CHAPTER 1

Geometry Representation and Modeling

Two principal tasks are required to create an image of a three-dimensional scene: modeling and rendering. The modeling task generates a model, which is the description of an object that is going to be used by the graphics system. Models must be created for every object in a scene; they should accurately capture the geometric shape and appearance of the object. Some or all of this task commonly occurs when the application is being developed, by creating and storing model descriptions as part of the application’s data.

The second task, rendering, takes models as input and generates pixel values for the final image. OpenGL is principally concerned with object rendering; it does not provide explicit ...

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