Vertex buffer object

<p>A vertex buffer object (VBO) is an <a href="/facts/OpenGL/xQoMWePr">OpenGL</a> feature that provides methods for uploading vertex data (<a href="/facts/Vertex_(geometry)/ID3cea9z">position</a>, <a href="/facts/Normal_vector/jhtLIhcu">normal vector</a>, color, etc.) to the video device for non-immediate-mode rendering. VBOs offer substantial performance gains over <a href="/facts/Immediate_mode_(computer_graphics)/yA7FXopW">immediate mode rendering</a> primarily because the data reside in video device memory rather than system memory and so it can be rendered directly by the video device. These are equivalent to <a href="/facts/Vertex_buffer/GfIomenN">vertex buffers</a> in <a href="/facts/Direct3D/WHJ6DTcv">Direct3D</a>.
</p><p>The vertex buffer object specification has been standardized by the <a href="http://www.opengl.org/about/arb/">OpenGL Architecture Review Board</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111124074301/http://www.opengl.org/about/arb/">Archived</a> 2011-11-24 at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a> as of <a href="/facts/OpenGL/xQoMWePr">OpenGL</a> Version 1.5 (in 2003). Similar functionality was available before the standardization of VBOs via the <a href="/facts/Nvidia/8QfCgqbu">Nvidia</a>-created extension "vertex array range" or <a href="/facts/ATI_Technologies/7hPl9Cqx">ATI</a>'s "vertex array object" extension.
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Vertex buffer object open-in-new

Vertex buffer object