3D Engines List API & SRC: All This list contains 23 engines with programming API and source code.

02.02.2000 OpenGL

06.09.1995

OpenGLŪ is a software interface for applications to generate interactive 2D and 3D computer graphics. OpenGL is designed to be independent of operating system, window system, and hardware operations, and it is supported by many vendors. OpenGL is available on PCs, Macintosh and workstations.
OpenGL provides a wide range of graphics functions: from rendering a simple geometric point, line, or filled polygon, to texture mapping NURBS curved surfaces.

• Geometric primitives (points, lines, and polygons)
• Raster primitives (bitmaps and pixel rectangles)
• RGBA or color index mode
• Display list or immediate mode
• Viewing and modeling transformations
• Hidden Surface Removal (depth buffer)
• Alpha Blending (transparency)
• Antialiasing
• Texture Mapping
• Atmospheric Effects (fog, smoke, and haze)
• Polynomial Evaluators (to support Non-uniform rational B-splines)
• Pixel Operations (storing, transforming, mapping, zooming)
• Accumulation Buffer
• Stencil Planes
• Feedback, Selection, and Picking
• OpenSource

The OpenGL functions described are provided on every OpenGL implementation to make applications written with OpenGL easily portable between platforms. All licensed OpenGL implementations are required to pass the Conformance Tests, and come from a single specification and language binding document.
More information and the source of the sample implementation can be found on the OpenGL Sample Implementation Homepage.

22.12.1999 Quesa

22.12.1999

Quesa is a high level 3D graphics library, released as Open Source under the LGPL, which implements Apple's QuickDraw 3D API on top of OpenGL. Quesa was started by Dair Grant (dair@webthing.net), although substantial amounts of code have since been contributed by other developers.

• Support for retained and immediate mode rendering
• Extensible file format
• Hierarchical models
• Objectoriented API
• Support for MacOS, Linux and Windows - ports to Be and Mac Mac OS X are in progress
• Portable ANSI C source

More information, screenshots and links to download the source can be found on the Quesa Homepage

18.10.1999 DDJ: RaveKit

15.07.1997

RaveKit is a portable 3D framework by Mark Carolan presented in Dr. Dobb's Journal July 1997 .

• Uses QuickDraw 3D RAVE library.
• Support for Windows 95 (DirectDraw) and Mac.
• Perspective texture mapping.
• MIP-mapping
• Z-buffer and z-sort rendering.
• C++ source.

The source (for Mac and Windows including the RAVE library) can be found on ftp.ddj.com.

28.09.1999 Gizmo3D

28.09.1999

Gizmo3D is a high performance 3D scene graph and visualisation toolkit for Linux, Win32 and Irix from Anders Moden ( anders@linux3d.net ).

• Lightmapped, perspective texture mapping
• Scene graph API which features most nodes of Performer and Cosmo3D
• Multipass rendering (lightmapping, projective textures)
• Mirrors
• Parametric surfaces
• Collision detection
• Script control with an implemented java interpreter or phyton intepreter to control behaviours (brains) and motion with scripts.
• Animation control to provide animation built into the scene graph
• Support for WIN32 HWND windows, Unix Xt Widgets and QT QWidgets on both WIN32,Linux and Irix
• Image toolkit, DB toolkit and System toolkit
• Written in C++

More information, screenshots and the source can be found on the Gizmo3D Homepage.

22.04.1999 Mesa

01.01.1995

Mesa is a 3-D graphics library with an API which is very similar to that of OpenGL by Brian Paul (brianp@ssec.wisc.edu).

• Mesa works on X11-Windows based systems, Windows, Linux SVGA, NeXT, Macintosh, DOS, Amiga, VMS and OS/2. Mesa was written with portability in mind.
• Support for PC 3D hardware (3DFX chip).
• Smooth shading, accumulation buffer.
• Dithering
• Fog/depth cuing.
• Shaded perspective texture mapping.
• Gouraud shading .
• Support for NURBS patches.

More info and links to download the source can be found on the Mesa Homepage

23.07.1998 JawMD2

16.02.1998

JawMD2 is a Quake2 Model Viewer by Jawed Karim ( jkarim@students.uiuc.edu ).

• Unshaded, perspective texture mapping.
• Antiliased wireframe, gouraud and textured rendering modes.
• Full frame animation support
• Uses OpenGL for 3D rendering.
• Support for Windows 95/NT and Linux (using MesaGL).

More information, screenshots, the executables and the source can be found on the JawMD2 Homepage.

16.09.1997 Project SpandeX

01.01.1995

Project SpandeX (previously known as Latex) is a 3D engine from Paul Nettle (midnight@www.grafix3d.tzo.com).

• Commercial quality engine, written by commercial game developer.
• Open-GL like
• Texture-mapping, environment-mapping, bump-mapping, solid-color polygons, Phong shading, Gouraud shading, Lambert.
• Perspective correct, and affine texture mapping both supported
• Sub-pixel, sub-texel accuracy
• Z-buffering and sorting.
• Triangles, lines, points, text (mono or proportional).
• Up to 100 dynamic light sources.
• Material support with Ka, Kd and Ks variables (may change on the fly).
• Support for any resolution.
• Multiple cameras that can act JUST like 3DS cameras.
• Hierarchical database design with forward kinematics and inheritance.
• 100% Pure C for portability with small inline ASM parts.
• Over 250 API calls for maximum flexibility.
• Support for DOS and Linux/X11.
• Latest version is completely true-color.

More information, screenshots, the source and demos can be found on the Project SpandeX Homepage.

08.07.1997 Player Project

08.07.1997

The Player Project is a C++ class wrapper to Direct 3D and OpenGL from Eric Victor Powers ( powerg@deltanet.com ).

• Simple collision detection.
• Hierarchical objects.
• Multiple lights.
• Material support.

More information and the source can be found on the Player Project Homepage.

15.04.1997 TAG

01.10.1996

The TAG (TBA Advanced Graphics engine) is a commercial 3D engine for the Acorn Archimedes from TBA software (tba@tbalond.demon.co.uk).

• Gouraud shaded, perspective texture mapping.
• 2D sprites.
• Sound and music support.
• Collision detection.
• 3D editor.
• Multiplayer support.
• 'Virtual machine' for running compiled P-code linked to each object .

More information can be found on the TBA Software Index Homepage. There was also a news from TBA Software in rec.games.programmer that contained a perspective texture mapping scanliner using the TAG library.

11.03.1997 Virtual Reality Toolkit Lightning Eagle

08.07.1997

VLE is a OpenGL / CosmoGL C++ / Mesa class wrapper from Martin Faust (faust@informatik.uni-bremen.de ).

• Support for Windows 95/NT, PC 3D cards, Sun (Mesa), Linux (Mesa) and SGI computers.
• Object hierarchies.
• Animated backdrops.
• Primitve objects.

More information, the source, libraries and documentation can be found on the (german!) VLE Homepage.

12.11.1996 GRAFICA NATURA

20.09.1996

GRAFICA NATURA is a 3-D realtime rendering system which was primarily designed for realistic visualization of natural objects and phenomena, e.g. plants, landscapes, clouds and water. GN is written by Steffen Hauser (stephen@cs.tu-berlin.de).

• Linear, shaded polygon texture-mapping.
• Support for X11-Windows and DOS.
• Primitive objects (e.g. cube, disk, sphere, cone, cylinder, plane, bezier-patch, rotation curve, height field).
• Procedural plant models.
• Hierarchical object construction.
• Lambert and gouraud shaded surfaces.
• Unlimited number of light sources.
• Wireframe or solid rendering (gouraud shaded and textured surfaces).
• Z-buffer rendering.
• Transparent surfaces.
• Import:
  • Objects: 3DS, GEM, NFF, PLG, TRI
  • Textures: PPM, TGA
• Output:
  • Objects: VRML (no materials and textures yet)
  • Images: PPM, TGA
• Color specification with RGB-, HSV-, HLS- or CMY-format.
• Atmospheric effects (e.g. fog, haze).
• C++ source.
• Simple but powerful stack-based programming language with more than 150 build-in commands for definition of objects, surfaces, textures, camera movements and lightning effects.

The source and more information can be found on the GRAFICA NATURA Homepage.

19.04.1996 TAGL

01.01.1995

TAGL (Threedee Advanced Graphic Libraryis) a portable 3D C++ class library from Bruno Levy (bruno@ensg.u-nancy.fr).

• Linear texturemapping in RGB and colormap mode.
• Environment mapping.
• Support for 8bpp, 15bpp, 16bpp, 24bpp and 32bpp displays.
• Z-buffer rendering.
• Gouraud shading and dithering, wireframe and flatshading rending.
• RGB emulation in 8bpp mode.
• Dynamic linking, to load new drivers at run time.
• Multiple output windows or rendering ports inside a single window.
• Tested with DOS and under X11-Windows with Linux, SunOs, Solaris, HPUX, OSF1 and IRIX.
• C++ design with inheritance, C++ inlining, generic scanliners.
• 3 layer design (GraphicPort for portable framebuffer access, PolygonEngine for rasterization and GeometryManager for 3D transformation and graphic primitives).
• GEOM file object viewer.
• C++ API with lots of sample programs,

The full source can be found at sunsite.unc.edu. More information in the TAGL Readme.

01.01.1995 Dore

01.01.1995

Dore' is a powerful 3D graphics subroutine library, made freely available by the Kubota Graphics Corp. It provides a comprehensive set of tools for creating graphics applications. It is also easy to use, portable, and extendable. This version has interfaces/drivers to X11-Windows, PEX, IrisGL, OpenGL, Postscript and more. It has been ported onto most Unix systems, including Linux, NetBSD, and FreeBSD. It has also been ported to Windows NT 3.5. Dore is available on the Dore FTP Server

12.03.1998 MegaGraph Graphics Library

01.01.1995

The MGL is a 3D graphics library for PCs from SciTech.

• Flat and gouraud shading.
• Support for DOS, Windows 3.1 / 95 / NT.
• SVGA support.
• BSP sorting and zbuffer rendering
• 2D and 3D functions.
• 3D modeling system.
• Written in C++ and ASM.
• Support for Borland C++, Watcom C++, Delphi, Visual C++.
• Support for DirectDraw acceleration functions.
• Support for OpenGL for Windows ( Microsoft, Silicon Graphics and Mesa ) API within the MGL framework.
• Support for stereo LC shutter glasses (requires hardware stereo support)

More information and source can be found on the MGL Homepage.

07.03.1996 Free3d (Link Problem!)

07.03.1996

F3D is a portable, object-oriented real-time 3d rendering library from Brandon Van Every (vanevery@blarg.net).

• Gouraud and flat shading, texture mapping is planned.
• Painters sorting.
• X11-Windows support.
• C++ source code.

More information and the source can be found on the Free3d Homepage.

01.11.1995 Avril

01.01.1995

AVRIL is A Virtual Reality Interface Library, written entirely in ANSI C, except for the very low-level routines that actually write to the display. AVRIL was written by Bernie Roehl (broehl@sunee.uwaterloo.ca).

• Support for HMDs and many input devices
• Simpler and better API than REND386
• Full documentation

Source: Official AVRIL site sunee.uwaterloo.ca or at ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de
More info on the Avril Homepage or in the Avril Readme.
There is also a Internet Virtual Reality project from Lepton Incorporated that uses the AVRIL rendering engine.

24.02.1997 Mirage

22.01.1997

Mirage is a unix port and followup of VR386 from Christophe Maurel ( maurel@electech.polymtl.ca ).

• Hierarchical linked figures.
• Animation state machine.
• Support for WorldToolKit NFF, AutoCad DXF and VR386/Render386 PLG and WLD files.
• Support for X11-Windows on SGI, SunOs and Linux.
• Tcl/Tk interface.
• Portable C source.

More information and the source can be found on the Mirage Homepage.

19.04.1996 WatRend

19.04.1996

WR is portable scanline-based 3D rendering engine from Gavriel State (gav@mag1.magmacom.com).

• Support for Macintoshes, SGI machines, X11-Windows, x86 DOS and Linux.
• Fixed-point and floating-point math.
• Based on Rend386 and Avril.
• Active edge table scanlining.
• PLG file support.

More information and the source on Gav's Homepage.

01.09.1995 REND386

01.01.1995

A 3-D Polygon Rendering Package for the 386 and 486 written by Dave Stampe (dstampe@sunee.uwaterloo.ca) and Bernie Roehl (broehl@sunee.uwaterloo.ca).

• Hierarchical linked figures
• Animation state machine
• Support of external io-device and display drivers
• No longer supported.

Source: sunee.uwaterloo.ca or at ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de. More info in the REND386 Readme.

10.07.1995 VR386

01.01.1995

VR386 is the other followup to REND386, it was written by Dave Stampe (dstampe@sunee.uwaterloo.ca).

• better timebase for timing and control
• simplified programmer interface
• EMM386 for up to 4 megabytes of memory for object storage

Source: psych.utoronto.ca or at ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de

12.06.1995 VOGLE

12.06.1995

VOGLE (very ordinary graphics learning environment) is a device portable graphics library that is loosely based on the Silicon Graphics Iris GL. VOGL was done by Eric H. Echidna (echidna@munnari.OZ.AU).

• C source.
• Drivers for postscript, sun workstation, apollo workstations, X11-Windows (R4 & R5), tektronix (401x), hpgl, dxy, and the ibm pc cards: hercules mono, cga, ega, vga and sigma, Windows and HP graphics terminals..
• Bezier patches, polygons, arcs, lines and hershey font 2D text support.
• Flat and wireframe rendering (no shading!)

The source can be found on munnari.oz.au .

12.06.1995 VOGL

12.06.1995

VOGL (very ordinary GL Like Library) is a device portable graphics library that tries to be Silicon Graphics Iris GL compatible. The intention is that any VOGL program will compile unchanged on a machine running SGI GL (the examples do). VOGL is based entirely on the other graphics library VOGLE. VOGL was done by Eric H. Echidna (echidna@munnari.OZ.AU).

• C source.
• Drivers for postcript, sun workstation, apollo workstations, X11-Windows (R2, R3 & R4), tektronix (401x), hpgl, dxy, and the ibm pc cards: hercules mono, cga, ega, vga and sigma.
• Bezier patches, polygons, arcs, lines and hershey font 2D text support.
• Flat and wireframe rendering (no shading!)

The source can be found on munnari.oz.au .

12.06.1995 SIPP

12.06.1995

SIPP (SImple Polygon Processor) is a scanline z-buffer rendering library from Equivalent Software HB. the authors are Jonas Yngvesson (jonas-y@isy.liu.se) and Inge Wallin (ingwa@isy.liu.se).

• Phong, gouraud or flat shading.
• Texture, opacity and bump mapping.
• Bezier patches and polygons and object primitives.
• Procedural texure shaders.
• Arbitrary number of light sources.
• Z-buffer rendering.
• Simple anti-aliasing through oversampling.
• Output to Portable Pixmap format (ppm) or user-supplied functions.
• C source and good documentation.

The source can be found on isy.liu.se . There is also a version with TCL interface available at ftp.uu.net.