how to convert simple opengl line plotting code to use vertex array

Question

I wrote a simple opengl application in C which plots sin(x). This is my current draw function which runs very slow. How do I have to convert this code to make use of the faster 'vertex array' mode?

list of variables and functions used:

• N = total number of points
• x1 = min(x)
• x2 = max(x)
• y1 = min(y)
• y2 = max(y)
• func(x) = sin(x)

and here's the entire code:

/* to compile, do:

 $ gcc -o out simple.c -lglut

*/

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <GL/glut.h>
#include <time.h>

float xmin = -10, xmax = 10, ymin = -5, ymax = 5;
int nPoints = 3000;

/* function to calculate each data point */
float func(float x)
{
    return sin(x);
}

/* plotting function - very slow */
void draw(float (* func)(float x), float x1, float x2, float y1, float y2, int N)
{
    float x, dx = 1.0/N;

    glPushMatrix(); 

    glScalef(1.0 / (x2 - x1), 1.0 / (y2 - y1), 1.0);
    glTranslatef(-x1, -y1, 0.0);
    glColor3f(1.0, 1.0, 1.0);

    glBegin(GL_LINE_STRIP);

    for(x = x1; x < x2; x += dx)
    {
        glVertex2f(x, func(x));
    }

    glEnd();

    glPopMatrix();
};

/* Redrawing func */
void redraw(void)
{

    clock_t start = clock();
    glClearColor(0, 0, 0, 0);
    glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
    glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
    glLoadIdentity();

    // -x, +x, -y, +y, number points

    draw(func, xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax, nPoints);

    glutSwapBuffers();
    printf("Time elapsed: %f\n", ((double)clock() - start) / CLOCKS_PER_SEC);
};

/* Idle proc. Redisplays, if called. */
void idle(void)
{
    // shift 'xmin' & 'xmax' by one.
    xmin++; 
    xmax++;
    glutPostRedisplay();
};

/* Key press processing */
void key(unsigned char c, int x, int y)
{
    if(c == 27) exit(0);
};

/* Window reashape */
void reshape(int w, int h)
{
    glViewport(0, 0, w, h);
    glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
    glLoadIdentity();
    glOrtho(0, 1, 0, 1, -1, 1);
    glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
};

/* Main function */
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
    glutInit(&argc, argv);
    glutInitDisplayMode(GLUT_RGB | GLUT_DOUBLE);
    glutCreateWindow("Graph plotter");
    glutReshapeWindow(1024, 800);
    glutPostRedisplay(); // This call may or may not be necessary


    /* Register GLUT callbacks. */
    glutDisplayFunc(redraw);
    glutKeyboardFunc(key);
    glutReshapeFunc(reshape);

    glutIdleFunc(idle);

    /* Init the GL state */
    glLineWidth(2.0);

    /* Main loop */
    glutMainLoop();
    return 0;
}

Answer 1

In terms of LodePNG's C-style vector struct/functions:

// shared
vector pts;
vector_init( &pts, sizeof( float ) );

// whenever x1, x2, or N changes
vector_cleanup( &pts );
float x, dx = 1.0/N;
for(x = x1; x < x2; x += dx)
{
    vector_resize( &pts, pts.size + 2 );
    *(float*)vector_get( &pts, pts.size-2 ) = x;
    *(float*)vector_get( &pts, pts.size-1 ) = func(x);
}

// whenever you want to draw
glPushMatrix();

glScalef(1.0 / (x2 - x1), 1.0 / (y2 - y1), 1.0);
glTranslatef(-x1, -y1, 0.0);
glColor3f(1.0, 1.0, 1.0);

glEnableClientState( GL_VERTEX_ARRAY );
glVertexPointer( 2, GL_FLOAT, 0, (float*)pts.data );
glDrawArrays( GL_LINE_STRIP, 0, pts.size / 2 );
glDisableClientState( GL_VERTEX_ARRAY );

glPopMatrix();

EDIT: Complete code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <GL/glut.h>
#include <time.h>

typedef struct vector /*dynamic vector of void* pointers. This one is used only by the deflate compressor*/
{
  void* data;
  size_t size; /*in groups of bytes depending on type*/
  size_t allocsize; /*in bytes*/
  unsigned typesize; /*sizeof the type you store in data*/
} vector;

static unsigned vector_resize(vector* p, size_t size) /*returns 1 if success, 0 if failure ==> nothing done*/
{
  if(size * p->typesize > p->allocsize)
  {
    size_t newsize = size * p->typesize * 2;
    void* data = realloc(p->data, newsize);
    if(data)
    {
      p->allocsize = newsize;
      p->data = data;
      p->size = size;
    }
    else return 0;
  }
  else p->size = size;
  return 1;
}

static void vector_cleanup(void* p)
{
  ((vector*)p)->size = ((vector*)p)->allocsize = 0;
  free(((vector*)p)->data);
  ((vector*)p)->data = NULL;
}

static void vector_init(vector* p, unsigned typesize)
{
  p->data = NULL;
  p->size = p->allocsize = 0;
  p->typesize = typesize;
}

static void* vector_get(vector* p, size_t index)
{
  return &((char*)p->data)[index * p->typesize];
}

float xmin = -10, xmax = 10, ymin = -5, ymax = 5;
int nPoints = 3000;
vector pts;

/* function to calculate each data point */
float func(float x)
{
    return sin(x);
}

void update(float (* func)(float x), float x1, float x2, int N)
{
    float x, dx = 1.0/N;
    vector_cleanup( &pts );
    for(x = x1; x < x2; x += dx)
    {
        vector_resize( &pts, pts.size + 2 );
        *(float*)vector_get( &pts, pts.size-2 ) = x;
        *(float*)vector_get( &pts, pts.size-1 ) = func(x);
    }
}

/* plotting function - very slow */
void draw(float x1, float x2, float y1, float y2)
{
    glPushMatrix(); 

    glScalef(1.0 / (x2 - x1), 1.0 / (y2 - y1), 1.0);
    glTranslatef(-x1, -y1, 0.0);
    glColor3f(1.0, 1.0, 1.0);

    if( pts.size > 0 )
    {
        glEnableClientState( GL_VERTEX_ARRAY );
        glVertexPointer( 2, GL_FLOAT, 0, (float*)pts.data );
        glDrawArrays( GL_LINE_STRIP, 0, pts.size / 2 );
        glDisableClientState( GL_VERTEX_ARRAY );
    }

    glPopMatrix();
};

/* Redrawing func */
void redraw(void)
{
    clock_t start = clock();
    glClearColor(0, 0, 0, 0);
    glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
    glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
    glLoadIdentity();

    // -x, +x, -y, +y, number points
    draw(xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax);

    glutSwapBuffers();
    printf("Time elapsed: %f\n", ((double)clock() - start) / CLOCKS_PER_SEC);
};

/* Idle proc. Redisplays, if called. */
void idle(void)
{
    // shift 'xmin' & 'xmax' by one.
    xmin++; 
    xmax++;

    update(func, xmin, xmax, nPoints);

    glutPostRedisplay();
};

/* Key press processing */
void key(unsigned char c, int x, int y)
{
    if(c == 27) exit(0);
};

/* Window reashape */
void reshape(int w, int h)
{
    glViewport(0, 0, w, h);
    glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
    glLoadIdentity();
    glOrtho(0, 1, 0, 1, -1, 1);
    glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
};

/* Main function */
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
    vector_init( &pts, sizeof( float ) );

    glutInit(&argc, argv);
    glutInitDisplayMode(GLUT_RGB | GLUT_DOUBLE);
    glutCreateWindow("Graph plotter");
    glutReshapeWindow(1024, 800);
    glutPostRedisplay(); // This call may or may not be necessary


    /* Register GLUT callbacks. */
    glutDisplayFunc(redraw);
    glutKeyboardFunc(key);
    glutReshapeFunc(reshape);

    glutIdleFunc(idle);

    /* Init the GL state */
    glLineWidth(2.0);

    /* Main loop */
    glutMainLoop();
    return 0;
}