Graphics Engine

A modular OpenGL-based 3D graphics engine with scene graph architecture supporting meshes, materials, lighting systems, and multiple cameras, demonstrated through an interactive chess application with move tracking and reflection effects.

Features

• Scene Graph Architecture: A hierarchical tree structure for organizing and transforming 3D objects
• Mesh Rendering: Support for 3D mesh loading, manipulation, and rendering
• Material System: Configurable materials with color, transparency, and texture properties
• Lighting: Multiple light types including point lights, directional lights, and spotlights
• Camera System: Perspective and orthographic camera support with dynamic view switching
• Input Handling: Keyboard-driven controls for manipulating the scene
• Chess Demo: Interactive chess board with piece movement, capture system, and move history
• Visual Effects: Reflection effects, transparency, and dynamic lighting demonstrations

Controls

Camera Controls

• W/A/S/D: Move/rotate camera
• C: Switch between different camera perspectives

Chess Controls

• Arrow keys: Navigate the chess board
• Enter: Select/move chess pieces
• U: Undo move
• O: Redo move
• P: Reset board to initial state

Light Controls

• Y/H/G/J: Move light in different directions
• R: Randomize light color

Rendering Controls

• F: Toggle FPS display
• X: Toggle coordinate axes display
• Z: Toggle wireframe mode
• B: Toggle face culling
• I: Show help menu
• ESC: Exit application

Architecture

The engine is built on a component-based architecture with key classes:

• Node: Base class for all scene elements
• Mesh: For 3D model rendering
• Material: For surface properties
• Camera: For scene viewing
• Light: For scene illumination
• List: For efficient render sorting and processing

Dependencies

• OpenGL
• FreeGLUT
• GLM (OpenGL Mathematics)
• FreeImage

Building the Project

The project includes a Makefile for compilation on Linux/macOS systems:

make debug     # Build debug version
make release   # Build release version
make clean     # Clean build files

Credits

Martina Galasso & Kevin Quarenghi