# glPixelStorei

## Name

glPixelStorei — set pixel storage modes

## C Specification

 void glPixelStorei( GLenum pname, GLint param);

## Parameters

pname

Specifies the symbolic name of the parameter to be set. Six values affect the packing of pixel data into memory: GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH, GL_PACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT, GL_PACK_SKIP_PIXELS, GL_PACK_SKIP_ROWS, GL_PACK_SKIP_IMAGES, and GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT. Six more affect the unpacking of pixel data from memory: GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH, GL_UNPACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT, GL_UNPACK_SKIP_PIXELS, GL_UNPACK_SKIP_ROWS, GL_UNPACK_SKIP_IMAGES, and GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT.

param

Specifies the value that pname is set to.

## Description

glPixelStorei sets pixel storage modes that affect the operation of subsequent glReadPixels as well as the unpacking of texture patterns (see glTexImage2D, glTexImage3D, glTexSubImage2D, glTexSubImage3D).

pname is a symbolic constant indicating the parameter to be set, and param is the new value. Six of the twelve storage parameters affect how pixel data is returned to client memory. They are as follows:

GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH

If greater than 0, GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH defines the number of pixels in a row. If the first pixel of a row is placed at location $p$ in memory, then the location of the first pixel of the next row is obtained by skipping

components or indices, where $n$ is the number of components or indices in a pixel, $l$ is the number of pixels in a row (GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH if it is greater than 0, the $width$ argument to the pixel routine otherwise), $a$ is the value of GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT, and $s$ is the size, in bytes, of a single component (if $a < s$, then it is as if $a = s$). In the case of 1-bit values, the location of the next row is obtained by skipping

components or indices.

The word component in this description refers to the nonindex values red, green, blue, alpha, and depth. Storage format GL_RGB, for example, has three components per pixel: first red, then green, and finally blue.

GL_PACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT

If greater than 0, GL_PACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT defines the number of pixels in an image three-dimensional texture volume, where image'' is defined by all pixels sharing the same third dimension index. If the first pixel of a row is placed at location $p$ in memory, then the location of the first pixel of the next row is obtained by skipping

components or indices, where $n$ is the number of components or indices in a pixel, $l$ is the number of pixels in a row (GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH if it is greater than 0, the $width$ argument to glTexImage3D otherwise), $h$ is the number of rows in a pixel image (GL_PACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT if it is greater than 0, the $height$ argument to the glTexImage3D routine otherwise), $a$ is the value of GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT, and $s$ is the size, in bytes, of a single component (if $a < s$, then it is as if $a = s$).

The word component in this description refers to the nonindex values red, green, blue, alpha, and depth. Storage format GL_RGB, for example, has three components per pixel: first red, then green, and finally blue.

GL_PACK_SKIP_PIXELS, GL_PACK_SKIP_ROWS, and GL_PACK_SKIP_IMAGES

These values are provided as a convenience to the programmer; they provide no functionality that cannot be duplicated simply by incrementing the pointer passed to glReadPixels. Setting GL_PACK_SKIP_PIXELS to $i$ is equivalent to incrementing the pointer by $i ⁢ n$ components or indices, where $n$ is the number of components or indices in each pixel. Setting GL_PACK_SKIP_ROWS to $j$ is equivalent to incrementing the pointer by $j ⁢ m$ components or indices, where $m$ is the number of components or indices per row, as just computed in the GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH section. Setting GL_PACK_SKIP_IMAGES to $k$ is equivalent to incrementing the pointer by $k ⁢ p$, where $p$ is the number of components or indices per image, as computed in the GL_PACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT section.

GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT

Specifies the alignment requirements for the start of each pixel row in memory. The allowable values are 1 (byte-alignment), 2 (rows aligned to even-numbered bytes), 4 (word-alignment), and 8 (rows start on double-word boundaries).

The other six of the twelve storage parameters affect how pixel data is read from client memory. These values are significant for glTexImage2D, glTexImage3D, glTexSubImage2D, and glTexSubImage3D

They are as follows:

GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH

If greater than 0, GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH defines the number of pixels in a row. If the first pixel of a row is placed at location $p$ in memory, then the location of the first pixel of the next row is obtained by skipping

components or indices, where $n$ is the number of components or indices in a pixel, $l$ is the number of pixels in a row (GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH if it is greater than 0, the $width$ argument to the pixel routine otherwise), $a$ is the value of GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT, and $s$ is the size, in bytes, of a single component (if $a < s$, then it is as if $a = s$). In the case of 1-bit values, the location of the next row is obtained by skipping

components or indices.

The word component in this description refers to the nonindex values red, green, blue, alpha, and depth. Storage format GL_RGB, for example, has three components per pixel: first red, then green, and finally blue.

GL_UNPACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT

If greater than 0, GL_UNPACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT defines the number of pixels in an image of a three-dimensional texture volume. Where image'' is defined by all pixel sharing the same third dimension index. If the first pixel of a row is placed at location $p$ in memory, then the location of the first pixel of the next row is obtained by skipping

components or indices, where $n$ is the number of components or indices in a pixel, $l$ is the number of pixels in a row (GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH if it is greater than 0, the $width$ argument to glTexImage3D otherwise), $h$ is the number of rows in an image (GL_UNPACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT if it is greater than 0, the $height$ argument to glTexImage3D otherwise), $a$ is the value of GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT, and $s$ is the size, in bytes, of a single component (if $a < s$, then it is as if $a = s$).

The word component in this description refers to the nonindex values red, green, blue, alpha, and depth. Storage format GL_RGB, for example, has three components per pixel: first red, then green, and finally blue.

GL_UNPACK_SKIP_PIXELS, GL_UNPACK_SKIP_ROWS and GL_UNPACK_SKIP_IMAGES

These values are provided as a convenience to the programmer; they provide no functionality that cannot be duplicated by incrementing the pointer passed to glTexImage1D, glTexImage2D, glTexSubImage1D or glTexSubImage2D. Setting GL_UNPACK_SKIP_PIXELS to $i$ is equivalent to incrementing the pointer by $i ⁢ n$ components or indices, where $n$ is the number of components or indices in each pixel. Setting GL_UNPACK_SKIP_ROWS to $j$ is equivalent to incrementing the pointer by $j ⁢ k$ components or indices, where $k$ is the number of components or indices per row, as just computed in the GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH section. Setting GL_UNPACK_SKIP_IMAGES to $k$ is equivalent to incrementing the pointer by $k ⁢ p$, where $p$ is the number of components or indices per image, as computed in the GL_UNPACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT section.

GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT

Specifies the alignment requirements for the start of each pixel row in memory. The allowable values are 1 (byte-alignment), 2 (rows aligned to even-numbered bytes), 4 (word-alignment), and 8 (rows start on double-word boundaries).

The following table gives the type, initial value, and range of valid values for each storage parameter that can be set with glPixelStorei.

pname Type Initial Value Valid Range
GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_PACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_PACK_SKIP_ROWS integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_PACK_SKIP_PIXELS integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_PACK_SKIP_IMAGES integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT integer 4 1, 2, 4, or 8
GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_UNPACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_UNPACK_SKIP_ROWS integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_UNPACK_SKIP_PIXELS integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_UNPACK_SKIP_IMAGES integer 0 $0 ∞$
GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT integer 4 1, 2, 4, or 8

## Errors

GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if pname is not an accepted value.

GL_INVALID_VALUE is generated if a negative row length, pixel skip, or row skip value is specified, or if alignment is specified as other than 1, 2, 4, or 8.

## Associated Gets

glGet with argument GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH

glGet with argument GL_PACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT

glGet with argument GL_PACK_SKIP_ROWS

glGet with argument GL_PACK_SKIP_PIXELS

glGet with argument GL_PACK_SKIP_IMAGES

glGet with argument GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT

glGet with argument GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH

glGet with argument GL_UNPACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT

glGet with argument GL_UNPACK_SKIP_ROWS

glGet with argument GL_UNPACK_SKIP_PIXELS

glGet with argument GL_UNPACK_SKIP_IMAGES

glGet with argument GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT

## API Version Support

OpenGL ES API Version
Function Name 2.0 3.0 3.1
glPixelStorei