Posted by jkcnshs on 03:35:00 05-03-2002
I know this is a stupid question, but I'll ask anyway. What exactly is OpenGL, and what is it used for?
Posted by AntiHalcyon on 05:47:00 05-03-2002
OpenGL is an API that was made to develop interactive graphics applications that are portable.
Posted by nonama on 05:53:00 05-03-2002
is it hardware or sofwtare level? and what does hardware level stuff offers to us.
Posted by seunosewa on 06:02:00 05-03-2002
A standard software interface (API) to hardware or emulated hardware, I suppose.
Posted by jkcnshs on 06:43:00 05-03-2002
How would I get, or use it?
Posted by fabs on 13:53:00 05-03-2002
You need the OpenGL SDK (Software Development kit). Once you have that you can start learning the API and use the library in your c/c++ programs.
I have never installed the OpenGL SDK on windows but I believe you can download it here:
http://www.berkelium.com/OpenGL/sgi-download.html
fabs
Posted by MoX on 14:49:00 05-03-2002
I think you can use it in many languages. Not only C/C++.
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Posted by KaGez on 19:32:00 05-03-2002
Actually, OpenGL is a hardware based 3d library. If you see it _really_ simple, it's the same as d3d (direct 3d). These 2 both have in common that you need the hardware that supports this library. The main difference between these 2 is that OpenGL is available for almost every OS out there, which D3d is _not_. D3d is only working natively under windows.
I think if you want to make your stuff widely availbale, OpenGL is the best choice you could do. If you program 3d stuff and you use d3d, the target audience will be only windows users.
The other good thing about OpenGL is, that you have so called "extensions". For example WGL or GLX are such extensions (WGL = WindowsGL, GLX = OpenGL for X). Some vendors (for example Nvidia is a well know one) also have their own extensions for OpenGL. So OpenGL could be extended infinitely. I don't know if d3d has such abilities too, but I've never heard of them.
In windows you need the OpenGL SDK as fabs said above, which is available on the MSDN. In Linux there also is a OpenGL implementation. In linux it is called "MesaGL". If you have debian linux installed, you can just install it from apt, else you can go download it @ http://mesa3d.sf.net .
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Posted by sacah on 21:34:00 05-03-2002
OpenGL just looks so much sweeter too
Posted by KaGez on 01:19:00 05-04-2002
btw, afaik OpenGL has support for:
C/C++
Perl
Pascal/Delphi
I'm not sure if it is supported in other langs too, but I've heard that it is supported in asm too... dunno about that tho.. I think sacah tried to find some infos about that before.
sacah: did you find anything about that?
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Posted by kpyro on 03:09:00 05-04-2002
Also in Visual basic. If you want good OpenGL tutorials, goto
http://nehe.gamedev.net/
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Posted by sacah on 17:30:00 05-04-2002
Yer I got stuff to do OpenGL in ASM, though most ppl would prefer to chew off their arm before trin to do that.
(-:
I must figure out how to do OpenGL in batch
(-:
Posted by KaGez on 22:02:00 05-04-2002
hehe, did you chew off your arm then?
anyways, you got any links about OpenGL in asm?
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