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From: vanevery@blarg.net (Brandon J. Van Every)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.api.misc,comp.graphics.algorithms,comp.windows.x.i386unix,gnu.misc.discuss,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.development.apps
Subject: Re: Freeware community needs 3d library NOW
Followup-To: comp.graphics.api.misc,comp.graphics.algorithms,comp.windows.x.i386unix,gnu.misc.discuss,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.development.apps
Date: 26 Jun 1996 17:08:14 GMT
Organization: Blarg! Online Services 206/441-9109
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Ian Kemmish (ian@five-d.com) wrote:
: In article <4qlf04$7pj@guysmiley.blarg.net>, vanevery@blarg.net says...
: People currently write device drivers for existing 2D chipsets for these
: freeware platforms, so the interface details must be available. What makes
: interfacing to 3D chipsets different?
Because 2d is pretty simple, whereas 3d requires considerable
programming on top of the hardware itself in order to do anything
useful. (Unless your 3d chip is expensive and does everything.)
Also, mass market 3d hardware acceleration is "new," and not enough
time has passed for 3d to be perceived as a commodity (like 2d.) 3d
is what everyone thinks they will make money on, so the specs are
guarded.
: If they're all going to be working to
: the D3D API, then surely the situation becomes easier, not harder, than at
: present?
Well, "someone" could do a Direct3D clone. But that "someone" can't be
me... at DEC I have legal entanglements that I can't escape.
Cloning the Direct3d _API_ is probably doable. Cloning the Direct3d
_architecture_, in such a way that 3d vendors have an incentive to
write drivers for both Win95 and Linux, FreeBSD, etc is probably
non-doable. I really think we're talking about the freeware community
writing its own drivers. The 3d vendors themselves are not going to
pick up the tab. In the absolute best case, maybe they'll provide
un-optimized sample code.
Does anyone have any benchmark results back, as to how "good" Direct3D
really is? Part of me is thinking that if Direct3d is so good, why
would we bother to clone it? We should just jump over to Windows and
start working on freeware Windows compilers. (Anyone know the status
of efforts in this area? I know there are some, but I don't remember
if they deal with Win95/NT GUI's or not.)
: And not to put too fine a point on it, MS first announced its 3D API four
: years ago, when it wasn't going to be compatible with OpenGL.... the chipset
: manufactuerers didn't jump very quickly then.
Whatever their missteps 4 years ago, Microsoft has the library now,
and the vendors are lining up now. I say this as a person who just
got back from a well-attended OpenGL developer's conference at
Microsoft. I can only assume that Direct3d will have even more
support. Especially since Microsoft is making very credible efforts
to be "a player" in the consumer products / entertainment arena. They
have a whole new division over here in Seattle, dedicated to that.
Microsoft is offering a serious, credible partnership with 3d vendors,
and unfortunately the freeware community really has nothing comparable
to offer right now.
Cheers,
--
Brandon J. Van Every | Check out Free3d, my 100% efficient, 100% portable
| 3d lib, at <http://www.blarg.net/~vanevery>.
3d Computer Graphics |
C++ UNIX X11 WinNT | E-mail: vanevery@blarg.net