David's Blog

I have been an OpenGL developer for more than 10 years. OpenGL was *the* 3D API for computer graphics since 1992…but not anymore. Direct3D has left OpenGL in the dust…and this is a big deal.

It has been clear for several years that OpenGL is struggling to keep up with Direct3D and every year the gap gets wider. This article does a great job detailing OpenGL’s problems.

If your OpenGL app competes with a Direct3D one…you need to be worried. It is not a fair fight. Direct3D is pushing the envelope for hardware features, which means a Direct3D app can run faster or look better than an OpenGL app on equivalent hardware.

Currently, managing shaders in OpenGL and Direct3D is painful. The next version of Direct3D (DirectX 11) dramatically improves how you combine small shaders into into larger, more complex shaders. This change alone will make OpenGL seem antiquated from a developer’s point of view.

OpenGL is the only cross-platform 3D API. As OpenGL falls further and further behind Direct3D, you’ll see less 3D apps on platforms that depend on OpenGL (like Linux and Apple Mac’s).

In the beginning, SGI was pushing OpenGL…until they got out of the graphics business. Then 3DLabs pushed OpenGL to create its shading language (GLSL)…until they got out of the graphics business.

Who is pushing OpenGL now? Nvidia? ATI? Both of those companies have more interest in Direct3D than they do OpenGL.

Without a major corporate sponsor, I don’t see how OpenGL will carry on. I’m actually surprised Apple hasn’t been a bigger supporter of OpenGL considering how important it is to them.

It was fun while it lasted…we’ll miss ya.

Technorati Tags: OpenGL, Direct3D, DirectX 11

Posted on December 16, 2008 11:33 PM | Permalink| Comments (6)

Here is a list of software, hardware, and web sites that I use at home.

Software

Hardware

Web

Technorati Tags: What I Use

Posted on December 14, 2008 1:18 PM | Permalink| Comments (3)

I recently finished reading “Designing Interfaces” by Jenifer Tidwell.

I think of this book as “Design Patterns” for user interfaces.

If this book was required reading for everybody that builds software, we’d have *much* better software and happier users. It has really changed how I approach creating user interfaces.

Before reading this book, I could point to an application and tell you if it looks professional and polished or not. Now I can tell you why.

This book deals with many subtleties and attention to detail that can have a huge impact on the user’s impression of your software.

Here is an example pattern, “Center Stage”…

A “preview” of the book is available online (with large chunks missing so you still need to buy it) here.

Highly recommended!

Technorati Tags: Designing Interfaces, Jenifer Tidwell, User Interface, Review, Software Development

Posted on December 14, 2008 11:58 AM | Permalink| Comments (5)

Check out Peter Schiff in these video clips from 2006-07 where he predicts our current economic situation to the chagrin of the “experts.” I especially like some of the companies the “experts” were pushing for investments.

Technorati Tags: Peter Schiff, Economy, Predicting the Future

Posted on December 13, 2008 2:37 PM | Permalink| Comments (1)

Here are a couple of nice holiday recommendations for TFU.

These guys place TFU as the number one game gift for Xmas.

Time Magazine picked the top 10 games of the year, and TFU was number #7!

I played through the whole game and thoroughly enjoyed it…definitely a must-play for Star Wars fans.

Technorati Tags: Star Wars, The Force Unleashed

Posted on December 11, 2008 10:31 PM | Permalink| Comments (0)