Microsoft's current plan for OpenGL on Windows Vista is to layer OpenGL over Direct3D in order to use OpenGL with a composited desktop to obtain the Aeroglass experience. If an OpenGL ICD is run - the desktop compositor will switch off - significantly degrading the user experience.
In practice this means for OpenGL under Aeroglass:
* OpenGL performance will be significantly reduced - perhaps as much as 50%
* OpenGL on Windows will be fixed at a vanilla version of OpenGL 1.4
* No extensions will be possible to expose future hardware innovations
It would be technically straightforward to provide an OpenGL ICD within the full Aeroglass experience without compromising the stability or the security of the operating system. Layering OpenGL over Direct3D is a policy more than a technical decision.
What can you do?
1. Write to your preferred ISV, hardware developer or OEM and tell them to bring this up with Microsoft (e.g. 3Dlabs, ATI, Intel, Matrox, NVIDIA, HP, Dell)
2. Bring this issue up on other developer and tech-related web sites. If you have a personal blog or podcast, talk about the issue there. Windows Vista might end up being a great product, but not if OpenGL is crippled
3. Post your comments to this message board (please no Microsoft bashing - Just make it clear that Windows needs to stay a great platform for the OpenGL API and offer any suggestions)
[/url]http://www.opengl.org/discussion_boards ... 2;t=000001
Alert!
OpenGL is a venerable standard and well loved (by many of us). Obviously MS has a right to do whatver they please with Vista, but we don't haver to be happy about it. MS may want to cripple OpenGL so D3D becomes the only viable 3D api on hte platform. But I for one, and I think many others feel the same way, have no plans to buy Vista if OpenGL is crippled.
You do a lot of programming? Really? I try to get some in, but the debugging keeps me pretty busy.
Crucible of Stars
Crucible of Stars
Or just turn off Aeroglass, to play games... makes sense to me.
I can kinda see microsofts point here (and no i'm not a DX fanatic either) if they want hardware accelarated GUI than they HAVE to translate the OGL calls as the device can't process both at the same time.
I suspect MS to allow Aeroglass to be disabled/enabled on the fly, so when starting games the screen'll flicker or something trivial.
I can kinda see microsofts point here (and no i'm not a DX fanatic either) if they want hardware accelarated GUI than they HAVE to translate the OGL calls as the device can't process both at the same time.
I suspect MS to allow Aeroglass to be disabled/enabled on the fly, so when starting games the screen'll flicker or something trivial.
If its simple enough care for brief explanation?It would be technically straightforward to provide an OpenGL ICD within the full Aeroglass experience
