OpenGL Programming for Windows 95 and Windows NT

Chapter 10. Textures

	If I had two loaves of bread, I would sell one and buy hyacinths, for they would feed my soul.
	--The Koran

Textures are to 3D graphics what scenery is to the theater, that is, a way of making something appear rich and complex even though it’s not. This is a good thing. Anything that gives us depth at little cost is to be strived for in 3D graphics. Texture mapping is a result of attempts to make 3D objects more interesting and realistic, and its popularity easily demonstrates how successful it’s been.

This chapter covers applying a texture to a surface—from converting a Windows bitmap to OpenGL’s format to automatically creating multiple levels of detailed images to speed up rendering. By the way, if you’re using color-index ...