Hello,

I wish to learn basic 2d graphics programming in C under linux. I am an absolute dumb-a** in this regard and I have searched through google but didn't find anything that could help me.

Basically, I am looking for some guide that will tell me what library, what header file, what method calls, etc, I have to make in order to be able to make simple 2D graphics.

Like I already said, I am an absolute dumb-a** in this regard so I need complete spoon feeding. I need to know the basics, the header files that I should use in C, etc.

Later, once I know 2D, I would like to learn some advance stuff. I don't understand where to begin. Everywhere I just see references to OpenGL, but I wish to begin with absolute basics of 2D and then slowly crawl my way up the ranks.


Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

P.S. It's amazing how even after a 1000 posts, it seems best to say 'Any help would be appreciated' after requesting for help. Funny how no one has ever come up with anything else, dicounting TIA and all variants

SDL would be a great place to start. there are some good tutorials out there and there are also several SDL programmers here..

1) Try libplot from `GNU plotutils' package. This library is very simple and powerful enough, well documented. In that package you'll find very useful (in my opinion) utils like `graph', `ode', `spline', ...
http://www.gnu.org/software/plotutils/

2) Your program may produce PostScript-output which you can interpret with, say, `gs'.

3) svgalib - a low level graphics library for linux. Unlike previous with this one you can not plot anything in X-window, i.e. output appear in segregate console.

Good luck!

Another easy to use graphics lib is GD. Having said that, there are quite a few different types of graphics, and this is suitable for a small subset. Are you trying to generate charts & graphs, 'art', animation, print-quality... ? The type of graphic you want should be considered as part of your choice of library. You could, for instance, simply write C code that generates pure postscript, which would be rendered by some other device or program.

If you haven't already though about these issues, you should, and then ask more here after telling us some more of your plans.

--- rod.

What I want to do is the absolute basic stuff -- making dots and lines. filling color into boxes. The absolute beginner stuff. I wish to know how to get started. See, you guys have already suggested some things.

I *don't* wish to plot graphs or anything. I don't have to submit a project. All I want is to learn graphics programming using C under linux. Ubuntu specifically. Although, the distribution is not a concern.

A few years ago, I had done graphics in C using turbo C++ on winodws for a school project. I have done nothing in graphics since, and never anything on linux. So, I am an absolute illitrate.

Like I said above, I need a "from scratch" kind-of a guide.

what type of graphics programming. ? give an example of what you want to eventually be able to do. you mentioned about working up to opengl. are you thinking about game or simulation programming in the end or what.

ok, so I have got sdl installed, and I've been able to download some of them demos from the site and see how they work. Cool! It'd be nice if there are some noobie guides (no assumptions made by the author) for working with SDL now.

xhi: not games, really, but I was thinking more towards screen savers if you will.

Is there any manual available apart from http://www.libsdl.org/cgi/docwiki.cgi/

well here is the site with the tutorials i started out with..

http://cone3d.gamedev.net/cgi-bin/index.pl

xhi: thanks. I joined the gamedev forums last night and searched there for SDL. Found the cone3d sdl link there as well as http://lazyfooproductions.com/SDL_tutorials/index.php

thanks all.

ah yes, lazyfoo is actually a member here.. ill have to bookmark his site so i dont forget it next time..

good luck!

thanks again, xhi.