Windows and OpenGL

Are you programming GL under Windows? Then you (I am shure) are saing very bad words about Microsoft. Really, why they can’t develop OpenGL 1.2 or 1.3? Is it so hard? Or they have no time. I am to lasy to write multipass sections to emulate multitexturing etc. I guess driver developers fill the same.

I tried writing to Microsoft about this8ha-ha). I got nice reply:
blablabla …we are very thankfull about you letter … blablabla… we will blablabla…
I seriosly thing, that my message was automaticaly deveted, and I got standart reply. Maybe if we get all together, we could do something?

I’m using OpenGL under Windows, and I don’t care much if there are any 1.2 and 1.3 specific libraries for Windows. As long as I’m at least able to load the missing functions myself, I’m happy. It’s just a line or two of code.

[This message has been edited by Bob (edited 09-20-2001).]

A bunch of people (or a lot of people) have complained, but MS wont budge.

During the antitrust trials, Bill Gates himself said something like this
“We have always listened to our customers and have integrated their requests into our operating system … bla bla bla … because we are a innovative company …”

opengl.org has a link to some intel site for downloading GLsdk: gets the addresses through wglGetProcAddress for you. It’s good enough for me.

V-man

I think in the meeting notes of the ARB, it was suggested that with OpenGL 2.0 the opengl32.dll that m$ controls is dropped. Allowing new gl versions without the need for m$ to do anything.

Nutty

Ok, Nutt, but who will do that? Make it like an open source project?

SGI used to do an opengl.dll but they stopped so why can’t they let someone else produce it, then we can link to that instead?

Great idea! Need to say, that SGI’s opengl.dll is my favourite OpenGL dll. That was a great work. I think thay must continue that. For example, I would very glad to participate in such project.

All the ARB need to do, is work out a nice fast interface DLL to OpenGL 2.0, and get one of the members to create it. They could then ship it with all future drivers.

How hard can it be?!?!

I really dont understand why hardware companies can’t just supply a replacement dll for opengl32.dll that has the extra functions of gl 1.3 already in. For software that is free, (drivers) surely it can’t be illegal to just supply a replacement DLL for windoze?

Nutty

As I already explained to others, SGI is under agreement with MS. They can’t release the source for opengl.dll or update it because it involves the ICD mechanism.

This is exactly the problem with large companies like MS. They make decisions for us.

I don’t know why an new ICD mechanism isnt being created by SGI and others.

V-man