OpenGL

OpenGL is a cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D graphics.

OpenGL is an application programming interface or API for programs that use 2D and 3D vector graphics. Such graphics are often associated with video games but serve a wide range of other purposes and are used in computer-aided design software and so forth.

What makes a library like OpenGL so powerful is that software engineers can program it in a manner that’s independent of the platform and hardware they’re programming for. That means that you could use OpenGL to create a game that runs on Windows, Mac and Linus as well as one either Nvidia, AMD or Intel integrated chipsets. Of course, the real-word process isn’t so simple, but one cannot overstate the development time saved by libraries like OpenGL and DirectX.

The other aspect that makes OpenGL so powerful is the level of refinement. Creating 3D graphics can be complex work, but within this library, much of that work is already completed and refined. That means that the developer can focus on the aspects that are unique to his or her creation rather than the aspects that are common across all 2D or 3D graphics development.

Game developers don’t need to license OpenGL and can use it in a royalty-free fashion. Hardware manufacturers do, however, need to license it via either an open-source or trademark license. The game developer simply links to the appropriate library provided by the hardware vendor, so, for instance, there may be one library for Nvidia GPUs and another for AMD GPUs.

Installing OpenGL is fast and simple, but beginning to use it can be much more complicated. There’s no quick start guide, and the overall documentation may not be much help to the beginner. It’s also important to note that OpenGL is just a library. If you download it with the intention to create games, you’re also going to need a compiler, other libraries and perhaps even a host of other development tools.

Pros

• API for developing 2D and 3D applications
• Vendor independent
• No licensed required by developers

Cons

• Limited help documentation