Modern OpenGL & GLSL Shaders Models, Shaders and Imgui 2022 by Experiential Learning, The Learning Institute

This course teaches you modern OpenGL and GLSL shaders from a university instructor’s perspective. You’ll move past copy-pasting code and actually understand how to load 3D models, manage shaders, and build a custom GUI with imgui. It’s a practical, theory-backed approach for anyone who already knows the basics and wants to level up.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Load and render 3D models using the OBJ format
• Build a reusable shader manager for your projects
• Implement normal calculations for per-fragment lighting
• Create a 3D scene with transformations (translation, rotation, scale)
• Integrate the imgui library to build a console and main menu system

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic understanding of C++ and familiarity with OpenGL fundamentals
• Tools: A C++ IDE (like Visual Studio or Code::Blocks), a 3-button mouse
• Hardware: A computer with a dedicated GPU that supports OpenGL 3.3 or higher

📝 Description

This isn’t a “watch me code” course. It’s a university-style deep dive into modern OpenGL and GLSL shaders. You’ll start by revisiting core concepts like the Element Buffer Object and vertex normals, then quickly move into building a proper shader manager to keep your code clean and reusable.

The real meat is in loading and rendering 3D models. You’ll parse the OBJ format, process vertex data, and apply materials to get realistic surfaces. From there, you’ll set up a full 3D scene with transformations, building a Transform class to handle translation, rotation, and scale. The course wraps up by integrating imgui, the popular GUI library, to create a debug console and main menu system that controls your scene in real-time.

Every lecture explains the why behind the code, not just the how. You’ll learn about normal matrices, projection setups, and debugging techniques that will save you hours of frustration. By the end, you’ll have a solid, portable OpenGL framework you can extend for your own projects.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Beginner or intermediate OpenGL learners who want to move past tutorials and build real projects
• Game developers or graphics programmers looking to understand the internals of modern OpenGL
• Anyone who wants to learn how to integrate a GUI library like imgui into a 3D application

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Experiential Learning and The Learning Institute are education pioneers with a combined 4.4+ instructor rating and over 20,000 students. Their instructors are domain experts with proven track records in teaching C++, OpenGL, and game design at the university level. They focus on delivering quality, theory-backed education at affordable rates.

🏁 Final Result

• A fully functional OpenGL application that loads and renders 3D models with materials
• A custom shader manager for handling GLSL programs
• An imgui-based console and menu system integrated into your 3D scene
• A solid understanding of transformations, normals, and scene management