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docs.GL

glGenBuffers

Name

glGenBuffers — generate buffer object names

C Specification

void glGenBuffers(GLsizei n,
GLuint * buffers);

Parameters

n

Specifies the number of buffer object names to be generated.

buffers

Specifies an array in which the generated buffer object names are stored.

Description

glGenBuffers returns n buffer object names in buffers. There is no guarantee that the names form a contiguous set of integers; however, it is guaranteed that none of the returned names was in use immediately before the call to glGenBuffers.

Buffer object names returned by a call to glGenBuffers are not returned by subsequent calls, unless they are first deleted with glDeleteBuffers.

No buffer objects are associated with the returned buffer object names until they are first bound by calling glBindBuffer.

Notes

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

Errors

GL_INVALID_VALUE is generated if n is negative.

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

Associated Gets

glIsBuffer

Examples

Load a vertex buffer into OpenGL for later rendering.
// 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
Load an index buffer into OpenGL for later rendering.
// 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

See Also

glBindBuffer, glDeleteBuffers, glGet

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