3D Object Viewer (Learning Project)

A simple 3D object viewer implemented in C++ using SDL2. This project was created as a learning exercise to understand 3D graphics programming concepts like perspective projection, quaternion rotation, and basic rendering pipelines.

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Description

This project implements a basic 3D object viewer with the following features:

• Basic perspective projection
• Quaternion-based camera rotation
• Wireframe rendering
• Basic object loading
• Simple player/camera movement

Note: This is a learning project and not meant for production use. It lacks many features of a proper 3D viewer (like proper culling, efficient rendering, texture support, etc.) but serves as a practical way to understand 3D graphics fundamentals.

Dependencies

• SDL2
• tiny obj loader Github Repo
• C++11 or higher
• Make

Installing Dependencies

macOS

brew install sdl2

Building

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/AlexanderDotEXE/SimpleObjViewer.git
cd SimpleObjViewer

2. Create build directory:

mkdir build

3. Build the project:

make

Usage

After building, run the executable from the project root:

./build/main

Controls

• WASD: Move camera
• Arrow keys: Look around

Learning Resources

If you're interested in learning more about 3D graphics programming, here are some topics this project explores:

• Perspective projection
• Quaternion rotations
• Vector mathematics
• Basic rendering pipeline
• Camera transformations

License

MIT License: Use my Software however you want, just give credit where credit is due!

Acknowledgments

This project uses quaternion rotation code adapted from imadr.me/rotations-with-quaternions/