Opengl Draw 2D Rectangle in a Moving 3D scene - c++

Question

I have a 3D labyrinth with a 3d model that the user controls to exit the labyrinth. I want to draw a rectangle on top of the models head, in which the idea is to show his "energy". The rectangle is to be above his head at all times.
I have this code so far:
glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW); //Switch to the drawing perspective
glLoadIdentity(); //Reset the drawing perspective
glColor3f(1, 0, 0);
glTranslatef(modelo.objecto.pos.x, modelo.objecto.pos.y+1, modelo.objecto.pos.z);
glBegin(GL_QUADS); //Begin quadrilateral coordinates
//Trapezoid
glVertex2f(0, 0);
glVertex2f(2, 0);
glVertex2f(2, .5);
glVertex2f(0, .5);
glEnd(); //End quadrilateral coordinates
This is the result: Result
It doensn't appear neither red, nor at the right position..

Answer 1

Project the world-space coordinate of the top of the model's head into window space using gluProject() or similar.
Swap your projection matrix over to an ortho one
Draw quad centered on window space coords acquired in #1.
All together:
#include <GL/glut.h>
float angle = 0;
void timer( int extra )
{
angle += 0.5;
glutPostRedisplay();
glutTimerFunc( 16, timer, 0 );
}
void display(void)
{
const double w = glutGet( GLUT_WINDOW_WIDTH );
const double h = glutGet( GLUT_WINDOW_HEIGHT );
const double ar = w / h;
glClear( GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT );
glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
glLoadIdentity();
gluPerspective( 60.0, ar, 0.1, 100.0 );
glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
glLoadIdentity();
glTranslatef( 0, 0, -4 );
glRotatef( angle, 0.1, 0.5, 0.3 );
glColor3ub( 255, 255, 255 );
glutWireCube( 2.0 );
GLdouble modelview[16];
glGetDoublev( GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX, modelview );
GLdouble projection[16];
glGetDoublev( GL_PROJECTION_MATRIX, projection );
GLint viewport[4];
glGetIntegerv( GL_VIEWPORT, viewport );
double x, y, z;
gluProject( 1, 1, 1, modelview, projection, viewport, &x, &y, &z );
glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
glLoadIdentity();
glOrtho( 0, w, 0, h, -1, 1 );
glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
glLoadIdentity();
glTranslatef( x, y, 0 );
glScalef( 10, 10, 1 );
glBegin( GL_QUADS );
glColor3ub( 255, 0, 0 );
glVertex2i( -1, -1 );
glVertex2i( 1, -1 );
glVertex2i( 1, 1 );
glVertex2i( -1, 1 );
glEnd();
glutSwapBuffers();
}
int main( int argc, char **argv )
{
glutInit( &argc, argv );
glutInitDisplayMode( GLUT_RGBA | GLUT_DOUBLE | GLUT_DEPTH );
glutInitWindowSize( 800, 600 );
glutCreateWindow( "GLUT" );
glutDisplayFunc( display );
glutTimerFunc( 0, timer, 0 );
glutMainLoop();
return 0;
}

Answer 2

The easiest way to accomplish that would probably be to a have a plane and place it right over the model, then turn the rotation to the camera. The only problem with that might be that the energy bar is affected by perspective in that case and to get rid of that you would need to render in ortho. But if you are fine with the perspective changing the look of it, that should be a good enough solution.