glDrawElements
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## Name

glDrawElements, glDrawElementsub, glDrawElementsui, glDrawElementsus — render primitives from array data

## C Specification

`void `glDrawElements`` | `(` | `GLenum `mode`, GLsizei `count`, GLenum `type`, const GLvoid *`indices`);`

## Python Specification

``glDrawElements`` | `(` | ``mode`, `count`, `type`, `indices`) → `None``
``glDrawElementsub`` | `(` | ``mode`, `indices`[]) → `None``
``glDrawElementsui`` | `(` | ``mode`, `indices`[]) → `None``
``glDrawElementsus`` | `(` | ``mode`, `indices`[]) → `None``

## Parameters

`mode`
  Specifies what kind of primitives to render. Symbolic constants `GL_POINTS`, `GL_LINE_STRIP`, `GL_LINE_LOOP`, `GL_LINES`, `GL_TRIANGLE_STRIP`, `GL_TRIANGLE_FAN`, `GL_TRIANGLES`, `GL_QUAD_STRIP`, `GL_QUADS`, and `GL_POLYGON` are accepted.
`count`
  Specifies the number of elements to be rendered.
`type`
  Specifies the type of the values in `indices`. Must be one of `GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE`, `GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT`, or `GL_UNSIGNED_INT`.
`indices`
  Specifies a pointer to the location where the indices are stored.

## Description

`glDrawElements` specifies multiple geometric primitives with very few subroutine calls. Instead of calling a GL function to pass each individual vertex, normal, texture coordinate, edge flag, or color, you can prespecify separate arrays of vertexes, normals, and so on and use them to construct a sequence of primitives with a single call to `glDrawElements`.

When `glDrawElements` is called, it uses `count` sequential elements from an enabled array, starting at `indices` to construct a sequence of geometric primitives. `mode` specifies what kind of primitives are constructed, and how the array elements construct these primitives. If more than one array is enabled, each is used. If `GL_VERTEX_ARRAY` is not enabled, no geometric primitives are constructed.

Vertex attributes that are modified by `glDrawElements` have an unspecified value after `glDrawElements` returns. For example, if `GL_COLOR_ARRAY` is enabled, the value of the current color is undefined after `glDrawElements` executes. Attributes that aren't modified maintain their previous values.

## Notes

`glDrawElements` is available only if the GL version is 1.1 or greater.

`glDrawElements` is included in display lists. If `glDrawElements` is entered into a display list, the necessary array data (determined by the array pointers and enables) is also entered into the display list. Because the array pointers and enables are client-side state, their values affect display lists when the lists are created, not when the lists are executed.

## Errors

`GL_INVALID_ENUM` is generated if `mode` is not an accepted value.

`GL_INVALID_VALUE` is generated if `count` is negative.

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

## See Also

glArrayElement, glColorPointer, glDrawArrays, glDrawRangeElements, glEdgeFlagPointer, glGetPointerv, glIndexPointer, glInterleavedArrays, glNormalPointer, glTexCoordPointer, glVertexPointer

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