Parameters

Description

glBufferData creates a new data store for the buffer object currently bound to target. Any pre-existing data store is deleted. The new data store is created with the specified size in bytes and usage. If data is not NULL, the data store is initialized with data from this pointer. In its initial state, the new data store is not mapped, it has a NULL mapped pointer, and its mapped access is GL_READ_WRITE.

usage is a hint to the GL implementation as to how a buffer object's data store will be accessed. This enables the GL implementation to make more intelligent decisions that may significantly impact buffer object performance. It does not, however, constrain the actual usage of the data store. usage can be broken down into two parts: first, the frequency of access (modification and usage), and second, the nature of that access. The frequency of access may be one of these:

The nature of access may be one of these:

Notes

glBufferData is available only if the GL version is 1.5 or greater.

Targets GL_PIXEL_PACK_BUFFER and GL_PIXEL_UNPACK_BUFFER are available only if the GL version is 2.1 or greater.

If data is NULL, a data store of the specified size is still created, but its contents remain uninitialized and thus undefined.

Clients must align data elements consistent with the requirements of the client platform, with an additional base-level requirement that an offset within a buffer to a datum comprising $\mathit{N}$ bytes be a multiple of $\mathit{N}$.

Errors

GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if target is not GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, GL_PIXEL_PACK_BUFFER, or GL_PIXEL_UNPACK_BUFFER.

GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if usage is not GL_STREAM_DRAW, GL_STREAM_READ, GL_STREAM_COPY, GL_STATIC_DRAW, GL_STATIC_READ, GL_STATIC_COPY, GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW, GL_DYNAMIC_READ, or GL_DYNAMIC_COPY.

GL_INVALID_VALUE is generated if size is negative.

GL_INVALID_OPERATION is generated if the reserved buffer object name 0 is bound to target.

GL_OUT_OF_MEMORY is generated if the GL is unable to create a data store with the specified size.

GL_INVALID_OPERATION is generated if glBufferData is executed between the execution of glBegin and the corresponding execution of glEnd.

Associated Gets

glGetBufferSubData

glGetBufferParameteriv with argument GL_BUFFER_SIZE or GL_BUFFER_USAGE

Examples

// data_size_in_bytes is the size in bytes of your vertex data.
// data_vertices is your actual vertex data, probably a huge array of floats

GLuint vertex_buffer; // Save this for later rendering
glGenBuffers(1, &vertex_buffer);
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, vertex_buffer);
glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, data_size_in_bytes, 0, GL_STATIC_DRAW);
glBufferSubData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, 0, data_size_in_bytes, data_vertices);

GLint size = 0;
glGetBufferParameteriv(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, GL_BUFFER_SIZE, &size);
if(data_size_in_bytes != size)
{
    glDeleteBuffers(1, &vertex_buffer);
    // Log the error
    return;
}

// Success

// data_size_in_bytes is the size in bytes of your vertex data.
// data_indices is an array of integer offsets into your vertex data.

GLuint index_buffer; // Save this for later rendering
glGenBuffers(1, &index_buffer);
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, index_buffer);
glBufferData(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, data_size_in_bytes, 0, GL_STATIC_DRAW);
glBufferSubData(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, 0, data_size_in_bytes, data_indices);

GLint size = 0;
glGetBufferParameteriv(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, GL_BUFFER_SIZE, &size);
if(data_size_in_bytes != size)
{
    glDeleteBuffers(1, &index_buffer);
    // Log the error
    return;
}

// Success

Tutorials

Songho - OpenGL Pixel Buffer Object (PBO)
Songho - OpenGL Vertex Buffer Object (VBO)
open.gl - The Graphics Pipeline

See Also

glBindBuffer, glBufferSubData, glMapBuffer, glUnmapBuffer