OpenGL font rendering using Freetype2

Question

I'm trying to render a freetype font using OpenGL, following the example posted at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenGL_Programming/Modern_OpenGL_Tutorial_Text_Rendering_02.

I've been able to generate a texture atlas from the font, creating shaders and creating quads. What I seem to get stuck at is passing the texture to the shader and/or getting the correct UVs for my quads. Been struggling for a good while now and really need the help.

The following is the struct I use to create my texture atlas.

struct FontCharacter
    {
        float advanceX;
        float advanceY;

        float bitmapWidth;
        float bitmapHeight;

        float bitmapLeft;
        float bitmapTop;

        float uvOffsetX;
        float uvOffsetY;
    };

    struct FontTextureAtlas
    {
        GLuint texture;
        GLuint textureUniform;

        int width;
        int height;

        FontCharacter characters[128];

        FontTextureAtlas(FT_Face face, int h, GLuint tUniform)
        {
            FT_Set_Pixel_Sizes(face, 0, h);
            FT_GlyphSlot glyphSlot = face->glyph;

            int roww = 0;
            int rowh = 0;
            width = 0;
            height = 0;

            memset(characters, 0, sizeof(FontCharacter));

            for (int i = 32; i < 128; i++)
            {
                if (FT_Load_Char(face, i, FT_LOAD_RENDER))
                {
                    std::cout << "Loading character %c failed\n", i;
                    continue;
                }

                if (roww + glyphSlot->bitmap.width + 1 >= MAX_WIDTH)
                {
                    width = std::fmax(width, roww);
                    height += rowh;
                    roww = 0;
                    rowh = 0;
                }

                roww += glyphSlot->bitmap.width + 1;
                rowh = std::fmax(rowh, glyphSlot->bitmap.rows);
            }

            width = std::fmax(width, roww);
            height += rowh;

            glGenTextures(1, &texture);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glGenTextures failed\n";
            }

            glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0 + texture);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glActiveTexture failed\n";
            }

            glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, texture);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glBindTexture failed\n";
            }

            glUniform1i(tUniform, 0);
            textureUniform = tUniform;

            glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_RED, width, height, 0, GL_RED, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, 0);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glTexImage2D failed\n";
            }

            glPixelStorei(GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT, 1);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glPixelStorei failed\n";
            }

            glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S, GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glTexParameteri failed\n";
            }

            glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T, GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glTexParameteri failed\n";
            }

            glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glTexParameteri failed\n";
            }

            glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);

            if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
            {
                std::cout << "glTexParameteri failed\n";
            }


            int ox = 0;
            int oy = 0;

            rowh = 0;

            for (int i = 32; i < 128; i++)
            {
                if (FT_Load_Char(face, i, FT_LOAD_RENDER))
                {
                    std::cout << "Loading character %c failed\n", i;
                    continue;
                }

                if (ox + glyphSlot->bitmap.width + 1 >= MAX_WIDTH) 
                {
                    oy += rowh;
                    rowh = 0;
                    ox = 0;
                }

                glTexSubImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, ox, oy, glyphSlot->bitmap.width, glyphSlot->bitmap.rows, GL_RED, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, glyphSlot->bitmap.buffer);

                if (glGetError() != GL_NO_ERROR)
                {
                    std::cout << "BORKED AGAIN\n";
                }

                characters[i].advanceX = glyphSlot->advance.x >> 6;
                characters[i].advanceY = glyphSlot->advance.y >> 6;

                characters[i].bitmapWidth = glyphSlot->bitmap.width;
                characters[i].bitmapHeight = glyphSlot->bitmap.rows;

                characters[i].bitmapLeft = glyphSlot->bitmap_left;
                characters[i].bitmapTop = glyphSlot->bitmap_top;

                characters[i].uvOffsetX = ox / (float)width;
                characters[i].uvOffsetY = oy / (float)height;

                rowh = std::fmax(rowh, glyphSlot->bitmap.rows);
                ox += glyphSlot->bitmap.width + 1;
            }

            std::cout << "Generated a " << width << "x " << height << " (" << width * height / 1024 << " kb) texture atlas.\n";
        }

        ~FontTextureAtlas()
        {
            glDeleteTextures(1, &texture);
        }

Local variables and function heads used in the renderer

class RenderCore
{    
FT_Library library;
            FT_Face face;
            FontTextureAtlas* a48;
            FontTextureAtlas* a24;
            FontTextureAtlas* a12;
            GLuint vbo;
            GLuint vao;
            GLuint m_posUV;
            GLuint m_colorIN;
            GLuint m_texture;

            int InitFT();
            void RenderText(const char* text, FontTextureAtlas* atlas, float x, float y, float sx, float sy);
}

This is where I load my fonts.

int RenderCore::InitFT()
{
    if (FT_Init_FreeType(&library))
    {
        std::cout << "Could not Initialize freetype library.\n";
        return 0;
    }

    /* Load a font */
    if (FT_New_Face(library, "assets/Fonts/arialbd.ttf", 0, &face))
    {
        std::cout << "Could not open font assets/Fonts/DentonBeta2.ttf\n";
        return 0;
    }

    m_shaderManager->CreateProgram("Text");
    m_shaderManager->LoadShader("shaders/Text.vertex", "TextVS", GL_VERTEX_SHADER);
    m_shaderManager->LoadShader("shaders/Text.fragment", "TextFS", GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER);
    m_shaderManager->AttachShader("TextVS", "Text");
    m_shaderManager->AttachShader("TextFS", "Text");
    m_shaderManager->LinkProgram("Text");
    m_shaderManager->UseProgram("Text");
    m_shaderManager->UseProgram("Text");

    m_colorIN = m_shaderManager->GetUniformLocation("Text", "inputColor");
    m_texture = m_shaderManager->GetUniformLocation("Text", "texture");


    // Create the vertex buffer object
    glGenBuffers(1, &vbo);
    glGenVertexArrays(1, &vao);
    /* Create texture atlasses for several font sizes */
    a48 = new FontTextureAtlas(face, 48, m_texture);
    a24 = new FontTextureAtlas(face, 24, m_texture);
    a12 = new FontTextureAtlas(face, 12, m_texture);
}

Rendering function.

void RenderCore::RenderText(const char* text, FontTextureAtlas* atlas, float x, float y, float sx, float sy)
    {
        m_shaderManager->UseProgram("Text");

        const unsigned char* p;

        std::vector<glm::vec4> coords;

        int c = 0;

        for (p = (const unsigned char*)text; *p; p++)
        {
            float x2 = x + atlas->characters[*p].bitmapLeft * sx;
            float y2 = -y - atlas->characters[*p].bitmapTop * sy;
            float w = atlas->characters[*p].bitmapWidth * sx;
            float h = atlas->characters[*p].bitmapHeight * sy;

            x += atlas->characters[*p].advanceX * sx;
            y += atlas->characters[*p].advanceY * sy;

            if (!w || !h)
                continue;


            coords.push_back(
                glm::vec4(
                x2,
                -y2,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetX,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetY)
                );


            coords.push_back(
                glm::vec4(
                x2 + w,
                -y2,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetX + atlas->characters[*p].bitmapWidth / atlas->width,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetY)
                );



            coords.push_back(
                glm::vec4(
                x2,
                -y2 - h,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetX,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetY + atlas->characters[*p].bitmapHeight / atlas->height)
                );



            coords.push_back(
                glm::vec4(
                x2 + w,
                -y2,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetX + atlas->characters[*p].bitmapWidth / atlas->width,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetY)
                );


            coords.push_back(
                glm::vec4(
                x2,
                -y2 - h,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetX,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetY + atlas->characters[*p].bitmapHeight / atlas->height)
                );


            coords.push_back(
                glm::vec4(
                x2 + w,
                -y2 - h,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetX + atlas->characters[*p].bitmapWidth / atlas->width,
                atlas->characters[*p].uvOffsetY + atlas->characters[*p].bitmapHeight / atlas->height)
                );
        }

        glEnable(GL_BLEND);
        glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);

        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0 + atlas->texture);
        glUniform1i(atlas->textureUniform, 0);
        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, atlas->texture);

        m_shaderManager->SetUniform(1, glm::vec4(0, 0, 1, 1), m_colorIN);

        glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, vbo);
        glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, coords.size() * sizeof(glm::vec4), coords.data(), GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW);

        //Generate VAO
        glBindVertexArray(vao);

        //Position
        glEnableVertexAttribArray(0);
        glVertexAttribPointer(0, 4, GL_FLOAT, GL_FALSE, sizeof(glm::vec4), (void*)0);

        glBindVertexArray(vao);
        glDrawArrays(GL_TRIANGLE_STRIP, 0, coords.size());

        glDisableVertexAttribArray(0);
        m_shaderManager->ResetProgram();
    }

Vertex shader

#version 440

in vec4 pos_uv;
out vec2 uv;

void main()
{
    gl_Position = vec4(pos_uv.xy, 0, 1);
    uv = pos_uv.zw;
}

Fragment shader

#version 440

    in vec2 uv;
    uniform sampler2D texture;
    uniform vec4 inputColor;

    out vec4 color;

    void main()
    {
        color = vec4(inputColor.rgb, texture2D(texture, uv).a);
    }

Using gDebugger I can see the texture atlas having been generated properly and the VBO seems fine as well. The result is just a bunch of squares on screen however and I really have no idea why. I think it might be a problem with passing the texture to the shader, all channels except the alpha channel is empty and the alpha is always 1.

Linctus

try color = vec4(inputColor.rgb, texture2D(texture, uv).r); – Goodlooking

That makes the screen go entirely blank, not even any squares. These are the texture units which show up in gDebugger. i.imgur.com/rao4qps.png – Linctus

This example looks promising: github.com/rougier/freetype-gl More generic question: #8848399 – Gamages

Answer 1

Managed to solve the problem, instead of glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0 + texture); it should have only been glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0);

I'm assuming glActiveTexture binds to a specific index within a program and not for all textures.

Linctus

Good catch, indeed glActiveTexture activates a texture unit and not a texture binding name. – Goodlooking