Dave Shreiner

Dave Shreiner is a computer graphics expert and author best known for his work on OpenGL programming guides and documentation. He has served as the lead author and editor of multiple editions of the "OpenGL Programming Guide" (also known as "The Red Book"), which is considered an authoritative reference for OpenGL developers. Throughout his career, Shreiner has worked at Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) and ARM Inc., where he focused on graphics hardware architecture and software development. He has made significant contributions to the development and documentation of OpenGL standards and specifications. Shreiner regularly speaks at industry conferences and has taught numerous courses on computer graphics programming. His technical writing has helped establish standard practices for 3D graphics programming and has influenced generations of graphics programmers. As a member of the OpenGL Architecture Review Board (ARB), Shreiner has played a key role in shaping the evolution of the OpenGL specification. He continues to contribute to graphics programming education through his writing and technical presentations.

Readers value Dave Shreiner primarily as an authority on OpenGL programming and technical documentation. His OpenGL Programming Guide (known as "The Red Book") receives praise for clear explanations of complex graphics concepts and practical code examples. Multiple reviewers on Amazon note the book serves as both a reference manual and learning guide. One reader stated "the examples demonstrate real-world usage rather than just theory." Critics point to some outdated content in older editions and say certain sections assume too much background knowledge. Several reviews mention the dense technical writing can be challenging for beginners. Ratings across platforms: Amazon: 4.3/5 (389 reviews) OpenGL Programming Guide: 4.4/5 (284 reviews) OpenGL Superbible: 4.1/5 (105 reviews) Readers frequently compare his writing favorably to other technical authors, with one Goodreads reviewer noting "Shreiner explains concepts other graphics books gloss over." His co-authored works on OpenGL ES and WebGL receive similar technical praise but fewer total reviews.

OpenGL Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL - A comprehensive reference for programmers covering the OpenGL graphics system and API, including detailed explanations of 3D graphics concepts and techniques.

OpenGL ES 2.0 Programming Guide - A technical guide covering the OpenGL ES 2.0 API for developing graphics applications on mobile and embedded devices.

OpenGL ES 3.0 Programming Guide - A reference manual detailing the OpenGL ES 3.0 specification, including shader programming, buffer objects, and texturing for mobile graphics development.

Real-Time 3D Graphics with WebGL 2 - An instructional text covering WebGL 2.0 programming concepts for creating interactive 3D graphics applications in web browsers.

Computer Graphics: Theory and Practice - A foundational text exploring core computer graphics concepts, mathematical principles, and programming techniques for graphics applications.