GL_ARB_pixel_buffer_object

Originally posted by Tom Nuydens:
[b] There’s no reason it should be. Look at VBO for instance: it’s available even on TNT2.

– Tom[/b]

That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s hardware accelerated.

Originally posted by Ostsol:
That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s hardware accelerated.

One good thing about VBO is it’s a better interface for software T&L than compiled vertex arrays, and pretty much all the other attempts to solve the “vertex buffer” problem before.

So while VBO isn’t necessarily “hardware accelerated” on all platforms, it should still provide opportunity for “better acceleration” over other APIs for vertex array management.

Thanks -
Cass

[This message has been edited by cass (edited 10-28-2003).]

True, though my point was simply that just because a given extension is supported in drivers for a given video card, it doesn’t mean that the feature is hardware accelerated. Granted, software support is certainly better than no support at all (as you have shown in your example).

Originally posted by Ostsol:
True, though my point was simply that just because a given extension is supported in drivers for a given video card, it doesn’t mean that the feature is hardware accelerated. Granted, software support is certainly better than no support at all (as you have shown in your example).

Software support isn’t necessarily better. You don’t want GeForce2 claiming to support ARB_fragment_program only to fall back to software when you use one.

In general, an extension is supported when it can be supported without hurting performance.

why don’t you want?

it would be cool to have some sort of switch in gl:
full gl
fast gl

well, on nvidia cards, you can always enable some emulator of some other card… but thats a hacky solution… i would like to be able to use ARB_fp as a general backend for performing some tasks in a raytracer. it would not be realtime only, but, too… in a non-realtime solution, it would be great to just use ARB_fp… in hw, if supported, in software, if not.

i think a good installed opengl should support all…

it could be a driver option…

oh, and ps2.0 runs rather fast in sw-shader i know why you wanted to hire nick

Originally posted by davepermen:
why don’t you want?

You demand a general shift of workload from the application programmer to the driver programmer. Guess who doesn’t like this :slight_smile: