Chapter 12. Framebuffer Objects

In this chapter we describe what framebuffer objects are, how applications can create them, and how applications can use them for rendering to an off-screen buffer or rendering to a texture. We start by discussing why we need framebuffer objects. We then introduce framebuffer objects and discuss what they are, new object types they add to OpenGL ES, and how they differ from EGL surfaces that we read about in Chapter 3, “An Introduction to EGL.” We go on to discuss how to create framebuffer objects; how to specify color, depth, and stencil attachments to a framebuffer object; and then provide examples that demonstrate rendering to a framebuffer object. Last but not least, we discuss performance tips and tricks applications that we should be aware of and use to ensure good performance when using framebuffer objects.