Atlanta, GA – February 1, 2007 – Visualize Yourself at OpenGL
Bootcamp, April 30 – May 4, 2007
The Big Nerd Ranch, Inc. announced today the return of Rocco
Bowling’s OpenGL Bootcamp for April 30 – May 4, 2007. This unique and
innovative five-day course offers a new twist on the standard OpenGL
training class, by focusing on advanced level visualization
techniques and elevating the materials beyond simply video game
development instruction. OpenGL has become the standard-bearer in the
visualization of 2D and 3D images in a spectrum of fields, from the
military and government agencies, to medical research and
pharmaceuticals, in addition to video gaming. Through the vision and
dedication of the OpenGL community and the OpenGL ARB, OpenGL excels
in cross-platform portability and scalability, adaptable to a variety
of hardware environments from individual workstations to
supercomputers.
OpenGL Bootcamp provides the level of in-depth training needed to
take full advantage of hardware acceleration, shaders and blending,
integrating video and optimization methods for static and dynamic
data. The class is segmented into 20-25 sections where brief lectures
are augmented by anywhere from 30-90 minutes of hands-on exercises,
allowing students to immediately put their newfound knowledge into
practical use. Key topics include:
* Overview of OpenGL architecture and using GLUT, NSOpenGL and other
APIs to add OpenGL to Mac OS X applications
* Frame-based versus time-based animation
* Viewing, modeling and projection transformations
* Hidden surface removal, load, display and animate textures and display video
* Colors, lighting and blending
* Techniques to develop user interaction
* Vertex and fragment programs and vertex and fragment shaders
In a recent review of the class and Rocco Bowling’s energetic and
informative instruction, Mark Dalrymple (co-author of Core Mac OS X
and Unix Programming) wrote, “A huge amount of OpenGL API is covered.
Along the way we met most everything in between, such as textures,
colors, materials, normals, loading model files, optimization of
static and dynamic data, mouse clicking on objects, fonts and text,
and on and on. One of the big strengths of a course like this, being
with an expert, is learning what you don’t need to know. There’s a
lot of stuff in the Red Book that’s there for historical reasons, but
are not terribly relevant for modern OpenGL programming.”
Students attending the class receive a copy of “OpenGL Programming
Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL,” Version 2 (commonly
referred to as the Red Book) as the primary text for the class. No
previous experience in OpenGL is required for the class, but students
should be knowledgeable in a procedural programming language like C
and have a basic understanding of trigonometry and vector mathematics.
Rocco Bowling has been developing OpenGL software since the Classic
Mac OS era. His OpenGL applications have received numerous awards and
accolades, including two Apple Design Awards for Best Mac OS X
Product and Best Mac OS X Technology Adoption. He has partnered with
game publishing powerhouse Freeverse Software to release two
commercial entertainment titles and is a regular participant in the
annual uDevGame Mac Game Programming contest. Rocco has spent the
past few years performing advanced OpenGL visualization research for
the National Security Agency. From networks to news, Rocco has
applied his ingenuity and programming prowess to solving some of the
world’s most unique visualization problems.
The Big Nerd Ranch incorporates intensive training classes for Unix
and Mac OS X programmers in a retreat setting outside Atlanta, GA.
Class price of $3500 includes lodging, all meals, original
instruction materials, 24-hour lab access, and ground transportation
to and from the Atlanta airport. Students are encouraged to bring
independent projects to class, allowing for input from classmates and
individual instructor attention. For more information, call
678-595-6773 or visit www.bignerdranch.com.