OpenGL 1.3 Spec Released

JigSaw writes "The OpenGL Architecture Review Board announced the new OpenGL 1.3 specification (1.8 MB pdf). In OpenGL 1.3, several additional features and functions have been ratified and brought into the API's core functionality. New features include Cube map texturing, multisampling, new texture modes that provide more powerful ways of applying textures to rendered objects, compressed texture framework etc. Let's all hope that GL can catch up with Direct3D now, as with the latest DirectX8, Direct3D has done some big steps towards feature-set, speed and even non-bloatiness when it comes to coding for it, while OpenGL 1.2 was released more than 2 years ago and it did not offer as much."

Comments

A little bit offtopic but...

[stikves]

Some people claim the death of opengl, while others want the community to keep it alive.

But the "evil" API Direct3D is already (mostly) available for Linux. Haven't you heard of trasgaming (http://www.transgaming.com/)?

They are currenly working on D3D port to WINE.

(If you don't know, their license is not fully "free", but they will make it "free" when they get enough "support".)

[ By the way, I don't think opengl will die anytime soon. Because "serious" graphics work is not only "games". have you used SGI? they do not support D3D or whatsoever ]

Um...

[Penrif]

Give OpenGL some credit here. In some ways, it's D3D that has to catch up. Here's how it was discribed to be by a Very Smart Person who works with nVidia a lot. nVidia comes to Microsoft saying "we want these features", Microsoft says "Okay, do it this way". The engineers at nVidia get frustrated about being limited by Microsoft's model and implement new features anyway and put them in OpenGL extensions. So, D3D has a better spec (arguably), but OpenGL has access to all the features.

like deja vu all over again

[Proud Geek]

Thanks for the info . That's very informative. Please do tell, though, what's the difference between a "spec" and a "specification" that makes it worth repeating?