So how is this that much different from using a GL ARB or EXT extension?
ARB and EXT aren’t so bad.
But all other vendor specific extensions are a problem. REASON: They all have different interfaces and data requirements. D3d has single common interfaces to all stages of the pipeline.
If you only used ARB and EXT extensions then you wouldn’t be doing any per-pixel effects in OpenGL, even though the cards have the ability - even now a new version of OpenGL has been released (1.4) there still is no common interface to per-pixel programability.
It’s a big minus for OpenGL.
Then there’s the lack of a Vertex Buffer equivalent in OpenGL. NV VAR and ATI VOB are radically different.
These are good points. But in the case of vertex and pixel shaders, what good is a common interface, when the programs themselves are vendor-specific? It appears Microsoft has yet to address this issue. At least the ARB has a working proposal for a common shading language (3dLabs’ HLSL).
And how many cards currently have full support for DX 8.1?
Programs aren’t vendor specific in DX. There are more advanced programs which require more advanced hardware, but if hardware supports pixelshader 1.4 it supports ps1.0 until 1.3 as well. Same goes for vertexshaders.
If you want to write code that works on all hardware you use the version that works on all hardware, makes perfect sense. If you want more advanced features for a particular card you use the more advanced version, and it will work on all future more advanced hardware just the same.
The OpenGL2.0 language doesn’t address any of this at all. It just states a language and you can assume that whatever you do will always work. To what extend this will turn out to be true remains to be seen.
And as someone else already pointed out, ‘vertexbuffer’-ish systems in GL are still a mess. VAR on NVidia, VAO on ATI, etc.
from the (employed) coder point of view…>
When i was working for the gaming industry i was forced (mainly) for commercial reasons to use Dx. In fact, at that time (and i don’t think that things have change) most of the PC game devs were done with and for the Windows platform with Dx and all the big stuff. Right, distributors also prefer products which are Dx based even if the top hits like Q3 and sequels have been done from the begining with OpenGL.
The result of this was a complete lost of time with f**cking headaches while rewritting & rewritting & rewritting the rasterlib with the latest Dx beta(1,2),Final versions of the worst 3D API ever written by a human being. (oopss
from the (unemployed) coder point of view…>
It’s always possible to escape from the MS purgatory. Just give a try to OpenGL. and it will for sure lead you to success in the world of 3D. OpenGL has been tremendously well designed by SGI engineers a few years ag! This amount of time just make the GL API a mature API which is robust and is definitely the best state machine ever coded.
Moreover, OpenGL constraints are well thought, frame buffer, texture management and dynamic copies, limited lights are just there to help you to focus on what will be the most efficient solution. OpenGL is not lying in term of functionalities! it is a big mistake to think that everything is possible whitout a cost or repercuted penalties. (eg old DDraw mixed D3D).
Enough of my poor bulls.h.i.t.s!
i hope that you get it! i still don’t know exactly what the future GL2.0 will look like.
But if you’re working on your own or if your company has nothing against OpenGL just give it a try. It is definitely straight to learn!
Also don’t think that Dx is the only valuable solution for Win32 development of 3D,soundy,padded-joysticked-moused,networked-computerised,fishy prgs! There are tons (well i’m a bit optimistic here) of free,non-free,non googled referenced libraries that can do the job for that and which can also support multiple platforms!
Finally, (and i’m not a JCarmack evangelist) JC has said in the past that ‘there were no good technical reasons to use D3D’. The context has changed for sure but D3D is D3D, Microsoft is still @redmond and JC knows is job for sure.
D3D vs GL again…
Well JC himself said that if he was starting to use a 3D api today, he was not sure what choice he would make.
The 2 apis are so equivalent today.
what good is a common interface, when the programs themselves are vendor-specific?
Well you can have program that are not that vendor specific. (Ok there’re VAR vs VAO. On the other hand GL2/GL1.4 vertex programs are comming out).
GL pro: works on many os. GL+SDL for exemple ~ DX, but working under win, lnx, mac and so on (even ps2, but this “gl implementation” can only be used for very fastly done maquet, not for final project).
If you don’t care about this, well make your choice on your personnal preference, try one or the other and stop trolling.
I do business applications. It a bit more difficult to put text on the screen than DirectX. I like the simplicity of assigning vertices with OpenGL. Every one of my errors with directX had to do with that stupid buffer that I loaded. Also, OGL is alot less bitchy compared to D3D. What I mean is that the syntax is so simple that most of my programs run the first time. If I have any bugs in the program it is from my logic and not from OGL.
The main difference is the discussion forums. I tried to participate in the MS newsgroup for directX. I found that the MS experts that replied to questions were arrogant assh*les. The only advice I was ever given was to go look at the SDK examples. I am a beginner. The 200 page dolphin program is a bit too much for me.
what planet do you live on? I’m a MAC guy and I hate Microsoft with the best of them but even I don’t believe the crap you spouted. Do you really think that or are you just flame bating?
In fact, at that time (and i don’t think that things have change) most of the PC game devs were done with and for the Windows platform with Dx and all the big stuff. Right, distributors also prefer products which are Dx based even if the top hits like Q3 and sequels have been done from the begining with OpenGL.
and it will for sure lead you to success in the world of 3D. OpenGL has been tremendously well designed by SGI engineers a few years ag! This amount of time just make the GL API a mature API which is robust and is definitely the best state machine ever coded.