Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
OpenGL for Embedded Systems (OpenGL ES) is an application
programming interface (API) for advanced 3D graphics targeted at
handheld and embedded devices. OpenGL ES is the dominant graphics
API in today's smartphones and has even extended its reach onto the
desktop. The list of platforms supporting OpenGL ES includes iOS,
Android, BlackBerry, bada, Linux, and Windows. OpenGL ES also
underpins WebGL, a web standard for browser-based 3D graphics.
Since the release of the iPhone 3GS in June 2009 and Android 2.0 in
March 2010, OpenGL ES 2.0 has been supported on iOS and Android
devices. The irst edition of this topic covered OpenGL ES 2.0 in detail.
The current edition focuses on OpenGL ES 3.0, the next revision of
OpenGL ES. It is almost inevitable that every handheld platform that
continues to evolve will support OpenGL ES 3.0. Indeed, OpenGL ES 3.0
is already supported on devices using Android 4.3+ and on the iPhone 5s
with iOS7. OpenGL ES 3.0 is backward compatible with OpenGL ES 2.0,
meaning that applications written for OpenGL ES 2.0 will continue to
work with OpenGL ES 3.0.
OpenGL ES is one of a set of APIs created by the Khronos Group. The
Khronos Group, founded in January 2000, is a member-funded industry
consortium that is focused on the creation of open standard and royalty-
free APIs. The Khronos Group also manages OpenGL, a cross-platform
standard 3D API for desktop systems running Linux, various flavors of
UNIX, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows. It is a widely accepted standard
3D API that has seen significant real-world usage.
Due to the widespread adoption of OpenGL as a 3D API, it made sense to
start with the desktop OpenGL API in developing an open standard 3D
