Win32, Linux, Assembly, Direct X, and OpenGL Programming

Mechanism 8

GLRender

This program was originally started back in 1997 as my own version of the old DOS program Cthugha. I was fascinated by the "Oscilliscope on Acid" idea, and decided to try visualizing the waveform on a 3D plane. Of course, audio visualizations are nothing new today, with Winamp and Windows Media Player having them built in. But in '97, this was a new style of audio visualization that I had never seen before. The first version was written using 3DFx's Glide API for my old Voodoo card. Ah, memories... Anyway, it is now written with the OpenGL API so it can run any modern 3D card.

Note that this program is NOT a Winamp (or any other software) plugin! It is a stand-alone visualization program, and it records its data directly from the computer's soundcard. This means that if you want to play MP3s and use this program at the same time, you must have a full-duplex soundcard, and you must setup the soundcard's mixer correctly to record from the "Wave" source.

Features:

  • Now released under the GNU GPL!
  • Environment mapped texture mapping (single texture map)
  • Real-time normal vector generation for lighting and env. mapping
  • All code written by me over a period of many years, this project will never be "finished"
  • Full-screen or windowed modes
  • A few different visualization modes and options to choose from
  • True Object-Oriented design written in C++ using MSVC compiler
  • Psychadelic mode ;)

Screenshots

Heartbeat Star Vortex
Heartbeat Star Vortex
Jello
Jello

Click here to download (234kb) with full source code now!

Copyright 2004 by Fredric Echols

Updated: 01-22-2004