OpenGL Programming for Windows 95 and Windows NT

Chapter 8. OpenGL and Animation

	The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen all at once.
	--Buckaroo Banzai

Now we’ve reached the heart of the matter! Probably most people reading this book want to know how to not only program an OpenGL Windows program but also get as much rendering speed as possible out of their programs. You can use the following tips to make sure that you are getting the maximum performance from your program:

• Draw only what you need to.

• Use display lists and connected primitives whenever possible.

• Turn off depth testing when you don’t need it; when rendering a background, for example.

• Use “illuminated” texture-maps instead of real lights, or simply modify the appropriate vertex colors instead of using lighting. ...