Tutorials

Creating OpenGL context

• Include references to System.Windows.Forms and System.Drawing.
• Include a reference to OpenGL4Net.dll (IMPORTANT! 32 or 64 bit version according to your project properties) or add OpenGL4Net.cs to your project.
• Optionally use the "using" statement to shorten the syntax

    :::C#
    using System;
    using System.Windows.Forms;
    using OpenGL4Net;

• It is easier to inherit your class from System.Windows.Forms.Form.
• Add the RenderingContext as a class variable.
• Create the Main function that creates an instance of your form, calls the Init function and starts the application with Application.Run method.

    :::C#
    class Program : Form
    {
        RenderingContext rc;


        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Program program = new Program();
            program.Init();
            Application.Run(program);
        }

• Now create the Init function that creates the rendering context, using the form (this). To avoid flickering in some cases (e.g., changing the size), it is necessary to ignore the WM_ERASEBKGND message. This could be achieved by setting control style AllPaintingInWmPaint to true (or by ignoring WM_ERASEBKGND in WndProc method).

    :::C#
        void Init()
        {
            rc = RenderingContext.CreateContext(this);
            SetStyle (ControlStyles.AllPaintingInWmPaint, true);
        }

• The Render method should clear the screen and swap front and back buffers

    :::C#
        void Render()
        {
            gl.Clear(GL.COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);

            // here is the right place to draw all your scene

            rc.SwapBuffers();
        }

• Finally, override the WndProc method and call Render method on WM_PAINT message

    :::C#
        protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
        {
            switch (m.Msg)
            {
                case Windows.WM_PAINT: Render(); break;
                default: base.WndProc(ref m); break;
            }
        }

    }