API realised initially by Silicon Graphics for professional use, used today for many games too. They are efficient, they require a powerful hardware to obtain good results. Most 3D software uses OpenGL.
A graphics API that was originally developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc.â„¢ (SGI) for use on professional graphics workstations. OpenGL subsequently grew to be the standard API for CAD and scientific applications and today is popular for consumer applications such as PC games as well.
A widely used API for programming the 2D and 3D graphics components of software programs.
3D Software interface (3D API). E.g. implemented in Windows NT and available for Windows 95. Based on Iris GL from Silicon Graphics and licensed from Microsoft.
A 3D graphics API that includes capabilities for 2D imaging.
The open source interface for 3D hardware and game software. It pre-dates Microsoft's Direct3D technology, but less and less Windows-based games make use of it nowadays. Id Software - namely John Carmack - is OpenGL's most prominent supporter.
A 3D graphics program library that may be available as an option in AW 3.2 for Windows NT support
Open Graphics Language. An easy-to-use (for programmers anyway) graphics API created by Silicon Graphics. It's generally accepted in the high-end workstation market. In the Windows 9X world, OpenGL plays David to Microsoft's Direct3D Goliath or vice versa. It's a Chevy versus Ford debate with both sides locked and loaded. (4/99)
Open Graphics Language. A standard interface for the presentation of visual data. Microsoft got upset about it not been written by Microsoft and promptly wrote Direct3D.
OpenGL is an application programming interface that competes with Direct3D, and it is not owned by any one corporation. The “open” nature of this API appeals to those in favor of open source development and this type of development can lead to more frequent updates.
A 3D graphics language developed by Silicon Graphics. OpenGL support is built into Windows NT. You can see some examples by checking out the NT screensavers....
Opengl is the industry standard low-level language for rendering 3D graphics in real-time. See http://www.opengl.org for more info.
(OGL) OpenGL is a programming interface mainly for 3D applications. It renders 3D objects to the screen, providing the same set of instructions on different computers and graphics adapters. Blenders whole interface and 3D output in the real-time and interactive 3D graphic is done by OpenGL.
Quake II uses the OpenGL API in GL mode. this means quake tells the OpenGL driver+card, 'hey draw a polygon at x.y.z, then show it'. Carmack decided to use OpenGL instead of MS direct3d because of ease of use OpenGL drivers are only available for certain 3d video cards, most notably 3dfx chips used in Voodoo cards. Read Zanshin's GL dojo for more info
A computer industry standard API for defining 2D and 3D graphic images. (Visit the OpenGL website.)
OpenGL is a graphics SDK for PCs and Macs used to develop 3D games like Quake.
A library of subroutines, designed by Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI), to render 3D realistic images. This library shields application programs from the actual implementation, which can be either in hardware (fast but expensive), or in software (slow but cheap). OpenGL is available on a lot of platforms, including Unix(tm), Linux, Mac OS(tm), OS/2(tm) and Microsoft Windows(tm). OpenGL has been used a lot in the scientific community, but gains more and more acceptance in the gaming industry (most notably DOOM) which in turn boosts the development of cheap hardware that accelerates OpenGL.
OpenGL is an open, vendor independent graphics API. OpenGL is available on most UNIX & Linux based machines and those that run Microsoft Windows operating systems. See also Direct3D.