CAD Software Profile

OpenGL
1

I think what’s called “compatibility profile” should be renamed “CAD software profile”, and the “modern” “core profile” should be “Game profile”

For the following reasons:

  1. Display lists are an elegant and efficient way to create static draw data vs. ugly inefficient vertex buffers…
  2. Immediate drawing mode is an excellent solution to very dynamic many small object drawing vs. very expensive map/unmap buffers.
  3. Stippled lines are very common in CAD applications, and the OpenGL API offered it for free, neat, consistent and accelerated vs. implement-your-own inconsistent patterns…
  4. Transformation matrix/mode is very handy.
  5. Remember OpenGL is an API, a graphics library that’s supposed to hide hardware details, otherwise why came up with “Vulkan”?
2

I’m curious: what exactly do you think such a rename would accomplish? Would it get MESA to support “CAD Software Profile OpenGL”? No. Would it get MacOSX to support “CAD Software Profile OpenGL”? No.

They’re not dropping support for the compatibility profile because of what it’s called. They’re doing it because of what it costs to implement. And that won’t change by changing its name.

3

I’m curious: what exactly do you think such a rename would accomplish?

It will accomplish first clarity of the purpose why it still exists, and second confidence in using the good-old stuff, that it will stay around forever!

They’re doing it because of what it costs to implement.

What cost? It’s already implemented and maintained! :slight_smile:

4

That would be a lie, since that’s not why the distinction exists.

That too would be a lie, since both MESA and MacOSX do not support it. As previously stated.

We should not lie to users.

5

We should not lie to users.

But they already did by saying vertex buffers is how the “modern” hardware works, and they are faster! :doh: