by Robn Kester In 1992, Silicon Graphics, Inc. introduced the world to a new concept for programming graphics. That concept was aptly named OpenGL, or Open Graphics Language. The purpose of OpenGL was to give 2D and 3D graphics a new direction with a portable and flexible Application Programming Interface, or API, that could be universally used to improve the quality of graphics engines used previous to this. Since '92, OpenGL has spread like virtual wildfire throughout the computer community. It has especially been taken up in the gaming circles, with game developers seeking some excellent graphics tools to make their software better... and to make some of their tasks easier, thus allowing them to concentrate more on other elements of the game's design. And then Apple decided to adopt OpenGL for the Mac... and there was much rejoicing. Finally, a widely used graphics language that others have already proven works time and time again. Something that Mac gamers can use in their arsenal, and more power for porting titles to the Mac. The beauty of this whole system is that many companies have already done OpenGL versions of their games for the PC, and porting over to the Mac is so much easier this way. Quake III: Arena will put this very concept to the test, and others will soon follow. This is one bandwagon that we've been waiting to arrive for a long time. But is everything coming up roses now that Apple has taken to OpenGL? What about QuickDraw 3D and Rave? Will developers adopt OpenGL with open arms? That is something that time will tell. Currently OpenGL is officially available, and many developers are busily making use of it. The real results will come as the OpenGL titles are released. Friendly Competition Never Hurt Anyone OpenGL isn't alone out there. On the PC side of things, 3dfx holds firm ground with its proprietary language called Glide. Glide is capable of powerful detail rendering for a high-frame rate and good overall 16 bit graphics effects like lens flares, dynamic lighting and shading. This has always given them a strong market placement especially in the gaming market hungry for more power and better games. Next up is Microsoft's 3D/2D API called "Direct X" which contains the Direct3D API, Microsoft's answer to the 3dfx and OpenGL offerings. Direct3D also offers up some excellent visual power when pushed by hardware acceleration, and decent software rendering for those without. Direct3D has an advantage over Glide in that it is installed on any PC based machine running Windows 95/98/NT. Direct3D's primary downfall is OpenGL's shining point, since OpenGL is multi-platform and portable to just about any OS out there including Windows 95/98/NT, OS/2, UNIX, Linux, OPENStep, Python, BeOS, and now available on OUR favorite operating system... the MacOS. OpenGL provides the same fast clean 2D and 3D effects that can be achieved through D3D or Glide and is preferred by many gamers for the best performance. The Mac has long depended on Apple's own proprietary 3D API, QuickDraw 3D. QuickDraw 3D offers a clean graphics API for programmers to tap into, and is both software and hardware supported. With widespread support for this RAVE graphics engine, many game developers embraced it while others decided to write their own engines. Those who did take advantage of it include Pangea Software, whose dinosaur romping title "Nanosaur" even comes packed-in with newer Macs like the iMac to show off its capabilities. While visually the average observer most likely would not be able to distinguish which API was being used. If they were to compare each running a similar game, the big differences would be behind the scenes for the most part. However, until Glide is updated to use 24 or 32 bit color palettes, they will have a slightly less colorful appearance with some dithering occurring to blend colors in the somewhat limited 16bit range. D3D, RAVE and OpenGL offer 32bit color for 3D cards that support it. The Players What do developers and key figures in the Mac gaming community have to say about OpenGL? Not suprisingly, the responses have been mostly positive. Some developers though are skeptical of how Apple is going to utilize OpenGL, forgoing QuickDraw 3D in its wake. We asked some top Mac gaming names what their thoughts were on OpenGL and how it will affect the Mac as a gaming machine. Bungie Software's Alexander Seropian had this to say, "Obviously this is a glorious thing. The Mac was pretty far behind in terms of gaming hardware. Hardware only games are the future, and without a compelling hardware and API strategy, the Mac would've been left out, and we'd be without the cool games - including our own (we're moving to hardware only)." While some might cringe at the idea of a hardware-only gaming future, it seems almost expected. On the Mac, Apple has already taken steps in that direction by including ATI's 3D chipsets on their iMacs and blue/white G3 machines. Of course, if you consider yourself a serious gamer you have no reservations about purchasing 3D hardware, because with more 3D power, you can take your gaming to a new level. And that is what gamers are all about. Brian Greenstone of Pangea Software feels that, "OpenGL was a good move on Apple's part. I think it was a good move more in the political and PR way more than in anything really tangible." He also raises a good point in regards to the other pluses that OpenGL affords the Mac. "The best thing about OpenGL is not that it will get us any more games, but that it raises the chances of great 3D modeling apps like Maya being ported to the Mac. It takes great tools to make great games, and Maya is the best!" However, some companies' titles like Pangea Software's Nanosaur and their upcoming Bugdom use QuickDraw 3D for their graphics engine, and since Apple has tentatively planned to drop QuickDraw 3D, they are worried about its fate. And they aren't alone. Brian notes, "They've (Apple) tentatively decided to kill RAVE and QuickDraw 3D which I (and about 300 other developers) think is a horrible mistake." Recent games like Unreal, Future Cop: L.A.P.D. and Bungie's Myth series also take advantage of RAVE. Brian has strong feelings on this as well, "A lot of developers, myself included, have made *huge* investments in RAVE and QuickDraw 3D, and we don't want to be forced into using OpenGL. I use QuickDraw 3D for all of my game tool development - its absolutely the best API for that. I use QD3D and RAVE for the games themselves." Double Aught's Greg Kirkpatrick had a few thoughts as well. Double Aught doesn't seem to be as gung-ho about QuickDraw 3D, but instead commented that, "Clearly, the move to OpenGL makes doing 3d games for the Mac and PC much easier. Only having one set of code to deal with the 3d rendering and having that code automatically use the hardware is a huge boon...the advantages are so huge compared to using RAVE that it's frightening." Should Apple let QuickDraw 3D die in favor of OpenGL? A hard question to answer... with answers on both sides - positive and negative. In the end, it will be these same developers that decide QuickDraw 3D's fate by choosing or not choosing to develop with it. Some feel strongly about it, others are happy to take the step towards OpenGL, giving them advantages that seem to outweigh the negatives in most cases. Who Made Who Brian Greenstone plays devil's advocate, reminding us that OpenGL does have its achilles heal — the OpenGL Architecture Review Board. He says, "The other bad thing about OpenGL is that it is not Apple's technology and it is designed by committee. This means that 3D on the Mac can never be any better than any other platform. In addition, it takes about 2 years to get a new feature officially added to OpenGL whereas adding a new feature to RAVE takes seconds. ATI added dozens of custom features to their RAVE engine so that other developers and myself could get access to special features of their hardware. Good luck doing that with OpenGL." Basically, OpenGL is controlled by this group, who decide what features are added and to keep tight control on the API itself, insuring parity on all platforms. While this does have its advantages, it also hinders developers who want or need special tools to make their software achieve the things they want from it. Two years is a long time, especially when the gaming market changes so rapidly. Overview Everyone has their opinions on how OpenGL is going to impact the Mac. Some like Pangea feel that while it does have its benefits, we need to look at the broader picture and not forget the tried and true QuickDraw 3D platform for now. On the other hand, companies like Bungie and DoubleAught are very enthusiastic about the move to OpenGL and have embraced it willingly. Plus, many companies who previously only offered PC/Windows based games are now looking towards the Mac as a possible future platform to develop on. Many developers that we talked with during this years E3 Expo were looking forward to adding the Mac to their belts so to speak, including Planet Moon, the company responsible for the upcoming PC title Giants: Citizen Kabuto. This attention from otherwise uninterested developers is key to the success of OpenGL on the Mac. This is also very important as the home console gaming market grows and starts becoming a competitor rather than a different kind of platform. Previously the console market was held in a separate mindset from PC and Mac gaming environments. But with the 3D technology advances of late, home consoles like Sega's Dreamcast, Nintendo's "Dolphin" and Sony's Playstation 2 are literally overtaking the PC in similar circumstances. However, no matter how many consoles are out there, the home PC or Mac gamer will always consider themselves different from the console gamer, even if they own both. With the big names like id Software on-board from the start, and many others joining in as they can, it looks like OpenGL for the Mac is going to definitely provide a boost to the gaming community. With easier porting, strong 3D architecture and a wide range of developers backing it, Apple's decision to adopt OpenGL is sure to be a winning choice. A choice that should strengthen the Mac gaming market, reassuring Mac gamers and developers that they made the right decision. And bringing new fresh blood into the picture, glorifying the now thriving Mac game community so that everyone can see. Apple is out to prove that sometimes to "Think Different" you have to think the same as everyone else. For complete information on OpenGL, you can open this OpenGL Datasheet in PDF format, or visit the OpenGL website at www.opengl.org as well as visiting Apple's own OpenGL website at www.apple.com/opengl/