OpenGL ES 2.0 is the industry’s leading software interface and graphics library for rendering sophisticated 3D graphics on handheld and embedded devices. With OpenGL ES 2.0, the full programmability of shaders is now available on small and portable devices—including cell phones, PDAs, consoles, appliances, and vehicles. However, OpenGL ES differs significantly from OpenGL. Graphics programmers and mobile developers have had very little information about it—until now.

In the OpenGL® ES 2.0 Programming Guide, three leading authorities on the Open GL ES 2.0 interface—including the specification’s editor—provide start-to-finish guidance for maximizing the interface’s value in a wide range of high-performance applications. The authors cover the entire API, including Khronos-ratified extensions. Using detailed C-based code examples, they demonstrate how to set up and program every aspect of the graphics pipeline. You’ll move from introductory techniques all the way to advanced per-pixel lighting, particle systems, and performance optimization. 

Coverage includes:

• Shaders in depth: creating shader objects, compiling shaders, checking for compile errors, attaching shader objects to program objects, and linking final program objects

• The OpenGL ES Shading Language: variables, types, constructors, structures, arrays, attributes, uniforms, varyings, precision qualifiers, and invariance

• Inputting geometry into the graphics pipeline, and assembling geometry into primitives

• Vertex shaders, their special variables, and their use in per-vertex lighting, skinning, and other applications

• Using fragment shaders—including examples of multitexturing, fog, alpha test, and user clip planes

• Fragment operations: scissor test, stencil test, depth test, multisampling, blending, and dithering

• Advanced rendering: per-pixel lighting with normal maps, environment mapping, particle systems, image post-processing, and projective texturing

• Real-world programming challenges: platform diversity, C++ portability, OpenKODE, and platform-specific shader binaries

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 11 Ratings

Not for Beginners - 2010-04-24
Reviewer Rating:
It's a good introduction to OpenGL ES 2.0, but assumes the reader already has experience with desktop OpenGL or a with similar 3D graphics API. Don't buy this book if you don't already have such experience, or you will be completely lost.

You better know OpenGL first - 2010-05-23
Reviewer Rating:
This is a very low level and rigorous ( ie tedious ) intro to ES 2.0. Be prepared to wade through chapters and chapters before getting much on the screen. In all fairness that has much to do with the nature of ES 2, but the author doesn't make this any easier. The book does provide a thorough and accurate explanation of of ES 2 and if you can get through it you should be set for starting the journey of actually getting something on the screen. It's a hard road and you had best already know quite a bit about 3D graphics in general and the fixed function pipeline in particular before getting this book.

Update I've started to read
iPhone 3D Programming: Developing Graphical Applications with OpenGL ES

It's a much better intro to OpenGL ES.

Excellent book for starting - 2010-08-08
Reviewer Rating:
This book is well written. It is an easy read with lots of information. It has enough details; it does not keep you guessing nor does it bore you with useless or repeated information. The examples are complete and well written. It explains the basics with clarity and brevity. I hope all technical books are written this way.

It is a must for OpenGL ES 2.0!!!!

Not suitable for game development - 2010-05-18
Reviewer Rating:
I'm disappointed by this book authors' Rigorous approach, which takes forever and leads nowhere interesting.

Please notice that this book does not contain a single word on skinning and skeleton animations. Skinning is mentioned only in the (useless) color figure pages, but do not appear anywhere in the book.
Extensions are covered, but the single most important aspect in iPhone open gl game programming (for which this book is prominently advertised), that is SKELETON BASED ANIMATION, does not deserve a word.
Nor is this part in any way covered on the book online site. As this book comes from the Kronos group, from which such extensions originate, I think we were entitled to a lot more information than what is given here. This bearing in mind that this is not a particularly economic book either.

Please notice that this book does not cover Open GL 1.0 (at all), being this a 2.0 edition, however, this is not important, However please be warned that reading this book is not sufficient in order to get started on 3d programming on the iPhone or other similar platforms, unless you are considering writing a pin ball machine app. This is probably the apex of what you can achieve with the information provided here, and rendering of rigid bodies.

This book is useful only in order to have a general idea on the basic workings of Open GL 2.0, but does so at an advanced level, meaning it is way too difficult for a beginner. This would not have been a show stopper, because the beginner can learn, however in the end this book fails to deliver, because it does not cover the really interesting parts, which are probably the reason why you are considering it in the first place.

On the other side, I've yet to find a good enough treatment of open gl ES in any textbook, but this book is not even a right starting point.

High hopes disappointed - 2010-05-06
Reviewer Rating:
This book started out well, but after using it I have found it to be horrible. The code samples are littered with typos, and their code logic doesn't work often. One example is the VBO section. The section showing how to use a separate buffer for each attribute is completely wrong. You have to use glAttributePointer() while the corresponding buffer is bound. They don't do this, and it won't work. On that same page they mixed up a "{" with a "(" within the code. Did this book have editors?

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