 
GLE Tubing and Extrusion Fact Sheet
http://www.opengl.org/OpenGL Logo http://sourceforge.net 
SourceForge Logo The Hard Facts
The GLE Tubing and Extrusion Library is a graphics application 
programming interface (API).  The library consists of a number
of "C" language subroutines for drawing tubing and extrusions.
It is a very fast implementation of these shapes, outperforming
all other implementations, most by orders of magnitude.
The library is distributed in source code form, in a package 
that includes documentation, a VRML proposal, Makefiles, and 
full source code and header files.   It uses the OpenGL (TM)
programming API to perform the actual drawing of the tubing and
extrusions.
GLE is designed for and maintained on the 
http://www.linas.org/linux/graphics-ad.htmlLinux  
operating system, and is known to run on other Unix operating systems 
such as 
http://www.rs6000.ibm.comAIX , 
http://www.sgi.comIRIX , Ultrix and HPUX with 
http://www.opengl.orgOpenGL  or 
http://www.mesa3d.orgMesa .
GLE is also known to run on 
http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/index.htmlIBM OS/2 Warp
,  Apple Macintosh OS9, and Microsoft Windows NT
and has been used to develop screen-savers for some of these popular 
PC operating systems.
News: Dave Richards has created a set of MSWindows-specific C++
   classes that are derived from gle.  See the
   
http://www.quiknet.com/~moriarty/GLE32  site.
   (
http://www.linas.org/mirrors/www.quiknet.com/~moriarty/mirror )
News: There is now a mailing list to discuss gle:
   
gle-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net. 
   Subscribe 
http://lists.sourceforge.net/mailman/listinfo/gle-discuss   by web
  or
   
http://www.geocrawler.com/redir-sf.php3?list=gle-discuss   view the archives
.
News: Version 3.0 is out, sporting an improved/simplified 
   build system, which should make compiling this package a lot less
   confusing.  Project has been moved to 
   
http://sourceforge.net/project/?group_id=5539SourceForge ,
   which means you can get live CVS, and should make it easier for
   folks to submit patches & participate in this project.
News: http://www.symbolstone.org/technology/java   ShapeShifter
 is a re-write of the GLE library in Java.  
   Available freely, under the 'Artistic License'.
News: OpenGL internals programmers & hardware developers,
   
http://www.linas.org/linux/graphics-ad.html   please read this.
News: Python bindings are shipped with this release.  
   They were generated with a non-standard version of SWIG.
   There is also another (different) set of bindings for GLE that 
   come standard with OpenGL at the 
   
http://pyopengl.sourceforge.net/PyOpenGL site . 
   At this point, neither set should be considered to be more 
   'standard' than the other.
 
 
 
A Gentle Introduction
The libgle.a library contains a collection of routines for drawing
sweeps and extrusions.  A "sweep" or "extrusion" is a 2D contour
(polyline) that is swept or extruded along a 3D path (polyline).
For example, sweeping a circle along a straight line will generate
a cylinder. Sweeping a circle along a circular path will generate 
a doughnut (torus).
The library also includes a set of utility routines for drawing some of
the more common extruded shapes: a polycylinder, a polycone, a
generalized torus (circle swept along a helical path), a "helix"
(arbitrary contour swept along a helical path) and a "lathe" (arbitrary
contour swept along a helical path, with torsion used to keep the
contour aligned).
 
 
 
The most general extrusion supported by this library allows an arbitrary
2D contour to be swept around an arbitrary 3D path.  A set of normal
vectors can be specified to go along with the contour; the normal vectors
determine the appearance of the contour when lighting is turned on.
A set of colors and affine matrices can be specified to go along with
the 3D path.  The colors are used to color along the path. The affine
matrices are used to operate on the contour as it is swept along.  If no
affine matrices are specified, the contour is extruded using the
mathematical concept of "parallel translation" or "Gaussian
translation". That is, the contour is moved (and drawn) along the 
extrusion path in a "straight" manner.  If there are affine matrices, 
they are applied to the contour at each extrusion segment before the
segment is drawn.
 The affine matrices allow work in a quasi-non-Euclidean space.
They essentially allow the contour to be distorted as it is swept 
along.  The allow the contour to be rotated, translated and 
rescaled as it is drawn.  For example, a rescaling will turn a 
polycylinder into a poly-cone, since the circle that is being 
extruded is scaled to a different size at each extrusion vertex.
A rotation allows the contour to be spun around while it is being 
extruded, thus for instance allowing drill-bit type shapes to be
drawn.  A translation allows the appearance of shearing in 
real space; that is, taking a contour and displacing it, 
without otherwise bending it.  Note that the affines are
2x3 matrices, not 3x4 matrices, since they apply to the 2D 
contour as it is being extruded.
Table of Contents
tube.htmlTubing & Extrusions Subroutine Documentation join.htmlJoinStyle Subroutine Documentation texture.htmlTexture Generation build.htmlCompiling the Library pipeline.htmlDesign & Implementation Internals, the Pipeline vrml.htmlA VRML Extension Proposal http://www.linas.org/gle/index.htmlThe GLE Web Site http://sourceforge.net/projects/gle/GLE on 
    SourceForge
 (live CVS)
http://www.linas.org/gle/pub/gle-3.0.lsmThe GLE LSM entry http://www.linas.org/gle/pub/Source Code
    Distribution (Primary -- linas.org)
http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/libs/X/gle-3.0.1.tar.gzSource
Code Distribution (Secondary -- Metalab)
ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/linux/sources/libs/gle.2.2.7.tar.gzSource Code Distribution (Secondary -- TSX-11)  Version Summary 
Version 1.0 -- Originally developed by Linas Vepstas for IBM GL 3.2
               and SGI IrisGL in 1991
Version 2.0 -- Port to OpenGL, March, July, October 1993 
Version 2.1 -- Port demos to GLUT Library, assorted lint/compile time
               cleanup, April 1995
Version 2.1.1 -- Additional demos, October 1995
Version 2.2.0 -- Fully HTML'ized documentation, Christmas 1995 
Version 2.2.1 -- Additional demos 
Version 2.2.2 -- Extensive screen shots added to documentation, January 1996 
Version 2.2.3 -- VRML proposal, February 1996 
Version 2.2.4 -- metalab (prev. sunsite), tsx-11 post, March 1996 
Version 2.2.5 -- Documentation cleanup, July 1996 
Version 2.2.6 -- Documentation cleanup, April 1997 
Version 2.2.7 -- Minor bug fixes, December 1997 
Version 2.3   -- Bug fixes for drawing of end caps for MesaGL, 
                 man pages from Mark Kilgard, December 1997 
Version 3.0.0 -- Consolidation, simplification of build structure;
                 major version number changed because header files
                 consolidated and renamed.
                 Use automake/autoconf to build. 
                 Move CVStree to sourceforge.  June 2000
Version 3.0.1 -- Misc bug fixes, configure.in fix
Version 3.0.2 -- C++ wrapper fixes
Version 3.0.3 -- look for libXmu in configure
Version 3.0.4 -- python bindings, minor bug fix
Version 3.0.5 -- Visual C project files; 
                 create pipeline documentation;
                 fix makefile to install docs, examples.
Version 3.0.6 -- disable fprintf(stderr) on Win32 systems.
                 use newer automake/autoconf configure.
                 Add GPL as an alternate license choice.
                 November 2001.
                 
 Credits 
Written and maintained by Linas Vepstas 
mailto:linas@linas.orglinas@linas.org . Many thanks Mark Kilgard for converting the web pages to real Unix 
man pages.  
Visit my 
http://www.linas.org/linux/Enterprise Linux  web
site for more info about Linux in a commercial, business setting.
