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glBindBuffer

Name

glBindBuffer — bind a named buffer object

C Specification

void glBindBuffer( GLenum target,
GLuint buffer);

Parameters

target

Specifies the target to which the buffer object is bound, which must be one of the buffer binding targets in the following table:

Buffer Binding Target Purpose
GL_ARRAY_BUFFER Vertex attributes
GL_ATOMIC_COUNTER_BUFFER Atomic counter storage
GL_COPY_READ_BUFFER Buffer copy source
GL_COPY_WRITE_BUFFER Buffer copy destination
GL_DISPATCH_INDIRECT_BUFFER Indirect compute dispatch commands
GL_DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER Indirect command arguments
GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER Vertex array indices
GL_PIXEL_PACK_BUFFER Pixel read target
GL_PIXEL_UNPACK_BUFFER Texture data source
GL_QUERY_BUFFER Query result buffer
GL_SHADER_STORAGE_BUFFER Read-write storage for shaders
GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER Texture data buffer
GL_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK_BUFFER Transform feedback buffer
GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER Uniform block storage
buffer

Specifies the name of a buffer object.

Description

glBindBuffer binds a buffer object to the specified buffer binding point. Calling glBindBuffer with target set to one of the accepted symbolic constants and buffer set to the name of a buffer object binds that buffer object name to the target. If no buffer object with name buffer exists, one is created with that name. When a buffer object is bound to a target, the previous binding for that target is automatically broken.

Buffer object names are unsigned integers. The value zero is reserved, but there is no default buffer object for each buffer object target. Instead, buffer set to zero effectively unbinds any buffer object previously bound, and restores client memory usage for that buffer object target (if supported for that target). Buffer object names and the corresponding buffer object contents are local to the shared object space of the current GL rendering context; two rendering contexts share buffer object names only if they explicitly enable sharing between contexts through the appropriate GL windows interfaces functions.

glGenBuffers must be used to generate a set of unused buffer object names.

The state of a buffer object immediately after it is first bound is an unmapped zero-sized memory buffer with GL_READ_WRITE access and GL_STATIC_DRAW usage.

While a non-zero buffer object name is bound, GL operations on the target to which it is bound affect the bound buffer object, and queries of the target to which it is bound return state from the bound buffer object. While buffer object name zero is bound, as in the initial state, attempts to modify or query state on the target to which it is bound generates an GL_INVALID_OPERATION error.

When a non-zero buffer object is bound to the GL_ARRAY_BUFFER target, the vertex array pointer parameter is interpreted as an offset within the buffer object measured in basic machine units.

When a non-zero buffer object is bound to the GL_DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER target, parameters for draws issued through glDrawArraysIndirect and glDrawElementsIndirect are sourced from the specified offset in that buffer object's data store.

When a non-zero buffer object is bound to the GL_DISPATCH_INDIRECT_BUFFER target, the parameters for compute dispatches issued through glDispatchComputeIndirect are sourced from the specified offset in that buffer object's data store.

While a non-zero buffer object is bound to the GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER target, the indices parameter of glDrawElements, glDrawElementsInstanced, glDrawElementsBaseVertex, glDrawRangeElements, glDrawRangeElementsBaseVertex, glMultiDrawElements, or glMultiDrawElementsBaseVertex is interpreted as an offset within the buffer object measured in basic machine units.

While a non-zero buffer object is bound to the GL_PIXEL_PACK_BUFFER target, the following commands are affected: glGetCompressedTexImage, glGetTexImage, and glReadPixels. The pointer parameter is interpreted as an offset within the buffer object measured in basic machine units.

While a non-zero buffer object is bound to the GL_PIXEL_UNPACK_BUFFER target, the following commands are affected: glCompressedTexImage1D, glCompressedTexImage2D, glCompressedTexImage3D, glCompressedTexSubImage1D, glCompressedTexSubImage2D, glCompressedTexSubImage3D, glTexImage1D, glTexImage2D, glTexImage3D, glTexSubImage1D, glTexSubImage2D, and glTexSubImage3D. The pointer parameter is interpreted as an offset within the buffer object measured in basic machine units.

The buffer targets GL_COPY_READ_BUFFER and GL_COPY_WRITE_BUFFER are provided to allow glCopyBufferSubData to be used without disturbing the state of other bindings. However, glCopyBufferSubData may be used with any pair of buffer binding points.

The GL_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK_BUFFER buffer binding point may be passed to glBindBuffer, but will not directly affect transform feedback state. Instead, the indexed GL_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK_BUFFER bindings must be used through a call to glBindBufferBase or glBindBufferRange. This will affect the generic GL_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK_BUFFER binding.

Likewise, the GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, GL_ATOMIC_COUNTER_BUFFER and GL_SHADER_STORAGE_BUFFER buffer binding points may be used, but do not directly affect uniform buffer, atomic counter buffer or shader storage buffer state, respectively. glBindBufferBase or glBindBufferRange must be used to bind a buffer to an indexed uniform buffer, atomic counter buffer or shader storage buffer binding point.

The GL_QUERY_BUFFER binding point is used to specify a buffer object that is to receive the results of query objects through calls to the glGetQueryObject family of commands.

A buffer object binding created with glBindBuffer remains active until a different buffer object name is bound to the same target, or until the bound buffer object is deleted with glDeleteBuffers.

Once created, a named buffer object may be re-bound to any target as often as needed. However, the GL implementation may make choices about how to optimize the storage of a buffer object based on its initial binding target.

Notes

The GL_COPY_READ_BUFFER, GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER and GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER targets are available only if the GL version is 3.1 or greater.

The GL_ATOMIC_COUNTER_BUFFER target is available only if the GL version is 4.2 or greater.

The GL_DISPATCH_INDIRECT_BUFFER and GL_SHADER_STORAGE_BUFFER targets are available only if the GL version is 4.3 or greater.

The GL_QUERY_BUFFER target is available only if the GL version is 4.4 or greater.

Errors

GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if target is not one of the allowable values.

GL_INVALID_VALUE is generated if buffer is not a name previously returned from a call to glGenBuffers.

Associated Gets

glGet with argument GL_ARRAY_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_ATOMIC_COUNTER_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_COPY_READ_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_COPY_WRITE_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_DISPATCH_INDIRECT_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_PIXEL_PACK_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_PIXEL_UNPACK_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_SHADER_STORAGE_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK_BUFFER_BINDING

glGet with argument GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER_BINDING

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
Render an indexed buffer object using texture UV and normal vertex attributes.
glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, vertex_buffer); // vertex_buffer is retrieved from glGenBuffers
glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, index_buffer); // index_buffer is retrieved from glGenBuffers

glEnableVertexAttribArray(texcoord_attrib_index); // Attribute indexes were received from calls to glGetAttribLocation, or passed into glBindAttribLocation.
glEnableVertexAttribArray(normal_attrib_index);
glEnableVertexAttribArray(position_attrib_index);

// vertex_stride is the size of bytes of each vertex in the buffer object
// vertex_position_offset and kin are the offset in bytes of the position data
// in each vertex. For example if your vertex structure is
// [ position, texcoord, normal ] then position vertex_position_offset will
// have offset 0, vertex_texcoord_offset is 12 (position is 3 * sizeof(float)
// bytes large, and texcoord comes just after) and vertex_normal_offset is
// 20 = 5 * sizeof(float).
GLintptr vertex_texcoord_offset = 3 * sizeof(float);
GLintptr vertex_normal_offset = 5 * sizeof(float);
GLintptr vertex_position_offset = 0 * sizeof(float);

glVertexAttribPointer(texcoord_attrib_index, 2, GL_FLOAT, false, vertex_stride, (GLvoid*)vertex_texcoord_offset);
glVertexAttribPointer(normal_attrib_index, 3, GL_FLOAT, false, vertex_stride, (GLvoid*)vertex_normal_offset);
glVertexAttribPointer(position_attrib_index, 3, GL_FLOAT, false, vertex_stride, (GLvoid*)vertex_position_offset);

// num_vertices is the number of verts in your vertex_data.
// index_data is an array of unsigned int offsets into vertex_data.
glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, num_vertices, GL_UNSIGNED_INT, NULL);

glDisableVertexAttribArray(position_attrib_index);
glDisableVertexAttribArray(texcoord_attrib_index);
glDisableVertexAttribArray(normal_attrib_index);

Version Support

OpenGL Version
Function / Feature Name 2.0 2.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5
glBindBuffer ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
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