FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Susan Austin Jonathan Hirshon
Silicon Graphics, Inc. Horizon Communications
650-933-3233 408-969-4888 x101
saustin@corp.sgi.com jh@horizonpr.com
http://www.sgi.com http://www.horizonpr.com
OPENGL ARB RATIFIES OPENGL 1.2 SPECIFICATION
New Specification Adds New Features/Functionality Including Better Windows
Support, Enhanced Performance, Improved Visual Quality and an Optional
Imaging Feature Set
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (March 24, 1998) – Silicon Graphics, Inc. (NYSE:SGI)
and the other members of the OpenGL(R) Architecture Review Board (ARB)
today announced the ratification and availability of the OpenGL 1.2
specification. This represents the latest enhancement to the industry’s
leading cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics Application Programming
Interface
(API). OpenGL 1.2 implementations are expected to be available for various
platforms in late fall 1998.
The OpenGL 1.2 specification evolved with input from both the ARB and
interested outside parties. This specification reflects predominant trends
in the graphics hardware industry. The ARB’s process of enhancing OpenGL
includes evaluating extensions and determining which to incorporate and
how
they should be officially supported within the API. In OpenGL 1.2, several
extensions have been ratified and brought into the API’s core
functionality. These extensions enhance OpenGL in the following ways:
Improved Windows(R) Support
* The ARB (of which Microsoft Corp. is a member) has improved performance
and functionality of OpenGL under Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 9X and Windows
NT(R). For example, OpenGL 1.2 includes native Windows pixel formats to
increase overall performance.
(Editor’s Note: Please see the OpenGL testimonial sheet for third-party
quotes endorsing OpenGL 1.2.)
Improved Visual 3D Quality
* Separate Specular Color – Enables more realistic highlights by allowing
a
specular color to be displayed on textured objects
* Texture Coordinate Edge Clamping – Avoids blending texture borders and
textured pixels
Improved Performance
* Packed Pixel Formats – Packed 8/16/32-bit pixel format types reduce
color
converting, use less memory and allow images to load more quickly
* Normal Rescaling – Automatic rescaling of vertex normals speeds
geometric
operations by avoiding expensive renormalization following transformation
* Texture Level of Detail – Conserves texture memory by enabling subsets
of
mipmap levels to be loaded as required
* Vertex Array Enhancements – Enables operations on a specified sub-range
of a vertex array,
allowing optimizations such as caching and pre-transformation of
geometries
New Capabilities and Functionality
* Three Dimensional Texturing – Support for 3D textures enables
hardware-acceleration of volume rendering
* Optional Imaging Feature Set – Addresses the growing role of imaging in
3D graphics and is the first optional feature set ever included in OpenGL
OpenGL Information
OpenGL is the premier environment for developing 2D and 3D visual
applications on systems ranging from consumer PCs to graphics workstations
and supercomputers. With more than 60 hardware developer licensees, OpenGL
has the broadest industry support of any openly licensed graphics API. In
1992, Silicon Graphics formed an industry-wide ARB that now governs the
evolution and ongoing development of OpenGL – a technology originally
created by Silicon Graphics – as an open, platform-independent standard
for
professional-quality 3D graphics.
The eight companies comprising the OpenGL ARB are Digital Equipment Corp.,
Evans & Sutherland, Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM Corp., Intel Corp.,
Intergraph
Corp., Microsoft and Silicon Graphics. Hardware-developer licensees
include
Digital Equipment Corp., Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Sun Microsystems and
a growing number of 3D graphics chipset and board vendors, including 3Dfx,
3Dlabs, ATI and S3.
Platforms supporting OpenGL include AIX(TM), BeOS(TM), HP/UX, IRIX(R),
LINUX, Mac(R) OS, OS/2(R), Microsoft Windows 9X and Windows NT,
Solaris(TM)
and many other operating systems. More information on OpenGL 1.2 and its
supporters will be made available on the OpenGL website at
http://www.opengl.org.
Company Information
Silicon Graphics, Inc. is a leading supplier of high-performance
interactive computing systems. The company offers the broadest range of
products in the industry — from low-end desktop workstations to servers
and high-end Cray(R) supercomputers. Silicon Graphics also markets MIPS(R)
microprocessor designs, Alias|Wavefront(TM) entertainment and design
software and other software products. The company’s key markets include
manufacturing, government, science and industries, communications and
entertainment sectors. Silicon Graphics and its subsidiaries have offices
throughout the world and headquarters in Mountain View, California.
-end-
Silicon Graphics, the Silicon Graphics logo, OpenGL and IRIX are
registered
trademarks, and OpenGL Optimizer are trademarks of Silicon Graphics,
Inc.
Cray is a registered trademark of Cray Research, Inc., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Alias is a registered trademark, and
Alias|Wavefront is a trademark of Alias|Wavefront, a division of Silicon
Graphics Limited. MIPS is a registered trademark of MIPS Technologies,
Inc.
Microsoft, Windows NT and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation. Solaris is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Mac is a
registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. AIX is a trademark and OS/2
is
a registered trademark of IBM Corporation. BeOS is a trademark of Be, Inc.
All other trademarks mentioned are property of their respective owners.
Press materials are available on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.sgi.com/newsroom
___________________________________________________________
Industry Support for OpenGL 1.2 (p. 1 of 2)
3Dlabs
“3Dlabs has been acknowledged as the industry leader in bringing
professional OpenGL acceleration to the PC,” said Neil Trevett, vice
president of marketing at 3Dlabs. “We welcome the enhanced capabilities
that this new specification will bring to users of OpenGL applications.
3Dlabs will be aggressively providing OpenGL 1.2 functionality in our
range
of silicon and drivers for Windows 95 and Windows NT.”
AMD
“AMD values the opportunity to provide the increased performance of
AMD-3D(TM) Technology through the OpenGL 1.2 API,” said AMD’s Ned Finkle,
director, strategic initiatives group. “The combination of AMD-3D
Technology and an optimized OpenGL 1.2 will deliver an even more powerful
3D platform solution.”
Dynamic Pictures
“In support of our end users and our ISV partners, Dynamic Pictures is
committed to the OpenGL API and will integrate new versions of OpenGL as
well as future 3D APIs into our graphics architecture,” said David
Everett,
president and CEO of Dynamic Pictures. “As part of our innovative
software
strategy, Dynamic Pictures recently introduced PowerThreads(TM)
technology,
the industry’s only true multi-threaded OpenGL implementation.
PowerThreads
technology utilizes multiple host CPUs to perform geometry processing,
and
is available for the Dynamic Pictures(R) Oxygen(TM) 3D Family of OpenGL
accelerators.”
ELSA
“ELSA is committed to support OpenGL — the recognized API of choice for
high-performance 3D graphics — and to enable high-quality acceleration
for
OpenGL-based applications on Windows 95 and NT,” said Thomas Neubert, vice
president of sales and marketing at ELSA. “ELSA will continue to develop
robust hardware and software drivers that will allow graphics users to
take
advantage of the new and improved features of OpenGL 1.2.”
Intel
“Intel is pleased to have aided in the definition of OpenGL 1.2,” said Jon
Khazam, marketing director for graphics at Intel Corporation. “The 1.2
revision adds several key new features to OpenGL which will further
enhance
visual quality and facilitate application optimization, as well as new
imaging features that will open up new opportunities in image-based
rendering. Intel will be working with our industry partners to deliver
OpenGL 1.2-compliant graphics on Intel processor-based platforms.”
NVIDIA
“Last month, NVIDIA announced its OpenGL ICD (Installable Client Driver)
for Windows 95 and Windows NT ,” said Lew Paceley, vice president of
corporate marketing at NVIDIA Corporation. “The combination of our OpenGL
ICD and our high-performance 3D processors, such as the new RIVA TNT,
provides complete support for demanding professional applications based
on
OpenGL.”
Raycer Graphics
“Raycer Graphics’ powerful technology will offer full support for OpenGL
1.2,” said Don Harris, director of market development at Raycer Graphics.
“The performance, extensibility and cross platform support provides
developers of precision critical CAD, simulation and entertainment
graphics
applications with a powerful, stable and highly productive programming
interface.”
SciTech Software
“SciTech has been an outspoken advocate of OpenGL on the PC for many
years,” said Tom Ryan, director of marketing at SciTech. “We welcome the
new version of OpenGL and plan to fully integrate it into our future
graphics utilities and developer tool products.”
Silicon Graphics
“With the ratification of OpenGL 1.2, Silicon Graphics and the other ARB
members are continuing to improve upon the industry’s most widely
supported
3D graphics API,” said Miriam Geller, OpenGL product manager at Silicon
Graphics. “OpenGL 1.2 will offer developers the best cross-platform
solution for 3D graphics and we intend to aggressively support our
customers and partners in their OpenGL development activities.”