glVertexPointer function

Article
12/11/2020

The glVertexPointer function defines an array of vertex data.

Syntax

void WINAPI glVertexPointer(
         GLint   size,
         GLenum  type,
         GLsizei stride,
   const GLvoid  *pointer
);

Parameters

size: The number of coordinates per vertex. The value of size must be 2, 3, or 4.
type: The data type of each coordinate in the array using the following symbolic constants: GL_SHORT, GL_INT, GL_FLOAT, and GL_DOUBLE.
stride: The byte offset between consecutive vertices. When stride is zero, the vertices are tightly packed in the array.
pointer: A pointer to the first coordinate of the first vertex in the array.

Return value

This function does not return a value.

Error codes

The following error codes can be retrieved by the glGetError function.

Name	Meaning
GL_INVALID_VALUE	size was not 2, 3, or 4.
GL_INVALID_ENUM	type was not an accepted value.
GL_INVALID_VALUE	stride or count was negative.

Remarks

The glVertexPointer function specifies the location and data of an array of vertex coordinates to use when rendering. The size parameter specifies the number of coordinates per vertex. The type parameter specifies the data type of each vertex coordinate. The stride parameter determines the byte offset from one vertex to the next, enabling the packing of vertices and attributes in a single array or storage in separate arrays. In some implementations, storing the vertices and attributes in a single array can be more efficient than using separate arrays (see glInterleavedArrays).

A vertex array is enabled when you specify the GL_VERTEX_ARRAY constant with glEnableClientState. When enabled, glDrawArrays, glDrawElements, and glArrayElement use the vertex array. By default, the vertex array is disabled.

You cannot include glVertexPointer in display lists.

When you specify a vertex array using glVertexPointer, the values of all the function's vertex array parameters are saved in a client-side state, and static array elements can be cached. Because the vertex array parameters are client-side state, their values are not saved or restored by glPushAttrib and glPopAttrib.

Although no error is generated if you call glVertexPointer within glBegin and glEnd pairs, the results are undefined.

The following functions retrieve information related to glVertexPointer:

glGet with argument GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_SIZE

glGet with argument GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_STRIDE

glGet with argument GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_COUNT

glGet with argument GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_TYPE

glGetPointerv with argument GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_POINTER

glIsEnabled with argument GL_VERTEX_ARRAY

Requirements

Requirement	Value
Minimum supported client	Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]
Minimum supported server	Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
Header	Gl.h
Library	Opengl32.lib
DLL	Opengl32.dll