glRotate.3G - Man Page

void glRotated( GLdouble angle,

	GLdouble x,
	GLdouble y,
	GLdouble z )

void glRotatef( GLfloat angle,

	GLfloat x,
	GLfloat y,
	GLfloat z )

angle

Specifies the angle of rotation, in degrees.

x,  y,  z

Specify the x, y, and z coordinates of a vector, respectively.

glRotate produces a rotation of angle degrees around  the vector $(\text{x},\text{y},\text{z})$. The current matrix (see glMatrixMode) is multiplied by a rotation  matrix with the product replacing the current matrix, as if glMultMatrix were called with the following matrix as its argument:

$\left(\begin{array}{cccc}\hfill {\text{x}}^2(1-c)+c\hfill & \hfill \text{x}\text{y}(1-c)-\text{z}s\hfill & \hfill \text{x}\text{z}(1-c)+\text{y}s\hfill & \hfill 0\hfill \\ \hfill \text{y}\text{x}(1-c)+\text{z}s\hfill & \hfill {\text{y}}^2(1-c)+c\hfill & \hfill \text{y}\text{z}(1-c)-\text{x}s\hfill & \hfill 0\hfill \\ \hfill \text{x}\text{z}(1-c)-\text{y}s\hfill & \hfill \text{y}\text{z}(1-c)+\text{x}s\hfill & \hfill {\text{z}}^2(1-c)+c\hfill & \hfill 0\hfill \\ \hfill 0\hfill & \hfill 0\hfill & \hfill 0\hfill & \hfill 1\hfill \end{array}\right)$

Where $c=\text{cos}\left(\text{angle}\right)$, $s=\text{sin}\left(\text{angle}\right)$, and  $||(\text{x},\text{y},\text{z})||=1$ (if not, the GL  will normalize this vector).

If the matrix mode is either GL_MODELVIEW or GL_PROJECTION, all objects drawn after glRotate is called are rotated. Use glPushMatrix and glPopMatrix to save and restore the unrotated coordinate system.

This rotation follows the right-hand rule, so if the vector $(\text{x},\text{y},\text{z})$ points toward the user, the rotation will be counterclockwise.

GL_INVALID_OPERATION is generated if glRotate is executed between the execution of glBegin and the corresponding execution of glEnd.

glGet with argument GL_MATRIX_MODE
glGet with argument GL_COLOR_MATRIX
glGet with argument GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX
glGet with argument GL_PROJECTION_MATRIX
glGet with argument GL_TEXTURE_MATRIX

glMatrixMode(3G), glMultMatrix(3G), glPushMatrix(3G), glScale(3G), glTranslate(3G)

glPushMatrix.3G(3), glScale.3G(3), glTranslate.3G(3).

The man pages glRotated.3G(3) and glRotatef.3G(3) are aliases of glRotate.3G(3).