OpenGL is a graphics program for 2D and 3D rendering. Toolkits provide extra functionality, but complexity should be considered. User interface and level of programming experience are important factors in selecting a toolkit. Without a toolkit, OpenGL affects hardware at a low level, while some toolkits can influence high-level programming.
Open Graphics Library® (OpenGL®) is a program for creating and rendering two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) graphics; while this can be done without any assistance, an OpenGL® toolkit provides extra functionality to help programmers create graphics. The complexity of an OpenGL® toolkit should be considered, because a huge 3D rendering toolkit may not be necessary or suitable if programmers want to make simple 2D graphics. Some toolkit programs have a user interface with buttons and slides, while other toolkits run on text commands. One OpenGL® toolkit might require prior knowledge of OpenGL® programming and text commands, while another toolkit might be more accessible for new programmers. It will also matter whether the toolkit affects the high-level or low-level aspects of the computer, depending on what the programmers want to create.
Coding for OpenGL® can get very complex, because the program is made for precise rendering and construction of graphics. A complex OpenGL® toolkit will have 3D rendering and modeling constructs, while a simple toolkit will be used for simple shapes with little rendering. Programmers shouldn’t mix complexities, because a complex toolkit usually lacks the tools needed for simple jobs and vice versa.
A user interface simplifies using an OpenGL® toolkit, providing programmers with buttons and slides to help create and render graphics. Some programs in the toolkit come with a simple graphical user interface (GUI), but most only accept text commands. While text commands are more difficult to use, especially for new programmers, they give programmers more freedom to work with.
OpenGL® is not a simple program that the average computer user can pick up and start using, because it requires substantial knowledge of coding and programming to accurately create and render graphics. Many OpenGL® toolkit programs do not help programmers, and programmers are expected to know how to use OpenGL® before starting. At the same time, some toolkit programs are friendly to new users and can help build code or provide further assistance. Users should select a toolkit based on their programming experience.
Without a toolkit, OpenGL® is a low-level program, which means it affects hardware. While most OpenGL® toolkit programs are designed to influence low-level programming, there are some that are capable of influencing high-level programming, or aspects that are seen directly by the end user. If programmers are more interested in changing hardware, stereo levels, and overlays, then low level might be better; if programmers are more interested in creating scenes and applications, high level is likely to be better.
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