Catalyst 8.9 with OpenGL 3.0 support

AMD ATI Catalyst 8.9 drivers are out and it contains AMD’s initial phase of OpenGL 3.0 support.

OpenGL™ 3.0 support - Phase 1

This release of Catalyst™ introduces OpenGL™ 3.0 extension support. In upcoming Catalyst™ releases AMD will continue to expand its support for OpenGL 3.0 extensions. The following is a list of supported extensions in Catalyst 8.9:

· ARB_half_float_pixel
· ARB_draw_instanced
· ARB_instanced_arrays
· EXT_texture_compression_3dc
· EXT_texture_compression_rgtc
· EXT_texture_compression_latc
· EXT_texture_shared_exponent
· EXT_depth_buffer_float
· EXT_gpu_shader4
· ARB_map_buffer_range

I was about to offer up a snide remark about how ATi only implemented the low-hanging fruit (texture formats and such), but then I noticed gpu_shader4 and map_buffer_range. Looks like they put some effort into it after all.

Though personally, I’d be willing to trade gpu_shader4 for vertex_array_object.

Korval you spoiled child :wink:
this is great news, didn’t expect this so quickly

does anyone know how far “back” those extensions go, ie what minimum ati hardware for each the driver supports?

On HD 2400 XT there is only EXT_texture_shared_exponent and EXT_depth_buffer_float extensions are available with this 8.9 Catalyst.
I tried both - in Vista and in XP (both 32-bit).

There is nothing new on Mobility X1700.

On HD 4870 I get the same as on HD2400 (EXT_texture_shared_exponent and EXT_depth_buffer_float extensions)
I’m using Vista 64-bit. Are these extensions really implemented?
If so, on which cards? Do they need to be activated somehow?

Lol, this is a farce.

Jan, can you elaborate ?

It’s no surprise that GL3-class extensions may only be exported on GL3-class hardware - the HD2400 qualifies, the Radeon 1700 I think is not.

Wow, I did not know about this. Cool.

Do you know if EXT_bindable_uniform is in there? Or is there another way to draw instanced batches?

With ARB_instanced_arrays, you can store the per-instance data in attributes.

I just think it funny that ATI claims to support certain extensions, but people using a range of different cards can’t find them (and ask “are they really implemented?”).

Oh come on. I have been as critical of AMD and Khronos as anyone, but if they are implementing the nice NVidia functionality on DX10 hardware, I am happy.

Jan, which cards are you referring to ? The Radeon 1700 mentioned here, or something I missed ?

you probably missed the two posts about the HD 2400 and HD 4870?

OK I see those but the wording wasn’t clear to me. So that post is indicating that the full set of new extensions listed are not showing up exported on those cards. Something to let AMD know about.

Still no geometry shaders? 8-(

I must be the only one in the universe using geometry shaders… sniff

Well they did say Q1 2009, so this is early.

Nice to see some action being taken.

Agreed.

Is anyone get to have all the extensions? As far as I know… just three new extensions are presents… and there are not even in this list. Great :stuck_out_tongue:

glView analysis taken with Catalyst 8.9 on Radeon 3870

GL Version is reported as 2.1

Renderer: ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series
Vendor: ATI Technologies Inc.
Memory: 512 MB
Version: 2.1.7976 Release
Shading language version: 1.20
Max number of light sources: 8
Max viewport size: 8192 x 8192
Max texture size: 8192 x 8192
Max anisotropy: 16
Max samples: 8
Max draw buffers: 4
Max texture coordinates: 8
Max vertex texture image units: 16

Extensions: 108

GL_AMD_performance_monitor
GL_AMD_texture_texture4
GL_AMDX_vertex_shader_tessellator
GL_ARB_color_buffer_float
GL_ARB_depth_texture
GL_ARB_draw_buffers
GL_ARB_fragment_program
GL_ARB_fragment_shader
GL_ARB_multisample
GL_ARB_multitexture
GL_ARB_occlusion_query
GL_ARB_pixel_buffer_object
GL_ARB_point_parameters
GL_ARB_point_sprite
GL_ARB_shader_objects
GL_ARB_shading_language_100
GL_ARB_shadow
GL_ARB_shadow_ambient
GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp
GL_ARB_texture_compression
GL_ARB_texture_cube_map
GL_ARB_texture_env_add
GL_ARB_texture_env_combine
GL_ARB_texture_env_crossbar
GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3
GL_ARB_texture_float
GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat
GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two
GL_ARB_texture_rectangle
GL_ARB_transpose_matrix
GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object
GL_ARB_vertex_program
GL_ARB_vertex_shader
GL_ARB_window_pos
GL_ATI_draw_buffers
GL_ATI_envmap_bumpmap
GL_ATI_fragment_shader
GL_ATI_meminfo
GL_ATI_separate_stencil
GL_ATI_shader_texture_lod
GL_ATI_texture_compression_3dc
GL_ATI_texture_env_combine3
GL_ATI_texture_float
GL_EXT_abgr
GL_EXT_bgra
GL_EXT_blend_color
GL_EXT_blend_equation_separate
GL_EXT_blend_func_separate
GL_EXT_blend_minmax
GL_EXT_blend_subtract
GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array
GL_EXT_copy_texture
GL_EXT_depth_buffer_float
GL_EXT_draw_range_elements
GL_EXT_fog_coord
GL_EXT_framebuffer_blit
GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample
GL_EXT_framebuffer_object
GL_EXT_framebuffer_sRGB
GL_EXT_gpu_program_parameters
GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays
GL_EXT_packed_depth_stencil
GL_EXT_packed_float
GL_EXT_packed_pixels
GL_EXT_point_parameters
GL_EXT_rescale_normal
GL_EXT_secondary_color
GL_EXT_separate_specular_color
GL_EXT_shadow_funcs
GL_EXT_stencil_wrap
GL_EXT_subtexture
GL_EXT_texgen_reflection
GL_EXT_texture3D
GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc
GL_EXT_texture_cube_map
GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp
GL_EXT_texture_env_add
GL_EXT_texture_env_combine
GL_EXT_texture_env_dot3
GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic
GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias
GL_EXT_texture_mirror_clamp
GL_EXT_texture_object
GL_EXT_texture_rectangle
GL_EXT_texture_shared_exponent
GL_EXT_texture_sRGB
GL_EXT_vertex_array
GL_KTX_buffer_region
GL_NV_blend_square
GL_NV_texgen_reflection
GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap
GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp
GL_SGIS_texture_lod
GL_WIN_swap_hint
WGL_ARB_buffer_region
WGL_ARB_extensions_string
WGL_ARB_make_current_read
WGL_ARB_multisample
WGL_ARB_pbuffer
WGL_ARB_pixel_format
WGL_ARB_pixel_format_float
WGL_ARB_render_texture
WGL_ATI_pixel_format_float
WGL_ATI_render_texture_rectangle
WGL_EXT_extensions_string
WGL_EXT_framebuffer_sRGB
WGL_EXT_pixel_format_packed_float
WGL_EXT_swap_control

Core features
v1.1 (100 % - 7/7)
v1.2 (100 % - 8/8)
v1.3 (100 % - 9/9)
v1.4 (100 % - 15/15)
v1.5 (100 % - 3/3)
v2.0 (100 % - 10/10)
v2.1 (100 % - 3/3)
v3.0 (42 % - 9/21)

Another interesting fact:

Extension verification:
GL_EXT_draw_instanced was not found, but has the entry point glDrawArraysInstancedEXT
GL_EXT_draw_instanced was not found, but has the entry point glDrawElementsInstancedEXT

Hope this helps.