I like to aproach designing software from an object oriented approach. I like the idea of separating code into classes so code that is related to a certain object is contained in one place. Working on this project allowed me to practice creating objects and functions that made my code easier to read and maintain. My typical process for writing code is to first write code and debug it until it is functional. After this point, I like to go back and clean up and refactor my code. This is usually the part of the process where I add comments.
One of my favorite strategies for developing programs is working in incrementel steps. I like to focus on one feature or aspect of the code that I want to add or modify and only work on that specific code before moving on to something else. I test my programs frequently when I am writing code so I can make sure that everything works as intended before I start modifying another section of the code. Making too many changes in one session without testing in between modifications can easily lead to logical errors that can be tough to spot.
I learned a lot about working in 3D space by exploring the world of comptational graphics and visualizations. Most of the work I have done with graphics prior to this project has been limited to two-dimensions. Learning about computer science is helpful for me because it helped me put most of what I learned in linear algebra into perspective. While I was successful in my linear algebra course, I feel much more comfortable with the concepts I learned in linear algebra from the experience I had working with OpenGL. This will ultimately help me achieve my goal of becoming a successful software engineer because many of the things I learned taught me how to think outside the box in order to solve the problems I ran into along the journey. I learned just as much if not more from the mistakes I made than the things I did correct initially.