TinyGL: Mini OpenGL-Like Solution, Ported To Pocket PCs

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.opentribe.org/PocketTribe/TinyGL.html' target='_blank'>http://www.opentribe.org/PocketTribe/TinyGL.html</a><br /><br /></div>"TinyGL is intended to be a very small implementation of a subset of OpenGL for embedded systems or games. It is a software only implementation. Only the main OpenGL calls are implemented."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040331-TinyGL.gif" /><br /><br />Apparently, he's ported this API to Pocket PCs. I'm not sure of its license and availability, though -- it's not made clear on the website -- although some downloadable demos are posted there that consist of a small EXE and DLL, and you can get the original headers and source from the <a href="http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/TinyGL/">TinyGL website</a>. Besides, I'm just waiting for a hardware accelerated OpenGL solution on Pocket PCs. ;)

[JonnoB]

I don't understand the benefits this would have over OpenGL ES. For that matter, after the MDC conference last week... I can see future 3d apps being targeted on D3D instead and this effort is much like trying to get Java onto the platform when .NET CF is in the device already.

[Jonathan1]

I don't understand the benefits this would have over OpenGL ES. For that matter, after the MDC conference last week... I can see future 3d apps being targeted on D3D instead and this effort is much like trying to get Java onto the platform when .NET CF is in the device already.


Three words....cross platform standards. D3D is a Microsoft only tech. OpenGL is pretty much on every platform out there. I'm still amazed how there can be proponents of a closed platform. I'm not talking open source, even thought such software has its merits, but sticking to standards and as much as I love Direct X, assuming you are talking about Direct 3D, last I knew Direct X was a Microsoft only solution.

[manywhere]

I don't understand the benefits this would have over OpenGL ES. For that matter, after the MDC conference last week... I can see future 3d apps being targeted on D3D instead and this effort is much like trying to get Java onto the platform when .NET CF is in the device already.


Three words....cross platform standards. D3D is a Microsoft only tech. OpenGL is pretty much on every platform out there. I'm still amazed how there can be proponents of a closed platform. I'm not talking open source, even thought such software has its merits, but sticking to standards and as much as I love Direct X, assuming you are talking about Direct 3D, last I knew Direct X was a Microsoft only solution.
Well DirectX isn't Microsoft specific anymore, seems like the open source community is developing a DirectX "emulator" for their Windows emulator so that they can run Windows games on other platforms! :)

However, OpenGL is a pretty well cross-platform standard that allow for easy porting of games such as this one: GLtron (http://www.gltron.org/). That game was first made for Linux (I think) and then ported to Mac OS X and Windows.

That game is an addictive one (IMHO) and I would love to play this game on a port to Pocket PC. Thanks to TinyGL, that might be possible now! :D Only thing missing is a more powerful 3D processor, or?

[JonnoB]

Three words....cross platform standards. D3D is a Microsoft only tech. OpenGL is pretty much on every platform out there.

We had this discussion at the MDC event in San Francisco. I understand the 'cross-platform' described benefits. That said however, for mass market development, I can count on only three major 3D platforms for gaming at this time. The desktop PC (Windows based), PS2, and the XBox. The D3D Mobile API is built in ROM/OS and will be accessible throught the platform SDK and through the Compact Framework. It will make it easy to bring across/port DX8 PC and XBox titles to the Windows Mobile platform. The majority of PC based games are now DX based... a large percentage are also XBox games. I guess if you wanted to, you could use OpenGL based games from the PC or PS2 world, but then that is what OpenGL ES is for. D3D Mobile is designed specifically for the platform and will be optimized for it. OpenGL derivatives may not get the same low-level benefits. Also during our discussions at MDC, many chipset manufacturers committed to D3D Mobile with hardware acceleration (supported natively in the firmware) - this just won't be possible with any OpenGL derivative on the Windows Mobile platform unless the OEM and video chipset company do something extra. Today, it is kind of cool, but I think it short lived - until D3DM is available with hardware acceleration in next generation devices based on Macallan.