GLSetup, OpenGL, and Torque
by Prairie Games · in Torque Game Engine · 04/27/2002 (3:49 pm) · 3 replies
I just jumped over to glsetup.com and was dismayed to see that the last release was from 4/12/01 OVER A YEAR AGO!
I recently had to rewrite a rendering engine I had done in OpenGL to Direct3D8 due to the publisher's compatibility concerns...
This is a hard fact, and outside of any D3D vs. OpenGL arguments: There are more software returns of their products which use OpenGL as opposed to the ones which use D3D...
This mostly comes down to driver compatibility problems... and the non-existence of something like the DirectX setup for OpenGL...
I know there is a D3D abstraction layer, but in tests the performance is poor in comparison to the native OpenGL calls...
Is the D3D support being worked on? What are the plans for it? Will it go away?
I believe in open standards, though this is a real problem in the windows market (which I am in)... regardless of what should be, it's what is, and I'm left wondering what to do about it... anyone know what's up with GLSetup?
Thanks,
-Joshua
I recently had to rewrite a rendering engine I had done in OpenGL to Direct3D8 due to the publisher's compatibility concerns...
This is a hard fact, and outside of any D3D vs. OpenGL arguments: There are more software returns of their products which use OpenGL as opposed to the ones which use D3D...
This mostly comes down to driver compatibility problems... and the non-existence of something like the DirectX setup for OpenGL...
I know there is a D3D abstraction layer, but in tests the performance is poor in comparison to the native OpenGL calls...
Is the D3D support being worked on? What are the plans for it? Will it go away?
I believe in open standards, though this is a real problem in the windows market (which I am in)... regardless of what should be, it's what is, and I'm left wondering what to do about it... anyone know what's up with GLSetup?
Thanks,
-Joshua
#2
If it is truly old, is it even an issue? Perhaps its as simple as this: install the latest drivers for your video card (unless you have a 3dfx, in which case you need to buy a new video card first). If it works, great. If it doesn't, buy a new video card and repeat.
Implementing native D3D support in Torque would not be an easy task.
04/30/2002 (7:02 pm)
So, does the GLSetup program install year old drivers or current drivers?If it is truly old, is it even an issue? Perhaps its as simple as this: install the latest drivers for your video card (unless you have a 3dfx, in which case you need to buy a new video card first). If it works, great. If it doesn't, buy a new video card and repeat.
Implementing native D3D support in Torque would not be an easy task.
#3
Customer: The game is showing some weird graphics and sometimes crashes?
Tech Support: Buy a new video card and if it still doesn't work keep on buying them until it does...
Customer demands money back here...
DirectX setup does a very good job from a "get the game running" standpoint... OpenGL has nothing like this under windows... I thought GLSetup was suppose to remedy some of this? Thus my post...
I had to rewrite the last rendering engine I did in OpenGL to D3D8 because of compatibility issues the publisher had... and the number of _returns_ and tech support calls on their OpenGL products, due to people who were unable to get the game working... which almost invariably was a driver issue...
Many end users don't even know WHAT video board they have if they NEED to upgrade their drivers... in fact, many just want to play (your) games...
Yes, it would be great if Windows had better OpenGL support... and if all the board makers all supported it as well as they should... heck if everyone had the same machines wouldn't it be great! Wait, that's the console market...
My questions about the D3D support under Torque remain... I believe it exists for a reason... what are the plans for it?
Otherwise, what can be done to get Torque(OpenGL) games up and running on windows users boxes smoothly? I wonder if the guys over at id Software know something about GLSetup... I'll ask over there too...
-J
04/30/2002 (8:48 pm)
This is about end users that don't have the latest and greatest hardware OR drivers... Customer: The game is showing some weird graphics and sometimes crashes?
Tech Support: Buy a new video card and if it still doesn't work keep on buying them until it does...
Customer demands money back here...
DirectX setup does a very good job from a "get the game running" standpoint... OpenGL has nothing like this under windows... I thought GLSetup was suppose to remedy some of this? Thus my post...
I had to rewrite the last rendering engine I did in OpenGL to D3D8 because of compatibility issues the publisher had... and the number of _returns_ and tech support calls on their OpenGL products, due to people who were unable to get the game working... which almost invariably was a driver issue...
Many end users don't even know WHAT video board they have if they NEED to upgrade their drivers... in fact, many just want to play (your) games...
Yes, it would be great if Windows had better OpenGL support... and if all the board makers all supported it as well as they should... heck if everyone had the same machines wouldn't it be great! Wait, that's the console market...
My questions about the D3D support under Torque remain... I believe it exists for a reason... what are the plans for it?
Otherwise, what can be done to get Torque(OpenGL) games up and running on windows users boxes smoothly? I wonder if the guys over at id Software know something about GLSetup... I'll ask over there too...
-J
Torque Owner Badguy
we cannot lose this ..
microsoft will punish.
So I think with your experience in direct3d
(prolly 8?)
would be a benefit to this layer.