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# docs.GL

OpenGL 4
OpenGL 3
OpenGL 2
OpenGL ES 3
OpenGL ES 2

# glCullFace

## Name

glCullFace — specify whether front- or back-facing polygons can be culled

## C Specification

`void glCullFace(` | GLenum mode`)`;

## Parameters

`mode`

  Specifies whether front- or back-facing polygons are candidates for culling. Symbolic constants `GL_FRONT`, `GL_BACK`, and `GL_FRONT_AND_BACK` are accepted. The initial value is `GL_BACK`.

## Description

`glCullFace` specifies whether front- or back-facing polygons are culled (as specified by mode) when polygon culling is enabled. Polygon culling is initially disabled. To enable and disable polygon culling, call the glEnable and glDisable commands with the argument `GL_CULL_FACE`.

glFrontFace specifies which of the clockwise and counterclockwise polygons are front-facing and back-facing. See glFrontFace.

## Notes

If `mode` is `GL_FRONT_AND_BACK`, no polygons are drawn, but other primitives such as points and lines are drawn.

## Errors

`GL_INVALID_ENUM` is generated if `mode` is not an accepted value.

## Associated Gets

glIsEnabled with argument `GL_CULL_FACE`

glGet with argument `GL_CULL_FACE_MODE`

## Tutorials

## API Version Support

| OpenGL ES API Version
--- | ---
Function Name | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.1
glCullFace | ✔ | ✔ | ✔

## See Also

glEnable, glFrontFace

## Copyright

Copyright © 1991-2006 Silicon Graphics, Inc. Copyright © 2010-2014 Khronos Group. This document is licensed under the SGI Free Software B License. For details, see https://web.archive.org/web/20171022161616/http://oss.sgi.com/projects/FreeB/.

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