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Late But Moving Fast (4/7/99)
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OpenGL-- it's the delicious 3D treat that developers love! Basically, it's a set of programming calls that makes writing 3D software fun and exciting (or, at least, less soul-sucking and depressing). Personally, we at AtAT have been waiting for Apple to step up to the plate and announce support for OpenGL ever since rumors were swirling about the imminent death of QuickDraw 3D (Apple's own set of 3D APIs) way back in October of 1997. And it was nearly a year ago that we heard whispers of meetings between Apple and SGI to discuss OpenGL support for the Mac platform. Then, at last January's Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs announced that Apple had finally licensed OpenGL, and that developers would be able to download beta development libraries from Apple's web site before February. But February came and went, as did March, with still no sign of OpenGL at the Apple site (short of a bunch of marketingspeak). Those who attended mid-March's Game Developers Conference could get the software on CD-ROM at Apple's booth, but others were out of luck.
But those who questioned Apple's commitment to OpenGL can relax a little, now. It's a couple of months late, but they've finally posted beta versions of OpenGL for Macintosh to their web site, which lets developers write software that will take advantage of hardware acceleration via the RAGE-based graphics in all shipping Macs. In addition, there's now a Mac-OpenGL Mailing List, for developers who want to discuss the use of the libraries with others in the same boat. Add that to the fact that every Mac being made has at least a RAGE Pro accelerator built in, and the future of 3D on the Mac looks pretty bright.
Which means, of course, more games. Oh, sure, you can use OpenGL to write any kind of software that involves 3D rendering, such as CAD applications, modelling software, and stuff like that... but we're expecting the biggest splash to be made by games that bring flying severed limbs to a new level of 3D realism. It's called progress, people-- get with the program.
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SceneLink (1449)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 4/7/99 episode: April 7, 1999: Apple finally makes good on its promise to post OpenGL development libraries to its web site-- two months late, but moving fast. Meanwhile, more on the sleep-deprived geniuses at MIT and their JELL-O exploits, and we've got the real story behind the iMac's hissing noise...
Other scenes from that episode: 1450: Always Room for iMac (4/7/99) Ah, Spring Break-- we can still remember those halcyon days in college when we'd spend a week in some sunny clime, lounging on the beach and letting all of our cares wash away with the tide. Of course, we only remember that because we've seen too many cheesy teen beach movies and we're increasingly losing the ability to distinguish between memories of fiction and what really happened... 1451: Just Full Of Hot Air (4/7/99) The thing we absolutely love about Apple's Tech Info Library is that, when you're bored, you can find some pretty entertainingly goofy stuff. For instance, it's a real hoot to dig through the April update of the official Apple trademark list and see the sheer number of trademarks still held by the mothership...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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