OpenGL Overload: Implementing OpenGL Over Vulkan

[timofonic]

Yeah I would agree with others, having DX11/DX12 running through Vulkan would be much more useful for developers whom want to port it to other platforms since that covers 99.9% of games right there. But I guess there are other issues in that regard since DirectX is a FULL suite and not just a graphics API...

Isn't SDL2+ the multiplatform DirectX?

[dragorth]

It reminds me the times of 3dfx and glide.

The OpenGL implementation of Voodoo cards was a layer on top of glide. On both Windows and Linux.

Funnily enough, Directx was originally meant to be a layer to implement OpenGL on as well.

[mike4]

What a complete wast of time. DX12 on top of Vulkan as a library sounds far more doable and pragmatic. OGL on top of Vulkan, ridiculous.

No for companies wanting extra Vulkan speed without changing their opengl code to vulkan. Flightgear, xplane and alike could all benefit from better FPS.

[log0]

No for companies wanting extra Vulkan speed without changing their opengl code to vulkan. Flightgear, xplane and alike could all benefit from better FPS.

Where would that extra speed come from? You will be emulating the huge OpenGL state machine with Vulkan. Good luck with trying to beat the OpenGL driver with that.

[hansg]

Of course it is useful. It has the potential to become a baseline OpenGL that works everywhere (where Vulkan is available, at least). Instead of having to rely on the vagaries of specific graphics card manufacturers, OpenGL users can simply target this implementation. Moreover, it potentially opens the road to new GPU manufacturers: instead of having to not only design a GPU, but also write a huge OpenGL driver, a Vulkan driver would be sufficient to also immediately support OpenGL.

Of course that all depends on this implementation being good enough...

[nomadewolf]

The obvious benfits of this are:

• No need for companies to maintain OpenGL driver anymore
• OpenGL drivers are more buggy, bulky
• If it's well implemented some of the problems of OpenGL might be mitigated

[blackout23]

But I guess there are other issues in that regard since DirectX is a FULL suite and not just a graphics API...

Holy crap when will this dumb myth finally die. DirectSound, DirectInput & Co. have been deprecated over 5 years ago. DirectX is nothing more than a 3D API these days.

[geearf]

Holy crap when will this dumb myth finally die. DirectSound, DirectInput & Co. have been deprecated over 5 years ago. DirectX is nothing more than a 3D API these days.

Direct2D is still there...
Also, aren't XInput and XAudio2 still part of it?

[Stebs]

What a complete wast of time. DX12 on top of Vulkan as a library sounds far more doable and pragmatic. OGL on top of Vulkan, ridiculous.

That is just your perspective, what YOU want.
Christophe Riccio already being an expert in OpenGL, I suspect this is also about learning Vulkan by actually doing something with it (and not about learning something about DX12). If the project is of use later for somebody, all the better...

[ssokolow]

It reminds me the times of 3dfx and glide.

The OpenGL implementation of Voodoo cards was a layer on top of glide. On both Windows and Linux.

Makes sense. Glide is already a cut down variation on OpenGL to work within the limitations of consumer-affordable hardware at the time, so OpenGL-on-Glide would probably be less different than OpenGL-on-Vulkan.