[gameprogrammer] Re: OpenGL reality check.

  • From: Bob Pendleton <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 12:14:23 -0600

On Sat, 2005-12-17 at 10:39 -0400, Kevin Fields wrote:
> But Microsoft isn't phasing out OpenGL. They've said that they (Microsoft) 
> aren't going to support anything past OpenGL 1.5, and that further 
> implementations and support will be up to the individual card manufacturers. 
> Their reason for this is that they're developing a new set of video drivers 
> that are going to add a whole new way of doing GPU programming, and it would 
> be a huge drain of time to support both DirectX 9/10 AND further 
> implementations of OpenGL, when the new setup is optimized specifically for 
> DirectX.

Sorry, I have to call bullshit right here. It takes one or two man years
to do a good port of OpenGL to new hardware. On the out side 10 man
years. I've seen it done by one good person in less than a year. For MS
to claim that is a huge drain of resources for them is simply a smoke
screen. The only way it gets to be a huge project is if you are writing
the entire API from scratch. But, even that isn't a big project for an
organization the size of MS.

                Bob Pendleton

> 
> There's an article on GameDev.Net by one of the DirectX MVPs. He talks about 
> DirectX 10's architecture, and how it fits with Vista.
> 
> Here's the article:
> http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article2280.asp
> 
> Kevin
> 
> >From: Olof Bjarnason <olof.bjarnason@xxxxxxxxx>
> >Reply-To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: [gameprogrammer] Re: OpenGL reality check.
> >Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:15:21 +0100
> >
> >There is at least one thing that makes MS attempt to put down OpenGL
> >performance inconceivable: very many CAD programs rely on OpenGL, and if
> >OpenGL performance drops, CAD users will take notice, thus making Windows
> >Vista a "not so good option for CAD users". The CAD users are quite many..
> >And don't tell me CAD programs "does not need the realtime experience like
> >games" - try that statement on a young mechanical engineer/designer in your
> >neighbourhood! Realtime if VERY important if you sit all day designing
> >stuff..
> >
> >Just my 2cc
> >
> >/Olof
> >
> >On 12/17/05, Kevin Fields <drunkendruid@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > >
> > > Microsoft isn't trying to kill OpenGL. They just aren't supporting it
> > > using
> > > the new desktop. The new desktop shell is using DirectX 10 to take
> > > advantage
> > > of the hardware. The old desktop is still available, which, as Microsoft
> > > had
> > > stated, will have support for up to GL 1.5. Beyond 1.5, Microsoft is
> > > leaving
> > > the support up to the individual card manufacturers, which is what's
> > > currently happening anyway.
> > >
> > > But, people are panicking because Vista's default desktop is using 
> >DirectX
> > > 10, and will convert OpenGL calls to DirectX calls. These people are
> > > causing
> > > mass hysteria with no good reason to. They just refuse to find out
> > > accurate
> > > information.
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: Bob Pendleton <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > >Reply-To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > >To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > >Subject: [gameprogrammer] Re: OpenGL reality check.
> > > >Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 14:38:03 -0600
> > > >
> > > >On Wed, 2005-12-14 at 15:59 -0600, Matthew Weigel wrote:
> > > > > Bob Pendleton wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > o Is OpenGL still a viable graphics API for use on Windows?
> > > > >
> > > > > Books are still being published on the subject of OpenGL on Windows; 
> >I
> > > > > think it's doing fine.  Games are still coming out that use OpenGL 
> >as
> > > > > well.
> > > > >
> > > > > There is a big to-do going on regarding Vista, per
> > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenGL#Future_in_Microsoft_Windows, but 
> >I
> > > > > suspect that Microsoft will back down very quickly when users begin 
> >to
> > > > > view their decision as degrading the performance of *old* OpenGL
> > > games,
> > > > > never mind new ones.
> > > >
> > > >Thanks for that pointer.
> > > >
> > > >               Bob Pendleton
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >--
> > > >+--------------------------------------+
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> > > >+ email: Bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx             +
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> > >
> > >
> > >
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> 
> 
> 
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