C++ OpenGL (FreeGLUT) Development on Windows with VS Code and TDM-GCC

This guide will help you set up a modern, portable C++ OpenGL development environment using FreeGLUT, TDM-GCC, and Visual Studio Code on Windows.

Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• FreeGLUT Installation
• Project Structure
• VS Code Configuration
  • c_cpp_properties.json
  • tasks.json
• Building and Running
• Sample Code
• Troubleshooting
• References

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Screenshot	Demo

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Prerequisites

• TDM-GCC (or MinGW-w64) installed (64-bit recommended)
• Visual Studio Code installed
• C/C++ extension for VS Code (by Microsoft)
• FreeGLUT MinGW package (Download here)

FreeGLUT Installation

1. Download the latest FreeGLUT MinGW package from TransmissionZero.

2. Extract the ZIP archive.

3. Copy header files:

   • From:
     freeglut\include\GL\*
   • To:
     C:\TDM-GCC-64\include\GL\
   • Files to copy:
     • freeglut.h
     • freeglut_ext.h
     • freeglut_std.h
     • glut.h

4. Copy library files:

   • From:
     freeglut\lib\x64\libfreeglut.a
   • To:
     C:\TDM-GCC-64\lib\

5. Copy DLL file:

   • From:
     freeglut\bin\x64\freeglut.dll
   • To:
     C:\TDM-GCC-64\bin\
   • Do NOT copy to C:\Windows\System32\ unless you want it globally available (not recommended).

Project Structure

your-project/
├── .vscode/
│   ├── c_cpp_properties.json
│   └── tasks.json
├── build/
├── src/
│   └── main.cpp
└── README.md

VS Code Configuration

.vscode/c_cpp_properties.json

{
  "version": 4,
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Win32",
      "includePath": [
        "${workspaceFolder}/src",
        "C:/TDM-GCC-64/include",
        "C:/TDM-GCC-64/include/c++/10.3.0",
        "C:/TDM-GCC-64/include/c++/10.3.0/x86_64-w64-mingw32",
        "C:/TDM-GCC-64/x86_64-w64-mingw32/include",
        "C:/TDM-GCC-64/include/GL"
      ],
      "defines": ["_DEBUG", "UNICODE", "_UNICODE"],
      "compilerPath": "C:/TDM-GCC-64/bin/g++.exe",
      "cStandard": "c17",
      "cppStandard": "gnu++14",
      "intelliSenseMode": "windows-gcc-x64"
    }
  ]
}

.vscode/tasks.json

This setup allows you to:

• Build the currently open C++ file (${file})
• Output the executable to build/
• Automatically run the executable after building

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Build Active C++ File (FreeGLUT)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "g++",
      "args": [
        "${file}",
        "-IC:/TDM-GCC-64/include",
        "-LC:/TDM-GCC-64/lib",
        "-lfreeglut",
        "-lopengl32",
        "-lglu32",
        "-o",
        "${workspaceFolder}/build/${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe"
      ],
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": ["$gcc"]
    },
    {
      "label": "Run Executable",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "${workspaceFolder}/build/${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe",
      "dependsOn": "Build Active C++ File (FreeGLUT)",
      "group": "test",
      "presentation": {
        "echo": true,
        "reveal": "always",
        "focus": true,
        "panel": "new"
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Build and Run",
      "dependsOn": ["Build Active C++ File (FreeGLUT)", "Run Executable"],
      "dependsOrder": "sequence",
      "problemMatcher": ["$gcc"]
    }
  ]
}

Building and Running

• To build and run:
  Press Ctrl+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task" → select Build and Run.

• To build only:
  Press Ctrl+Shift+B (default build task).

• The output executable will appear in the build/ folder.

Sample Code

Try this minimal FreeGLUT test:

#include

void display() {
    glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
    glFlush();
}

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    glutInit(&argc, argv);
    glutCreateWindow("FreeGLUT Test");
    glutDisplayFunc(display);
    glutMainLoop();
    return 0;
}

Compile with:

g++ -o test.exe test.cpp -lfreeglut -lopengl32

If you see a window pop up, your setup is working!

Troubleshooting

• No window appears:
  Ensure freeglut.dll is in C:\TDM-GCC-64\bin or the same folder as your .exe.

• Header not found:
  Check that all header files are in C:\TDM-GCC-64\include\GL\.

• Linker errors:
  Ensure libfreeglut.a is in C:\TDM-GCC-64\lib\ and you are linking with -lfreeglut -lopengl32 -lglu32.

• IntelliSense not working:
  Check your c_cpp_properties.json paths.

References

• FreeGLUT for Windows (TransmissionZero)
• TDM-GCC Compiler
• OpenGL/GLUT Programming Guide
• VS Code C++ Extension

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Happy Coding!
If you run into any issues, double-check your paths and library files, or ask for help!