   Hi, new to this, need advice
  Hi,Like the title says I'm new to all this and need advice. I have experience making games in flash and alike and experience modding C code but I'd like to program in Java with either jogl or lwjgl, I would like to build a state engine firstly to house any code I build which I realise will probably involve establishing a context for the audio, graphics and screen management.Then I'd like to write a 2D OpenGL game to hone my opengl skills (in orthographic view I think it is).My main problem is understanding not only how to do something but why the code is what it is, like using basic trig to rotate an object around it's origin. I hope I'll find something other than a copy and paste answer and I wont just be redirected to NeHe because I want to learn the principles rather than just dive straight in and I'm not looking to create a game in the next 24-hours, days or months.Thanks in advance for your wisdom and guidance   
  Read the first few chapters of the Red Book. This gives some pretty good introduction to the mathematics of 3d graphics. Ignore the specific API call as these are very old, but the mathematics and fundamentals are still the same.   ;  thank you for your swift reply, I have read the redbook but at least to me it seemed to tell me what to type rather than focusing on explaining why, I can render in C, C++ or java to opengl but my problem is not with the coding but the comprehension of why I am doing what I am doing, I realise this sounds rather backwards but I think of it as playing music but not being able to compose...   ;  You should pick up a book on the topic you want to learn.  That will explain they whys and the hows both.   ;  I think you just need to look at it a little more carefully? There's quite a lot of explanation in the early chapters, for example Chapter 3: Viewing is a really important one. Glancing over it it looks to be about 75% diagrams and plain-text explanation, and maybe 25% mini example programs.I just find it hard to believe that you already read the entire Red Book and absorbed all of its information.It is often helpful to play with examples as you learn, instead of trying to learn everything before you touch a keyboard, so keep that in mind too.   ;  hi, rather than reply last night I have been reading the red book again, No I'm not saying I have completed it but I am a fair way through and doing examples to boot, I can't say it's taught me anything so far and it does not contain the information I require... I have found some interesting books on Linear Algebra and interesting articles about openGL online which have helped to plug my knowledge gap with the maths going on within the openGL functions and some of my openGL questions like why use quads over triangle lists and when to use fan's (never as they are going to be deprecated soon). I'm going read the red book again, lets face it, it cant hurt lol.I think I have alot of my questions answered now and I am in a place to find the answers to the ones I have unanswered...   