libsphere(3L)

NAME
     libsphere - the Sphere Library

SYNOPSIS
     #include <gl/sphere.h>

          int sphdraw(params)
          float params[4];

          int sphgnpolys(void)

          void sphfree(void)

          int sphmode(attribute, value)
          int attribute, value;

          void sphobj(objid)
          Object objid;

          void sphrotmatrix(mat)
          Matrix mat;

          void sphbgnbitmap(void)

          void sphendbitmap(void)

          void sphcolor(clr)
          float clr[4];

DESCRIPTION
     The Sphere Library renders spheres by issuing GL calls.  sphdraw draws a
     sphere.  sphmode sets various attributes that affect the speed and
     quality of spheres rendered by sphdraw. sphrotmatrix allows you to
     control the orientation of spheres by providing a rotation matrix.
     sphgnpolys returns the number of polygons per sphere, in the mode
     currently selected by sphmode.  sphobj  operates like sphdraw, except
     that, instead of immediately rendering a sphere, it creates and returns a
     GL object, which can be rendered using callobj.  The routines
     sphbgnbitmap and sphendbitmap are for drawing collections of spheres
     using a special bitmap image of a phong-shaded sphere.  The diffuse color
     of the bitmap spheres are set with the routine sphcolor.

USAGE
     To link a program with libsphere, specify -lsphere on the compile line.
     When linking a program with libsphere, you must also specify the Graphics
     Library, -lgl_s, and the Math Library, -lm.

CAVEAT
     In the current implementation, the Sphere Library maintains an internal
     cache of GL objects, one for each combination of sphere attributes for
     which sphdraw or sphobj has been called.  The first call to sphdraw, or
     sphobj, with a combination of attributes that has not yet been rendered
     will result in the creation of a new GL object and, thus, will take
     longer than subsequent calls with the same combination of sphere
     attributes.

     If your program uses the Sphere Library and also manipulates its own GL
     objects, you must be careful that your allocation of object identifiers
     does not conflict with the Sphere Library's allocation of object
     identifiers for its internal cache.  The Sphere Library calls genobj for
     its object identifier allocation.  If your program allocates object
     identifiers for its own use, you should either use genobj to allocate
     object identifiers or use isobj to verify that any object identifiers
     your program generates are not already being used by the Sphere Library.
     See makeobj(3g) and genobj(3g) for further discussion of object
     identifiers.

     If you need to free the virtual memory used by the Sphere Library's
     internal cache, you can call sphfree to free all its GL objects and their
     associated memory.

SEE ALSO
     sphdraw, sphgnpolys, sphfree, sphmode, sphobj, sphrotmatrix,
     sphbgnbitmap, , sphendbitmap, sphcolor