What Does an OpenGL® Developer Do?

The responsibilities of an OpenGL® developer typically depend a great deal upon the type of project the developer is working on and his or her position within development. A developer who is part of a large team may be involved with a single aspect of OpenGL® development, such as modeling geometry or applying texture maps to objects. Developers working alone on a project are likely to be involved in every step of the process, requiring far more work on a wide range of different applications of OpenGL® development. When part of a large project, an OpenGL® developer may also be part of the different stages of development, from planning to execution, and can be part of a team or a supervisor.

An OpenGL® developer is typically involved in the development of software applications or other creations that make use of OpenGL® to create three-dimensional (3D) renderings of virtual objects. This type of work can be used for anything from video game and animation development to creation of three-dimensional images and videos for commercials and architectural projects. The wide range of different applications for Open GL creations means that an OpenGL® developer can be involved in many different types of projects.

In general, however, an OpenGL® developer is typically part of a team that is involved in the creation of 3D images or animations for use in various applications. One developer on a project may be involved in creating the objects that populate a virtual scene, which involves the creation of 3D geometry generated by code programmed by the developer. Another person on a team might then provide lighting and other effects within a scene, and another OpenGL® developer can create textures that are then applied to the geometry. Other developers can then animate objects within a scene, and all of this may be organized and directed by a team leader or supervisor on a project.

Smaller projects, however, may not require an entire team of developers, but instead have one or two developers handle each stage of a project. This means that an OpenGL® developer on one project may be responsible for only a small part of the overall work, while another developer on a different project can be involved in every aspect of development. Supervisors on a project often help guide the entire process and ensure that other developers deliver on their responsibilities on time and within budget for a project.

An OpenGL® developer can also be involved in different aspects of the overall development process. Planning usually begins with artists creating storyboards or concept art for what the final 3D images will look like. Developers can be involved in this stage of development, as well as the actual creation of the art assets and animations created through OpenGL®. Once this is complete, then some developers may also be responsible for post-production editing and making any final changes or additional scenes necessary for a project.