Open GL Super Bible:Curves and Surfaces: What the #%@!&* Are NURBS?















To access the contents, click the chapter and section titles.


Open GL Super Bible


(Publisher: Macmillan Computer Publishing)

Author(s): Waite group Press

ISBN: 1571690735

Publication Date: 08/01/96

 




Previous
Table of Contents
Next




Continuity
If two curves placed side by side share an endpoint (called the breakpoint), they together form a piecewise curve. The continuity of these curves at this breakpoint describes how smooth the transition is between them. The four categories of continuity are none (C0), positional (C1), tangential (C2), and curvature (C3).
As you can see in Figure 17-3, no continuity is when the two curves donłt meet at all. Positional continuity is achieved when the curves at least meet and share a common endpoint. Tangential continuity occurs when the two curves have the same tangent at the breakpoint. Finally, curvature continuity means the two curvesł tangents also have the same rate of change at the breakpoint (thus an even smoother transition).

Figure 17-3  Continuity of piecewise curves
When assembling complex surfaces or curves from many pieces, you will usually strive for C2 or C3 continuity. Youłll see later that some parameters for curve and surface generation can be chosen to produce the desired continuity.

Evaluators
OpenGL contains several functions that make it very easy to draw Bazier curves and surfaces by specifying the control points and the range for the parametric u and v parameters. Then, by calling the appropriate evaluation function (the evaluator), the points that make up the curve or surface are generated. Wełll start with a 2D example of a Bazier curve and then extend this to three dimensions to create a Bazier surface.

A 2D Curve
The best way to get started is with an example, explaining it line by line. Listing 17-1 shows some code from the example program BEZIER in this chapterłs subdirectory on the CD. This program specifies four control points for a Bazier curve and then renders the curve using an evaluator. The output from Listing 17-1 is shown in Figure 17-4.


Figure 17-4  Output from the BEZIER example program
Listing 17-1 Code from BEZIER that draws a Bazier curve with four control points

// The number of control points for this curve
GLint nNumPoints = 4;

GLfloat ctrlPoints[4][3]= {{ -4.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f}, // Endpoint
{ -6.0f, 4.0f, 0.0f}, // Control Point
{ 6.0f, -4.0f, 0.0f}, // Control Point
{ 4.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f }}; // Endpoint



// This function is used to superimpose the control points over the curve
void DrawPoints(void)
{
int i; // Counting variable

// Set point size larger to make more visible
glPointSize(5.0f);

// Loop through all control points for this example
glBegin(GL_POINTS);
for(i = 0; i < nNumPoints; i++)
glVertex2fv(ctrlPoints[i]);
glEnd();
}

// Change viewing volume and viewport. Called when window is resized
void ChangeSize(GLsizei w, GLsizei h)
{
// Prevent a divide by zero
if(h == 0)
h = 1;

// Set Viewport to window dimensions
glViewport(0, 0, w, h);
glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
glLoadIdentity();

gluOrtho2D(-10.0f, 10.0f, -10.0f, 10.0f);

// Modelview matrix reset
glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
glLoadIdentity();
}

// Called to draw scene
void RenderScene(void)
{
int i;

// Clear the window with current clearing color
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);

// Sets up the Bzier
// This actually only needs to be called once and could go in
// the setup function
glMap1f(GL_MAP1_VERTEX_3, // Type of data generated
0.0f, // Lower u range
100.0f, // Upper u range
3, // Distance between points in the
data
nNumPoints, // Number of control points
&ctrlPoints[0][0]); // Array of control points

// Enable the evaluator
glEnable(GL_MAP1_VERTEX_3);

// Use a line strip to "connect the dots"
glBegin(GL_LINE_STRIP);
for(i = 0; i <= 100; i++)
{
// Evaluate the curve at this point
glEvalCoord1f((GLfloat) i);
}
glEnd();

// Draw the Control Points
DrawPoints();

// Flush drawing commands
glFlush();
}

The first thing we do in Listing 17-1 is define the control points for our curve:


// The number of control points for this curve
GLint nNumPoints = 4;

GLfloat ctrlPoints[4][3]= {{ -4.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f}, // Endpoint
{ -6.0f, 4.0f, 0.0f}, // Control Point
{ 6.0f, -4.0f, 0.0f}, // Control Point
{ 4.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f }}; // Endpoint

We defined global variables for the number of control points and the array of control points. To experiment, you can change these by adding more control points, or just modifying the position of these points.

The function DrawPoints() is pretty straightforward. We call this function from our rendering code to display the control points along with the curve. This also is very useful when you are experimenting with control-point placement. Our standard ChangeSize() function establishes a 2D orthographic projection that spans from
10 to +10 in the x and y directions.
Finally, we get to the rendering code. The function RenderScene() first calls glMap1f (after clearing the screen) to create a mapping for our curve:

// Called to draw scene
void RenderScene(void)
{
int i;

// Clear the window with current clearing color
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);

// Sets up the Bzier
// This actually only needs to be called once and could go in
// the setup function
glMap1f(GL_MAP1_VERTEX_3, // Type of data generated
0.0f, // Lower u range
100.0f, // Upper u range
3, // Distance between points in the
data
nNumPoints, // Number of control points
&ctrlPoints[0][0]); // Array of control points







Previous
Table of Contents
Next














 


Use of this site is subject to certain Terms & Conditions, Copyright © 1996-2000 EarthWeb Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of EarthWeb is prohibited. Read EarthWeb's privacy statement.