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# docs.GL

OpenGL 4
OpenGL 3
OpenGL 2
OpenGL ES 3

# glDrawRangeElements

## Name

glDrawRangeElements — render primitives from array data

## C Specification

`void glDrawRangeElements(` | GLenum mode,
| GLuint start,
| GLuint end,
| GLsizei count,
| GLenum type,
| const GLvoid * indices`)`;

## Parameters

`mode`

  Specifies what kind of primitives to render. Symbolic constants `GL_POINTS`, `GL_LINE_STRIP`, `GL_LINE_LOOP`, `GL_LINES`, `GL_TRIANGLE_STRIP`, `GL_TRIANGLE_FAN` and `GL_TRIANGLES` are accepted.

`start`

  Specifies the minimum array index contained in `indices`.

`end`

  Specifies the maximum array index contained in `indices`.

`count`

  Specifies the number of elements to be rendered.

`type`

  Specifies the type of the values in `indices`. Must be one of `GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE`, `GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT`, or `GL_UNSIGNED_INT`.

`indices`

  Specifies a byte offset (cast to a pointer type) into the buffer bound to `GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER` to start reading indices from. If no buffer is bound, specifies a pointer to the location where the indices are stored.

## Description

`glDrawRangeElements` is a restricted form of glDrawElements. `mode`, `count`, and `type` match the corresponding arguments to glDrawElements, with the additional constraint that all values in the arrays `count` must lie between `start` and `end`, inclusive.

Implementations denote recommended maximum amounts of vertex and index data, which may be queried by calling glGet with argument `GL_MAX_ELEMENTS_VERTICES` and `GL_MAX_ELEMENTS_INDICES`. If end - start + 1 is greater than the value of `GL_MAX_ELEMENTS_VERTICES`, or if `count` is greater than the value of `GL_MAX_ELEMENTS_INDICES`, then the call may operate at reduced performance. There is no requirement that all vertices in the range start end be referenced. However, the implementation may partially process unused vertices, reducing performance from what could be achieved with an optimal index set.

When `glDrawRangeElements` is called, it uses `count` sequential elements from an enabled array, starting at `start` to construct a sequence of geometric primitives. `mode` specifies what kind of primitives are constructed, and how the array elements construct these primitives. If more than one array is enabled, each is used.

To enable and disable a generic vertex attribute array, call glEnableVertexAttribArray and glDisableVertexAttribArray.

If an array corresponding to a generic attribute required by a vertex shader is not enabled, then the corresponding element is taken from the current generic attribute state.

## Errors

It is an error for indices to lie outside the range start end , but implementations may not check for this situation. Such indices cause implementation-dependent behavior.

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

`GL_INVALID_VALUE` is generated if `count` is negative.

`GL_INVALID_VALUE` is generated if end < start .

`GL_INVALID_OPERATION` is generated if a non-zero buffer object name is bound to an enabled array or the element array and the buffer object's data store is currently mapped.

`GL_INVALID_FRAMEBUFFER_OPERATION` is generated if the currently bound framebuffer is not framebuffer complete (i.e. the return value from glCheckFramebufferStatus is not `GL_FRAMEBUFFER_COMPLETE`).

`GL_INVALID_OPERATION` is generated if transform feedback is active and not paused.

## Associated Gets

glGet with argument `GL_MAX_ELEMENTS_VERTICES`

glGet with argument `GL_MAX_ELEMENTS_INDICES`

## Tutorials

## API Version Support

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

## See Also

glCheckFramebufferStatus, glDisableVertexAttribArray, glDrawArrays, glDrawElements, glDrawArraysInstanced, glDrawElementsInstanced, glEnableVertexAttribArray,

## 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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