# glStencilOpSeparate

## Name

glStencilOpSeparate — set front and/or back stencil test actions

## C Specification

 void glStencilOpSeparate( GLenum face, GLenum sfail, GLenum dpfail, GLenum dppass);

## Parameters

face

Specifies whether front and/or back stencil state is updated. Three symbolic constants are valid: GL_FRONT, GL_BACK, and GL_FRONT_AND_BACK.

sfail

Specifies the action to take when the stencil test fails. Eight symbolic constants are accepted: GL_KEEP, GL_ZERO, GL_REPLACE, GL_INCR, GL_INCR_WRAP, GL_DECR, GL_DECR_WRAP, and GL_INVERT. The initial value is GL_KEEP.

dpfail

Specifies the stencil action when the stencil test passes, but the depth test fails. dpfail accepts the same symbolic constants as sfail. The initial value is GL_KEEP.

dppass

Specifies the stencil action when both the stencil test and the depth test pass, or when the stencil test passes and either there is no depth buffer or depth testing is not enabled. dppass accepts the same symbolic constants as sfail. The initial value is GL_KEEP.

## Description

Stenciling, like depth-buffering, enables and disables drawing on a per-pixel basis. You draw into the stencil planes using GL drawing primitives, then render geometry and images, using the stencil planes to mask out portions of the screen. Stenciling is typically used in multipass rendering algorithms to achieve special effects, such as decals, outlining, and constructive solid geometry rendering.

The stencil test conditionally eliminates a pixel based on the outcome of a comparison between the value in the stencil buffer and a reference value. To enable and disable the test, call glEnable and glDisable with argument GL_STENCIL_TEST; to control it, call glStencilFunc or glStencilFuncSeparate.

There can be two separate sets of sfail, dpfail, and dppass parameters; one affects back-facing polygons, and the other affects front-facing polygons as well as other non-polygon primitives. glStencilOp sets both front and back stencil state to the same values, as if glStencilOpSeparate were called with face set to GL_FRONT_AND_BACK.

glStencilOpSeparate takes three arguments that indicate what happens to the stored stencil value while stenciling is enabled. If the stencil test fails, no change is made to the pixel's color or depth buffers, and sfail specifies what happens to the stencil buffer contents. The following eight actions are possible.

GL_KEEP

Keeps the current value.

GL_ZERO

Sets the stencil buffer value to 0.

GL_REPLACE

Sets the stencil buffer value to ref, as specified by glStencilFunc.

GL_INCR

Increments the current stencil buffer value. Clamps to the maximum representable unsigned value.

GL_INCR_WRAP

Increments the current stencil buffer value. Wraps stencil buffer value to zero when incrementing the maximum representable unsigned value.

GL_DECR

Decrements the current stencil buffer value. Clamps to 0.

GL_DECR_WRAP

Decrements the current stencil buffer value. Wraps stencil buffer value to the maximum representable unsigned value when decrementing a stencil buffer value of zero.

GL_INVERT

Bitwise inverts the current stencil buffer value.

Stencil buffer values are treated as unsigned integers. When incremented and decremented, values are clamped to 0 and $2 n - 1$, where $n$ is the value returned by querying GL_STENCIL_BITS.

The other two arguments to glStencilOpSeparate specify stencil buffer actions that depend on whether subsequent depth buffer tests succeed (dppass) or fail (dpfail) (see glDepthFunc). The actions are specified using the same eight symbolic constants as sfail. Note that dpfail is ignored when there is no depth buffer, or when the depth buffer is not enabled. In these cases, sfail and dppass specify stencil action when the stencil test fails and passes, respectively.

## Notes

glStencilOpSeparate is available only if the GL version is 2.0 or greater.

Initially the stencil test is disabled. If there is no stencil buffer, no stencil modification can occur and it is as if the stencil test always passes.

## Errors

GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if face is any value other than GL_FRONT, GL_BACK, or GL_FRONT_AND_BACK.

GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if sfail, dpfail, or dppass is any value other than the eight defined constant values.

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

## Associated Gets

glGet with argument GL_STENCIL_FAIL, GL_STENCIL_PASS_DEPTH_PASS, GL_STENCIL_PASS_DEPTH_FAIL, GL_STENCIL_BACK_FAIL, GL_STENCIL_BACK_PASS_DEPTH_PASS, GL_STENCIL_BACK_PASS_DEPTH_FAIL, or GL_STENCIL_BITS

glIsEnabled with argument GL_STENCIL_TEST