Question

Is there a simple way to have isometric projection?

I mean the true isometric projection, not the general orthogonal projection.

(Isometric projection happens only when projections of unit X, Y and Z vectors are equally long and angles between them are exactly 120 degrees.)

Answer 1

Try using gluLookAt

glClearColor(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);

glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
glLoadIdentity();

/* use this length so that camera is 1 unit away from origin */
double dist = sqrt(1 / 3.0);

gluLookAt(dist, dist, dist,  /* position of camera */
          0.0,  0.0,  0.0,   /* where camera is pointing at */
          0.0,  1.0,  0.0);  /* which direction is up */
glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);

glBegin(GL_LINES);

glColor3d(1.0, 0.0, 0.0);
glVertex3d(0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
glVertex3d(1.0, 0.0, 0.0);

glColor3d(0.0, 1.0, 0.0);
glVertex3d(0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
glVertex3d(0.0, 1.0, 0.0);

glColor3d(0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
glVertex3d(0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
glVertex3d(0.0, 0.0, 1.0);

glEnd();

glFlush();

Results in

We can draw a cube to check that parallel lines are indeed parallel

glPushMatrix();
glTranslated(0.5, 0.5, 0.5);
glColor3d(0.5, 0.5, 0.5);
glutWireCube(1);
glPopMatrix();