This is my question:
Which is the better API? OpenGL? Direct3D? Glide?
Better means fastest, powerfull, most portable,etc…
I know that Glide is the fastest API, but what do you think?
DirectX is for Wintel machines only, making it non-portable.
I was under the impression that Glide was limited to 3dfx’s video cards (the Voodoo series), making it even more limiting. Does anyone know if this is correct?
That’s right.
I think you can find a wrapper somewhere that converts glide calls to DX calls, so you can use it on any card. It’s slow, though, so I don’t know why anybody would use it.
Glide is pretty much dead. I think even 3DFX has stopped work on it, but they have continued support. Glide is the fastest API for Voodoo cards, but OpenGL and DX performance is still close to that.
Between OpenGL and DX, performance is very similar, assuming your drivers are good.
Like outlander said, OpenGL is more portable.
As for ease of use, some people think OpenGL is easier, some people think DX is easier. I think it’s a personal thing.
j
I just took my first look through some of the changes in DirectX 8. Is it just me or does it seem like they are trying to be more and more like OpenGL with each release? 
It could be you. Or it could be that everyone from John Carmack to the nearest computer science student prefers OpenGL’s interface to D3D’s immediate mode interface.
I spent the better part of a week looking at D3D. Then I started on OpenGL. Until the advent of DirectGL, I’m not going back!
Originally posted by Deiussum:
I just took my first look through some of the changes in DirectX 8. Is it just me or does it seem like they are trying to be more and more like OpenGL with each release?
No DX is changing more like opengl because ogl is easier to use.
Also OpenGL is more powerful than DX (DX has no proper Stencil Buffer.)
Tim
Originally posted by Tim Stirling:
No DX is changing more like opengl because ogl is easier to use.
Also OpenGL is more powerful than DX (DX has no proper Stencil Buffer.)
Tim
[/b]
Ahh, I downloaded the DX8 SDK a couple days ago, and D3D’s stencil buffer works fine.
Hmm… looks like D3D is coming into its own.
Originally posted by Sansus:
[/b]I know that Glide is the fastest API, but what do you think?[/b]
Glide is the fastest API if you happen to be using a 3DFX board. Glide was written for and optimized for 3DFX cards. This may not necessarily be the case for other cards (some others do support glide). Anyhow, if you are absolutely certain that you will be using 3DFX boards ONLY then by all means use Glide. If you think that you might eventually support other cards, use OpenGL.
I have 3 machines at home with the following configs:
A) P2/200Mhz/Voodoo 3000 PCI (3DFX)
B) P3/700Mhz/NVidia TNT/Ultra2 (OpenGL acc).
C) P3/700Mhz/NVidia GeForce/32Mb/SDR (OpenGL acc).
Running the Descent3 game with Glide on machine A slightly out performs maching B with OpenGL (50-70 FPS).
Running Descent3 on machine C blows the others away (50-100 FPS).
Just my $0.02,
Paul Leopard
Glide is dead. 'Nuff said.
- Matt