library. The reader can use it very easily and expand it in any way he/she likes. vi Preface • A programming course that provides a deeper insight into object-oriented thinking and programming.It contains an introduction to C++ (for begin ners and intermediate programmers) that is influenced by the experience gained from thousands of programming hours (which may even be useful to experienced programmers).
