Lighting

API (Application Programming Interface):

An API is an interface that uses source code that a computer application will use to help with requests for services given by a computer program. Its basically a gateway between two programs that will use code to do different functions on one of the programs.

Examples of an API:

• Google search API
• Java API
• GoogleMaps API
• WebMail API

Lighting Offered By OpenGL:

There are three different lighting used in OpenGL, these are Vertex lighting, Polygon lighting and pixel lighting.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Vertex Lighting:

The advantage of using vertex lighting is that the hardware can normally help speed up the process using hardware transform and lighting  (T & L)

The disadvantage of using vertex lighting is that it does not support shadowing, e.g. when a actor has lighting on his body in areas where you normally get shadow, you dont.

Transform and Lighting:

Transform is the process when abit of world space is transformed into a 2d screen view.

Lighting is added after the transform has happened and is added to all the objects in view.

 Shaders:

Shaders are the algorthm that shows how lighting is used and how lighting responds to lighting on an object.

Light Maps:

A light map is premade static light used in games/programs.Light maps are still used today in games because they are a very cheap way to show some lighting.

Tron 2.0