Easiest way to get the OpenGL Version with C#

Question

I use an external C++ DLL which useses OpenGL. But the external DLL chrashes when there is no OpenGL on the running system. I tried to catch the exception from the dll in my C# code, but it seems like I can not catch it, because the exception is raised in the c++ dll.

So my next idea is it to implement a simple function that checks, which version of OpenGL is installed.

I have absolute no idea of OpenGL and how it works, but someone told me I need to create a context to get the version of it. Is there a simple way to implement a function that does that in C#? I do not want to import a heavy dll like OpenTK just to get the version.

Can I directly call the opengl32.dll and create a context to get the version?

eg

[DllImport("opengl32.dll")]
public static extern string glGetString(string glVersion);

I know that this snippet won't work, but what does it need to make it work? How can I create such a context, because if that won't work I might already know that there is no OpenGL and my problem would be solved if I can catch that.

Answer 1

As you mentioned:

To be specific the c++ dll is actually a C# wrapped version of a C++ dll. So I reference it as it would be a normal C# dll.

You're in luck that referenced assemblies are not loaded until they are called upon for the first time (because otherwise the complexity of the answer would greatly increase in my knowledge). This way you can check for the OpenGL version before that wrapper is actually loaded (and possibly crash, due to no OpenGL present).

My suggestion is you use the information described in this question to determine where OpenGL is installed.

Then you can refer this question on how to get the version.

That C++ code roughly translates to the following C# code:

internal static class Imports
{
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Winapi, SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi)]
    public static extern IntPtr LoadLibrary([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)]string lpFileName);

    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Winapi, SetLastError = true)]
    [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
    public static extern bool FreeLibrary(IntPtr hModule);

    [DllImport("user32.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Winapi)]
    public static extern IntPtr GetDC(IntPtr hWnd);

    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Winapi, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, ExactSpelling = true, SetLastError = true)]
    public static extern IntPtr GetProcAddress(IntPtr hModule, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)]string procName);
}

internal sealed class UnmanagedLibrary : IDisposable
{
    private bool disposed = false;

    public UnmanagedLibrary(string path)
    {
        Handle = Imports.LoadLibrary(path);
        if (Handle == IntPtr.Zero)
        {
            throw new Exception($"Failed to load library \"{path}\" ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
        }
    }

    ~UnmanagedLibrary()
    {
        Dispose(false);
    }

    public void Dispose()
    { 
        Dispose(true);

        GC.SuppressFinalize(this);           
    }

    private void Dispose(bool disposing)
    {
        if (!disposed)
        {
            Imports.FreeLibrary(Handle);

            disposed = true;
        }
    }

    public IntPtr Handle
    {
        get;
        private set;
    }
}

internal static class OpenGLHelper
{
    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Explicit)]
    private struct PIXELFORMATDESCRIPTOR 
    {
        [FieldOffset(0)]
        public UInt16 nSize;
        [FieldOffset(2)]
        public UInt16 nVersion;
        [FieldOffset(4)]
        public UInt32 dwFlags;
        [FieldOffset(8)]
        public Byte iPixelType;
        [FieldOffset(9)]
        public Byte cColorBits;
        [FieldOffset(10)]
        public Byte cRedBits;
        [FieldOffset(11)]
        public Byte cRedShift;
        [FieldOffset(12)]
        public Byte cGreenBits;
        [FieldOffset(13)]
        public Byte cGreenShift;
        [FieldOffset(14)]
        public Byte cBlueBits;
        [FieldOffset(15)]
        public Byte cBlueShift;
        [FieldOffset(16)]
        public Byte cAlphaBits;
        [FieldOffset(17)]
        public Byte cAlphaShift;
        [FieldOffset(18)]
        public Byte cAccumBits;
        [FieldOffset(19)]
        public Byte cAccumRedBits;
        [FieldOffset(20)]
        public Byte cAccumGreenBits;
        [FieldOffset(21)]
        public Byte cAccumBlueBits;
        [FieldOffset(22)]
        public Byte cAccumAlphaBits;
        [FieldOffset(23)]
        public Byte cDepthBits;
        [FieldOffset(24)]
        public Byte cStencilBits;
        [FieldOffset(25)]
        public Byte cAuxBuffers;
        [FieldOffset(26)]
        public SByte iLayerType;
        [FieldOffset(27)]
        public Byte bReserved;
        [FieldOffset(28)]
        public UInt32 dwLayerMask;
        [FieldOffset(32)]
        public UInt32 dwVisibleMask;
        [FieldOffset(36)]
        public UInt32 dwDamageMask;
    }

    private const byte PFD_TYPE_RGBA = 0;

    private const sbyte PFD_MAIN_PLANE = 0;

    private const uint PFD_DOUBLEBUFFER = 1;
    private const uint PFD_DRAW_TO_WINDOW = 4;
    private const uint PFD_SUPPORT_OPENGL = 32;

    private const int GL_VERSION = 0x1F02;

    [UnmanagedFunctionPointer(CallingConvention.Winapi)]
    private delegate int ChoosePixelFormatDelegate(IntPtr hdc, IntPtr ppfd);

    [UnmanagedFunctionPointer(CallingConvention.Winapi)]
    private delegate int SetPixelFormatDelegate(IntPtr hdc, int format, IntPtr ppfd);

    [UnmanagedFunctionPointer(CallingConvention.Winapi)]
    private delegate IntPtr wglCreateContextDelegate(IntPtr arg1);

    [UnmanagedFunctionPointer(CallingConvention.Winapi)]
    private delegate int wglDeleteContextDelegate(IntPtr arg1);

    [UnmanagedFunctionPointer(CallingConvention.Winapi)]
    private delegate int wglMakeCurrentDelegate(IntPtr arg1, IntPtr arg2);

    [UnmanagedFunctionPointer(CallingConvention.Winapi)]
    private delegate IntPtr glGetStringDelegate(int name);

    public static string GetVersion()
    {
        using (UnmanagedLibrary openGLLib = new UnmanagedLibrary("opengl32.dll"))
        using (UnmanagedLibrary gdi32Lib = new UnmanagedLibrary("Gdi32.dll"))
        {
            IntPtr deviceContextHandle = Imports.GetDC(Process.GetCurrentProcess().MainWindowHandle);
            if (deviceContextHandle == IntPtr.Zero)
            {
                throw new Exception("Failed to get device context from the main window.");
            }

            IntPtr choosePixelFormatAddress = Imports.GetProcAddress(gdi32Lib.Handle, "ChoosePixelFormat");
            if (choosePixelFormatAddress == IntPtr.Zero)
            {
                throw new Exception($"Failed to get ChoosePixelFormat address ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
            }

            ChoosePixelFormatDelegate choosePixelFormat = Marshal.GetDelegateForFunctionPointer<ChoosePixelFormatDelegate>(choosePixelFormatAddress);

            PIXELFORMATDESCRIPTOR pfd = new PIXELFORMATDESCRIPTOR
            {
                nSize = (UInt16)Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(PIXELFORMATDESCRIPTOR)),
                nVersion = 1,
                dwFlags = (PFD_DRAW_TO_WINDOW | PFD_SUPPORT_OPENGL | PFD_DOUBLEBUFFER),
                iPixelType = PFD_TYPE_RGBA,
                cColorBits = 32,
                cRedBits = 0,
                cRedShift = 0,
                cGreenBits = 0,
                cGreenShift = 0,
                cBlueBits = 0,
                cBlueShift = 0,
                cAlphaBits = 0,
                cAlphaShift = 0,
                cAccumBits = 0,
                cAccumRedBits = 0,
                cAccumGreenBits = 0,
                cAccumBlueBits = 0,
                cAccumAlphaBits = 0,
                cDepthBits = 24,
                cStencilBits = 8,
                cAuxBuffers = 0,
                iLayerType = PFD_MAIN_PLANE,
                bReserved = 0,
                dwLayerMask = 0,
                dwVisibleMask = 0,
                dwDamageMask = 0
            };

            IntPtr pfdPtr = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(PIXELFORMATDESCRIPTOR)));
            try
            {
                Marshal.StructureToPtr(pfd, pfdPtr, false);

                int pixelFormat = choosePixelFormat(deviceContextHandle, pfdPtr);
                if (pixelFormat == 0)
                {
                    throw new Exception($"Failed to choose pixel format ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                }

                IntPtr setPixelFormatAddress = Imports.GetProcAddress(gdi32Lib.Handle, "SetPixelFormat");
                if (setPixelFormatAddress == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    throw new Exception($"Failed to get SetPixelFormat address ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                }

                SetPixelFormatDelegate setPixelFormat = Marshal.GetDelegateForFunctionPointer<SetPixelFormatDelegate>(setPixelFormatAddress);
                if (setPixelFormat(deviceContextHandle, pixelFormat, pfdPtr) <= 0)
                {
                    throw new Exception($"Failed to set pixel format ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                }

                IntPtr wglCreateContextAddress = Imports.GetProcAddress(openGLLib.Handle, "wglCreateContext");
                if (wglCreateContextAddress == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    throw new Exception($"Failed to get wglCreateContext address ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                }

                wglCreateContextDelegate wglCreateContext = Marshal.GetDelegateForFunctionPointer<wglCreateContextDelegate>(wglCreateContextAddress);

                IntPtr wglDeleteContextAddress = Imports.GetProcAddress(openGLLib.Handle, "wglDeleteContext");
                if (wglDeleteContextAddress == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    throw new Exception($"Failed to get wglDeleteContext address ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                }

                wglDeleteContextDelegate wglDeleteContext = Marshal.GetDelegateForFunctionPointer<wglDeleteContextDelegate>(wglDeleteContextAddress);

                IntPtr openGLRenderingContext = wglCreateContext(deviceContextHandle);
                if (openGLRenderingContext == IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    throw new Exception($"Failed to create OpenGL rendering context ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                }

                try
                {
                    IntPtr wglMakeCurrentAddress = Imports.GetProcAddress(openGLLib.Handle, "wglMakeCurrent");
                    if (wglMakeCurrentAddress == IntPtr.Zero)
                    {
                        throw new Exception($"Failed to get wglMakeCurrent address ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                    }

                    wglMakeCurrentDelegate wglMakeCurrent = Marshal.GetDelegateForFunctionPointer<wglMakeCurrentDelegate>(wglMakeCurrentAddress);
                    if (wglMakeCurrent(deviceContextHandle, openGLRenderingContext) <= 0)
                    {
                        throw new Exception($"Failed to make current device context ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                    }

                    IntPtr glGetStringAddress = Imports.GetProcAddress(openGLLib.Handle, "glGetString");
                    if (glGetStringAddress == IntPtr.Zero)
                    {
                        throw new Exception($"Failed to get glGetString address ({Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()}).");
                    }

                    glGetStringDelegate glGetString = Marshal.GetDelegateForFunctionPointer<glGetStringDelegate>(glGetStringAddress);
                    IntPtr versionStrPtr = glGetString(GL_VERSION);
                    if (versionStrPtr == IntPtr.Zero)
                    {
                        // I don't think this ever goes wrong, in the context of OP's question and considering the current code.
                        throw new Exception("Failed to get OpenGL version string.");
                    }

                    return Marshal.PtrToStringAnsi(versionStrPtr);
                }
                finally
                {
                    wglDeleteContext(openGLRenderingContext);
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                Marshal.FreeHGlobal(pfdPtr);
            }
        }
    }
}

You can then get the version string via:

OpenGLHelper.GetVersion()

Whichs gives me the following output on my machine:

4.5.0 - Build 22.20.16.4836

From MSDN :

The GL_VERSION string begins with a version number. The version number uses one of these forms:

major_number.minor_number

major_number.minor_number.release_number

The important part is, is that you do this check before you actually call anything from the wrapper DLL.

The way this code works is that it dynamically retrieves the function addresses in opengl32.dll and Gdi32.dll . It dynamically loads the two mentioned libraries and retrieves the function addresses we need to call. This differs from DllImport as it imports from an already loaded library. So in a sense we're doing exactly the same as DllImport , except for manually loading/unloading the unmanaged libraries. I suggest you search for the function names on MSDN, which clearly explains what each function does and returns.

CAVEAT: This code assumes your application has a window associated with it. Although GetDC is valid with a null pointer (which should return the device context for the entire screen according to MSDN ), I don't know if that will always work.

NOTE: You should also implement your own Exception instead of throwing the base one.