Google Launches 3D Driver Project For Chrome 63
CWmike writes "Google has launched a new project for Chrome that will let the browser run a wider range of 3D graphics content without downloading additional drivers. The open-source project, called ANGLE (Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine), seeks to let Chromium run WebGL content on Windows computers, wrote product manager Henry Bridge on the Chromium blog. WebGL is still-developing a cross-platform Web standard for accessing low-level 3D graphics hardware based on the OpenGL ES 2.0 API (application programming interface) that can be implemented directly in a browser without a plugin. 'ANGLE will allow Windows users to run WebGL content without having to find and install new drivers for their system,' Bridge wrote. Because ANGLE aims to use most of the OpenGL ES 2.0 API, it may help developers working on mobile and embedded devices, Bridge wrote. 'ANGLE should make it simpler to prototype these applications on Windows and also gives developers new options for deploying production versions of their code to the desktop.'"
Re:API (Score:5, Insightful)
What is, and what isn't?
WebGL is an API based on OpenGL ES 2.0, which is also an API.
The OpenGL API is usually provided by a driver. ANGLE, on the other hand, implements the OpenGL ES 2.0 API on top of Direct3D, thus eliminating the need for a driver that supplies OpenGL.
Re:Oh. (Score:5, Insightful)
...cross platform opengl is dead...
As opposed to cross-platform DirectX which is alive and kicking.
Re:API (Score:5, Insightful)
a) If you install Windows from CD you won't get an OpenGL driver.
b) If you buy a machine in the shops you quite often get an immature OpenGL driver because the machines have a.graphics card which was released a couple of weeks ago.
In both cases the user has to go to NVIDIA / ATI / Intel website and download one, this requires navegating a bunch of questions about what exact model of graphics card is in the machine, which Joe Sixpack isn't going to know. On top of that, most laptop graphics drivers can't be updated with official drivers and the manufacturers don't ever provide updates.
Direct3D drivers tend to be better because a certain company oils the development process.
Re:API (Score:1, Insightful)
At least get your facts right here...
"less fragmented than Linux"
What a load of crap. Sorry man. The kernel world isn't really fragmented if your talking about hardware. All distros pull the kernel sources from the same place and just tweak it. As far as hardware support is concerned "fragmentation" is not a problem. There is not any valid reason for hardware manufacturers not to have kernel drivers. Fragmentation in linux is an annoying myth.
Comment removed (Score:2, Insightful)