1991-2006 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
glColorMask 3G
glColorMask enable and disable writing of frame buffer color components

## C Specification

void `glColorMask` GLboolean red GLboolean green GLboolean blue GLboolean alpha

## Parameters

red
green
blue
alpha

  Specify whether red, green, blue, and alpha can or cannot be written into the frame buffer. The initial values are all `GL_TRUE`, indicating that the color components can be written.

## Description

`glColorMask` specifies whether the individual color components in the frame buffer can or cannot be written. If red is `GL_FALSE`, for example, no change is made to the red component of any pixel in any of the color buffers, regardless of the drawing operation attempted.

Changes to individual bits of components cannot be controlled. Rather, changes are either enabled or disabled for entire color components.

## Errors

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

## Associated Gets

glGet with argument `GL_COLOR_WRITEMASK`

glGet with argument `GL_RGBA_MODE`

## See Also

glClear, glColor, glColorPointer, glDepthMask, glIndex, glIndexPointer, glIndexMask, glStencilMask

## Copyright

Copyright 1991-2006 Silicon Graphics, Inc. This document is licensed under the SGI Free Software B License. For details, see http://oss.sgi.com/projects/FreeB/.