Direct3D/OpenGL/Fahrenheit/Java3D
3D API Information Page

Information on today's most important 3D APIs.
by Stewart Teaze



Purpose

Assist game and simulation designers to assess 3D APIs.

Track development of my UAV Flight Simulator.

Provide Windows OpenGL driver for 3dFX VoodooII graphics accelerator boards.

NOTE: The focus is on PC-based flight simulation applications. The four main 3D APIs discussed here are Direct3d, OpenGL, Fahrenheit, and Java3D. There are other PC-oriented 3D APIs, such as 3dFX's GLide, but they are not seen as a viable choice for future 3D flight simulation application development beginning today.

3D API Information

3D API Discussion

3D API Comparison

Flight Simulator Information

Flight Simulation

Drivers

3dFX Windows OpenGL Driver

Links:

OpenGL Web Site
SGI OpenGL Web Site
Nihilistic's Windows(Direct3D) Game Programming Tutorial
druid-'s GL Journal
Fahrenheit Dead? SGI gearing OpenGL to Linux.
Microsoft's latest propaganda regarding Fahrenheit, OpenGL
MSDN GL technical articles
GLUT Home Page
Sun Java3D API Specification
Silicon Graphics Fahrenheit Site
Microsoft DirectX
3D graphics programming in Java - Part 1: Java 3D
3D graphics programming in Java - Part 2: Advanced Java 3D
Sam Leffler's libtiff
DirectX FAQ - Direct3D Page

My RF-based Digital Communications Page

Fahrenheit

Old versions of the 3DAPI Discussions and Comparisons to show what the affect of Fahrenheit was.

3D API Discussion

3D API Comparison

Microsoft/Intel/SGI 3D Consortium

Update History:

30-Dec-1999: Added link to Nihilistic's Windows Game Programming Tutorial(Direct3D oriented).
07-Dec-1999: Added link to Microsoft's Fahrenheit/OpenGL response.
03-Dec-1999: Updated to reflect death of Fahrenheit and demise of Cool.
21-Nov-1999: Put back in extreme access tracker
29-July-1999: Had to remove watermarks from subpages too. Checked and updated links.
21-July-1999: Yahoo acquired GeoCities; removed GeoCities Watermark that caused page to fail. Removed non-functional xtreme access tracker.
03-June-1999: Added link to OpenGL web site.
28-April-1999: Added links to druid-'s GL Journal, and MSDN GL tech articles.
16-April-1999: Updated discussion based on new Fahrenheit information.
12-March-1999: Fixed mistake in comparison table.
26-February-1999: Added AV Sim Online page link.
22-February-1999: Included progress with compiling and running GLUT & Direct3D demos, and running FGFS(on FlightSim page).
21-February-1999: Added README.TXT for UAV Flight Sim, improved readability, increased presense of 3dFX Windows OpenGL driver.
20-February-1999: Added GLUT&Cool disc., 3dFX OPENGL32.DLL, minor mod to recs; more favorable to OGL(due to GLUT), Add'l FlightGear info.
14-February-1999: Created

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at horseshoestew@geocities.com
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