OpenGL Learning with Silk.NET

Welcome to your OpenGL learning journey! This repository contains a complete beginner-to-advanced course for learning OpenGL graphics programming in C#/.NET using Silk.NET.

🚀 Quick Start

Run Your First OpenGL Application

cd src/Phase1_Foundation/1.1_EmptyWindow
dotnet run

You should see a window open with a dark blue background. Congratulations - you've just run your first OpenGL program!

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📁 Project Structure

OpenGLLearning/
├── OpenGLLearning.sln          # Visual Studio solution
├── README.md                   # This file
├── PROJECT_STATUS.md           # Current progress tracker
├── .gitignore                  # Git ignore rules
└── src/
    └── Phase1_Foundation/
        ├── README.md           # Phase 1 guide and tutorials
        └── 1.1_EmptyWindow/    # Your first OpenGL project

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🎯 Learning Path

This course is divided into 6 phases, taking you from complete beginner to confident OpenGL developer.

Phase 1: Foundation Setup (Week 1 - 3-5 hours) ✅ COMPLETE!

• ✅ 1.1: Empty window that opens and closes
• ✅ 1.2: Window with changing background colors
• ✅ 1.3: Responding to keyboard/mouse input

Phase 2: Your First Triangle (Week 1-2 - 8-12 hours) ✅ COMPLETE!

• ✅ 2.1: Colored Triangle - VBO, VAO, Shaders, Pipeline
• ✅ 2.2: Multi-Color Triangle - Gradients & GPU Interpolation
• ✅ 2.3: Rotating Triangle - Matrices & Transformations
• ✅ 2.4: Multiple Shapes - Index Buffers (EBO)

Phase 3: 2D Graphics Mastery (Week 3-5 - 15-20 hours) 🟡 IN PROGRESS

• ✅ 3.1: Textured Quad - Load and display images (with aspect-preserving variant 3.1b)
• ✅ 3.2: Sprite Animation - Sprite sheets with auto-calculated UVs
• ✅ 3.2b: Sprite Animation 2x4 - 2 rows × 4 columns with spacing/padding support
• ✅ 3.2c: Multi-Sheet Animation - Enhanced controls with continuous key holding
• ✅ 3.3: Moving Sprites - Player + enemies with physics, collision, AI
• ⏳ 3.4: Simple 2D Game - Pong or Breakout!
• ⏳ 3.5: Particle System - Effects

Phase 4: Introduction to 3D (Week 6-8 - 20-25 hours) ⚪

• 3D coordinate systems
• Camera system
• Lighting (Phong model)
• Loading 3D models

Phase 5: Advanced Topics (Week 9-10 - 15-20 hours) ⚪

• Shadow mapping
• Normal mapping
• Post-processing effects
• Skybox

Phase 6: Final Showcase Project (Week 11-12 - 15-25 hours) ⚪

• Build a complete 3D application
• Combine all learned concepts
• Create something impressive!

Total Time: 8-12 weeks (at 1-2 hours daily)

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📚 Documentation

• PROJECT_STATUS.md - See current progress and next steps
• src/Phase1_Foundation/README.md - Detailed Phase 1 guide
• [Learning Plan] - Full roadmap with all projects and concepts (see plan file)

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🛠️ Technologies Used

• .NET 9.0 - Modern C# development
• Silk.NET 2.22.0 - OpenGL bindings for .NET
  • Silk.NET.OpenGL - OpenGL API
  • Silk.NET.Windowing - Window creation
  • Silk.NET.Maths - Graphics math
  • Silk.NET.GLFW - Cross-platform windowing

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💻 Requirements

• .NET 9.0 SDK or later
• Windows, macOS, or Linux
• Graphics card with OpenGL 3.3+ support
• Any code editor (Visual Studio, VS Code, Rider, etc.)

Check Your Setup

# Check .NET version
dotnet --version

# Should show 9.0.x or later

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🎓 Learning Tips

1. Type, Don't Copy: Type out the code yourself to build muscle memory
2. Read the Comments: Every project has extensive inline documentation
3. Experiment: Change values, break things, and fix them
4. Take Breaks: Learning graphics programming can be intense
5. Ask Questions: If stuck, review the README files and comments
6. Track Progress: Check off completed projects in PROJECT_STATUS.md

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🎨 What You'll Build

By the end of this course, you'll have built:

• 24 progressively complex projects
• Your own 2D game (Pong or Breakout clone)
• 3D scenes with lighting and shadows
• A model viewer
• A final showcase project of your choice:
  • 3D Scene Explorer, or
  • Simple 3D Game, or
  • Graphics Tech Demo

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📖 Resources

Official Documentation

• Silk.NET Docs
• OpenGL Reference

Tutorials (concepts translate from C++ to C#)

• Learn OpenGL - Excellent OpenGL tutorial
• OpenGL Tutorial

Tools

• Shader Toy - GLSL shader playground
• GLSL Sandbox - Another shader editor

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🏁 Getting Started

1. Verify the build:

   dotnet build OpenGLLearning.sln

2. Run the first project:

   cd src/Phase1_Foundation/1.1_EmptyWindow
   dotnet run

3. Read the code: Open src/Phase1_Foundation/1.1_EmptyWindow/Program.cs and read through all the comments.

4. Experiment: Try the experiments listed in src/Phase1_Foundation/README.md

5. Move forward: Once comfortable, we'll build Project 1.2!

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📊 Progress Tracking

See PROJECT_STATUS.md for:

• Current phase and project
• Completed projects checklist
• Next steps
• Overall progress percentage

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🤝 Support

If you get stuck:

1. Check the README in the current phase folder
2. Read the inline code comments
3. Review the PROJECT_STATUS.md for common issues
4. Make sure your graphics drivers are up to date

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🎉 You're Ready!

You have everything you need to start learning OpenGL. The first project is already complete and ready to run.

Your first step: Run the 1.1_EmptyWindow project and see your first OpenGL window!

cd src/Phase1_Foundation/1.1_EmptyWindow
dotnet run

Happy coding! 🚀✨

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Current Status: Phase 3 IN PROGRESS — 3.1, 3.2, 3.2b, 3.2c, 3.3 complete ✅
Run examples (PowerShell):

# Phase 3 Projects
dotnet run --project src/Phase3_2D/3.1_TexturedQuad/3.1_TexturedQuad.csproj
dotnet run --project src/Phase3_2D/3.1b_TexturedQuad_PreserveAspect/3.1b_TexturedQuad_PreserveAspect.csproj
dotnet run --project src/Phase3_2D/3.2_SpriteAnimation/3.2_SpriteAnimation.csproj
dotnet run --project src/Phase3_2D/3.2b_SpriteAnimation_2x4/3.2b_SpriteAnimation_2x4.csproj
dotnet run --project src/Phase3_2D/3.2c_SpriteAnimation_MultiSheet/3.2c_SpriteAnimation_MultiSheet.csproj
dotnet run --project src/Phase3_2D/3.3_MovingSprites/3.3_MovingSprites.csproj

Note: PowerShell doesn't support '&&'. Run commands separately or use dotnet run --project as shown.