10 Best Opengl Courses and Certifications Online

OpenGL is a widely used open-source graphics library that provides a powerful set of tools for developing high-performance 2D and 3D graphics applications. As businesses continue to adopt digital platforms and virtual experiences, there is an increasing demand for professionals with expertise in OpenGL programming. To keep up with this demand, a number of online courses have emerged to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to develop effective OpenGL-based solutions. This article explores some of the best options available for those who want to learn OpenGL online.

Here’s a look at the Best Opengl Courses and Certifications Online and what they have to offer for you!

10 Best Opengl Courses and Certifications Online

1. Modern OpenGL C++ 3D Game Tutorial Series & 3D Rendering by Frahaan Hussain (Udemy) (Our Best Pick)

The Modern OpenGL C++ 3D Game Tutorial Series & 3D Rendering Course, instructed by Frahaan Hussain, aims to teach students modern OpenGL, which is used in most new games, game engines, and 3D rendering applications. The course covers fundamental concepts, including setting up on Windows and Mac using GLFW, SDL, and SFML, 2D and 3D drawing, texturing, lighting, shaders/GLSL, model loading, cube mapping, C++ programming, and C++ game development. Students will also receive the full source code to use in as many projects as they wish.

OpenGL is a popular graphics library worldwide, with most mobile games using it, among other applications. Students have lifetime access to the course’s high-definition quality videos, and all videos are downloadable. Additionally, students receive downloadable starter code and final code for each section, free helpful support in the course Q&A, and multiple coding challenges to practice their new skills.

The course is divided into six sections: Introduction, Setup, Getting Started, Lighting, Model Loading, and Advanced. Students can also access extra OpenGL resource links, learn to port OpenGL to mobile platforms using OpenGL ES, port OpenGL to the web using WebGL, and explore beyond OpenGL with Vulkan.

In conclusion, the Modern OpenGL C++ 3D Game Tutorial Series & 3D Rendering Course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of modern OpenGL and its applications. If students have any questions or get stuck, they can receive free support in the course Q&A. To join this adventure, students can click the “Take this course” button and receive a discounted course as a bonus lecture.

2. Computer Graphics with Modern OpenGL and C++ by Ben Cook (Udemy)

The Computer Graphics with Modern OpenGL and C++ course is designed to teach students the theory and code behind modern OpenGL graphical applications, enabling them to create games, simulations, and more. Unlike other OpenGL courses, this course emphasizes the importance of understanding the theory behind graphical development to form one’s own graphical style.

The course requires no prior knowledge of graphical theory but does require some C++ experience and an understanding of trigonometry. It covers modern OpenGL and graphics techniques, providing constant support and advanced topics like Shadow Mapping for multiple Point Lights, a rarity among other OpenGL courses.

The course is divided into five sections: Introduction, Beginner, The Camera, Intermediate, and Advanced. The content will teach students how and why to create their own systems derived from graphical development’s foundational principles, pushing them further ahead of their competitors.

The course concludes with an ending and the future of the course. The course instructor, Ben Cook, intends to help learners understand both the theory and practice of graphical development, providing a unique learning experience.

3. OpenGL Basics Guide 2022 by Learn Tech Plus (Udemy)

The OpenGL Basics Guide 2022 course, offered by Learn Tech Plus, aims to provide comprehensive knowledge on OpenGL basics. The course instructor, Josh Werner, guides students through the fundamentals of OpenGL from scratch. The course is suitable for both beginners and students who require a refresher course.

The course is divided into five sections. Section 01, Introduction, gives an overview of the course and its contents. Section 02, Download, covers the download of OpenGL on different operating systems – Windows, Linux, and MacOS. Section 03, Getting Started, includes topics such as initialization, OpenGL context creation, and tutorials on how to use OpenGL. This section also provides information on development tools and external links, and covers the OpenGL Shading Language.

Section 04, Objects, covers different aspects of OpenGL objects such as buffer objects, textures, sampler objects, and cubemap textures. This section also covers buffer textures and framebuffer objects. Each topic is described in detail, providing students with a thorough understanding of OpenGL objects. Lastly, Section 05, Conclusion, provides a summary of the course.

Enrolling in the course does not require any prerequisites; however, students are expected to come with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Interested students can browse through the course description and preview videos for more information.

4. The Complete Modern OpenGL and GLSL Shaders Course for 2021 by Experiential Learning (Udemy)

The “Complete Modern OpenGL and GLSL Shaders Course for 2021” is a course taught by a University instructor who has over 5 years of experience teaching OpenGL, game design and C++. The course aims to teach both the theory and practical aspects of OpenGL, which is a 3D graphics rendering API used in video games, scientific simulations and virtual reality. The lack of quality courses that cover both theory and practice led him to share his knowledge with the world.

The course covers the fundamentals of OpenGL and GLSL shaders, making it perfect for beginners. By the end of the course, students should be able to code their own textures, set up lighting for a 3D scene, and move objects in a 3D environment. The course also covers the theory behind shaders, which are programs that run on the graphics card and are used to perform complex rendering tasks. The course uses different components like SDL, GLM & VAO and works with extensions in OpenGL to allow modern OpenGL to be used.

Projections are an important part of OpenGL, and the course covers different projections, namely 2D and 3D, to give students the ability to start moving about in a 3D environment. The course also covers different transformations and views, including a tutorial on GLM and how to link the library to your project.

The course is structured into six sections, which are “Course Introduction,” “Getting started with Modern OpenGL,” “Vertex, Objects & Buffers,” “Matrices & Textures,” “Texture,” and “Ending and future work.” The course provides a solid foundation of OpenGL that goes beyond simply copy-pasting codes without explanation. Students who take the course should be able to develop a good grasp of the internals of OpenGL and be able to create their own 3D graphics applications.

5. Practical OpenGL and GLSL shaders fundamentals with C++ by Serhii K (Udemy)

The Practical OpenGL and GLSL shaders fundamentals with C++ course offers a comprehensive program designed to provide practical skills and visual intuition for programming computer graphics using OpenGL, GLSL, and C++. The course is structured to start from fundamentals and covers advanced topics such as shaders, matrices, transformations, GLSL language, raster effects, texturing, and shading. The program is easy to master and includes code samples, live coding sessions, and beautiful illustrations and visualizations to help students develop the proper mental models, patterns, and coding skills necessary to grasp the underlying concepts and internal elegance of OpenGL machinery and 3D math.

The course is raw concentrated squeeze of OpenGL and GLSL knowledge without long talks that may cause students to doze off. It provides a practical, visually illustrated learning experience and full access to the source code. The course is structured to help students develop the proper mental models, patterns, and coding skills necessary to grasp the underlying concepts and internal elegance of OpenGL machinery and 3D math. The course covers all important topics of modern OpenGL, such as geometry, buffers, VBOs, VAOs, transformations, matrices, matrix hierarchy, procedural art, and GLSL shaders-generated images.

The course is structured in sections that cover OpenGL basics, rendering and geometry, shaders and GLSL, textures, and 3D rendering. The program is created to help students develop the visual intuition about 3D programming models and build the necessary coding skills to understand the underlying concepts and internal elegance of OpenGL machinery. The course includes live coding sessions and code samples that make it easy to master the concepts presented. The program is accessible to all students regardless of their level of experience in the field of computer graphics.

6. Learn Modern OpenGL Programming by Game Institute Inc., Steve Jones (Udemy)

This course titled “Learn Modern OpenGL Programming” is taught by Game Institute Inc. and Steve Jones. The course aims to teach modern OpenGL programming, which uses a programmable rendering pipeline instead of the fixed function pipeline seen in outdated versions of OpenGL API. The course begins by getting OpenGL running in a window using the GLFW library and proceeds to teach the basics of rendering polygons to the display by sending data buffers to the graphics card and programming it using shaders with GLSL shading language. The course also covers mapping textures to objects and setting up a virtual camera using keyboard and mouse inputs to enable movement in the scene.

In addition, the course teaches how to load 3D models and add interesting lighting to the scene. By the end of the course, students will be able to set up and render 3D graphics using modern OpenGL. The course includes reusable C++ and OpenGL code, which can serve as a framework for building one’s own game engine. The course is designed for beginners and source code, pre-built third-party libraries, and Visual Studio solutions are included with each lesson.

7. Learn OpenGL Programming for Graphics and Games by eduCBA (CBCPL) (Udemy)

This course, titled “Learn OpenGL Programming for Graphics and Games,” is being offered by eduCBA (CBCPL). The course provides instruction on how to program and create graphics using OpenGL, which is a cross-platform application programming interface used for rendering 2D or 3D vector graphics.

The course is suitable for both beginners and advanced developers, as it covers not only basic OpenGL terminology and libraries, but also more advanced techniques such as vertex buffers, code organization, textures, and transformation techniques. The curriculum includes a project to provide students with real-world experience in rendering techniques.

OpenGL is a widely used graphic API that is used in the development of computer games, visualizations, simulations, and puzzles. It provides access to the GPU and allows for faster implementation of programs. It is cross-platform and one of the easiest graphic APIs to learn, making it highly demanded in the industry.

The course covers a diverse range of topics, starting with an introduction to OpenGL and its basic terminology, followed by instruction on vertex buffers, code organization, texturing, and transformation techniques. These skills are necessary to create appealing and visually stunning games and simulations. No prerequisites are required for this course.

8. Learn GLSL Shaders from Scratch by Nicholas Lever (Udemy)

The Learn GLSL Shaders from Scratch course, instructed by Nicholas Lever, introduces students to GLSL (OpenGL Shading Language) for creating custom effects in WebGL. The course is ideal for designers, developers, and game developers seeking to add custom effects to 3D objects surfaces or visualize data in a striking way. The course assumes no prior knowledge of the C language, on which GLSL code syntax is based. GLSL leverages the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to handle multiple programs at once, making it fast. The course focuses on writing code for browsers using the THREE.js WebGL library and CodePen, allowing students to experiment with the source code and see results instantly.

The course starts with simple examples, then progresses slowly with coding challenges. Students can play with the shader code and experiment with different values to see the impact on the end result. The course resources include dozens of shaders, which students learn in gentle stages. GLSL shaders are split into vertex and fragment shaders, and the course initially focuses on fragment shaders in a 2D environment. Students learn the GLSL language, shaping functions, tiling, polar coordinates, and lighting calculations, which enable them to create any shader they can imagine.

Student reviews laud the course’s structure, step-by-step explanations, and clear teaching style, which makes GLSL accessible to non-mathematical students. The course is well-suited for those seeking to learn GLSL gradually and understand the basics before moving on to more complex concepts. The course includes eight sections, starting with an introduction and ending with a conclusion.

The course content covers topics such as shaping functions, noise, using textures, vertex shaders, lighting, and post-processing. As with other Udemy courses, the instructor offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

9. Learn OpenGL with Python for Graphics and Games by Penny de Byl, Penny @Holistic3D.com (Udemy)

This course, titled “Learn OpenGL with Python for Graphics and Games” is designed to help intermediate-level students develop a superior knowledge of vertex shader hardware rendering of 3D graphics. The course is taught by Penny de Byl, who is an expert in the field of computer graphics and 3D math. The course is intended to give students a thorough understanding of OpenGL and its capabilities, as well as to provide them with the skills necessary to create fast GPU-based parallel-processed 2D and 3D graphics.

The course is structured to take students step-by-step through the setup of Python, Pygame, and PyOpenG, as well as the development of a generalized 3D graphics engine. The content is designed to focus on adding the required functionality as each fundamental concept in computer graphics generation, mathematics, and rendering is revealed. The course covers topics such as coordinate systems, vertex shading, lighting, UV mapping, and texturing of meshes.

Students will also learn about essential mathematics for working with 3D space and positioning vertices with a variety of 4×4 viewing matrices. Additionally, the course covers the Pycharm Development Environment, the Pygame API, which is an interface for OpenGL, and PyOpenGL, a Python wrapper for the OpenGL API.

Students who have taken Penny’s courses in the past have praised her teaching approach and the clarity of her instruction. The course is intended to provide students with hands-on experience coding a general 3D graphics engine using PyOpenGL, while also providing an easy introduction to Python for the intermediate programmer.

The course is divided into several sections, including Introduction, Getting Started, Basic Graphics Primitives, Turtle Graphics, Working with Meshes, Drawing in 3D, Affine Transformations, Optimising Drawing in PyOpenGL, Camera Movement and Matrices, Creating 3D Objects, Lights, Textures, Customising Shaders, and Final Words.

10. Modern OpenGL & GLSL Shaders: Models, Shaders and imgui 2022 by Experiential Learning, Pragmatic Institute (Udemy)

The Modern OpenGL & GLSL Shaders: Models, Shaders and imgui 2022 course is an offering from Experiential Learning and Pragmatic Institute. The course is designed to teach both the theoretical and practical aspects of OpenGL. The instructor, a university instructor with over 5 years of experience in teaching OpenGL, game design, and C++, aims to provide students with a solid foundation in OpenGL.

The course is suitable for those with basic OpenGL knowledge as it covers the fundamentals of OpenGL and GLSL shaders, taking students to the intermediate level in OpenGL. By the end of the course, students will be able to code their own textures, set up lighting for their 3D scenes, move objects in a 3D environment, and have a sound understanding of the internals of OpenGL. Additionally, the course covers the theory behind shaders and teaches students how to write custom GLSL shader code.

Students will also learn about different projections, including 2D and 3D projections, different transformations and views, and how to code GUIs using the imgui library. The course covers different components like SDL, GLM, VAO, and extensions in OpenGL, and teaches students how to use GLAD to allow modern OpenGL to be used in their projects.

The course is divided into eight sections, namely Introduction, Materials, Depth and Normals, Models and Shader Manager, Building a Grid, Scenes and Transformations, imgui: Build a GUI, Some Final Steps, and Epilogue. By the end of the course, students will have a solid foundation in OpenGL and be able to apply their knowledge to their own projects.