WebGL
Definition
“WebGL is a cross-platform, royalty-free web standard for a low-level 3D graphics API based on OpenGL ES 2.0, exposed through the HTML5 Canvas element as Document Object Model interfaces. Developers familiar with OpenGL ES 2.0 will recognize WebGL as a Shader-based API using GLSL, with constructs that are semantically similar to those of the underlying OpenGL ES 2.0 API. It stays very close to the OpenGL ES 2.0 specification, with some concessions made for what developers expect out of memory-managed languages such as JavaScript.
WebGL brings plugin-free 3D to the web, implemented right into the browser. Major browser vendors Apple (Safari), Google (Chrome), Mozilla (Firefox), and Opera (Opera) are members of the WebGL Working Group.” (WebGL - OpenGL ES 2.0 for the Web, retrieved 12:53, 25 August 2010 (UTC))
According to Wikipedia, “WebGL is based on OpenGL ES 2.0 and provides a programmatic interface for 3D graphics. It uses the HTML5 canvas element and is accessed using Document Object Model interfaces. Automatic memory management is provided as part of the JavaScript language”
As of Aug. WebGL is implemented in development releases (Alpha,Beta) of Firefox, Chrome and Safari browsers.
Links
- Official Web site and specification
- WebGL - OpenGL ES 2.0 for the Web, hosted at Khronos Group (Open Standards for Media Authoring and Acceleration).
- WebGL Draft Specification released on December 10 2009
- Overview
- WebGL (Wikipedia)
- http://www.doesmybrowsersupportwebgl.com/ (click to test if your browsers supports it).
- Various
- X3DOM: Huge adoption of X3D by the masses?, Hiperia 3D, Jan 5 2010.