

Google Labs O3D - endergen
http://code.google.com/apis/o3d/
Google Labs' open source 3D rendering browser plugin.
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Keyframe
Can anyone explain to me what is the benefit of having to install a plugin for
a browser in order to play a 3D game that is on graphics technological level
of 10 years ago. When you can install a game without a browser and get a
graphics technological experience of the modern age. I could understand
somewhat a point in having an in-browser 3D or 2D game without plugins
(Javascript or even Flash and Silverlight which I consider defacto indluded
already), I just don't understand why would I want to install a game into the
browser, which you do if you install a plugin, and tolerate degraded
experience in contrast to standalone installation and have a full blown
experience.

I DON'T GET IT, what is the motivation? It is as if some devs hope for
worldwide installation for their plugin in high hopes of being a next gen
flash, which won't happen. Some experiment with the idea plugin per game
(idsoftware), which brings me back to the first paragraph... is it supposed to
be a VMRL comeback? Let's do everything in a browser? Browser is the new OS?
What is it?

~~~
javert
The browser is designed for browsing HTML pages, NOT to do everything under
the sun.

Developers need to move beyond the browser and create a more heavy-duty
general-purpose Internet application -- or create a framework for installing
more domain-specific Internet applications in a sandbox.

~~~
omouse
_Developers need to move beyond the browser and create a more heavy-duty
general-purpose Internet application_

Wrong, your whole operating system has to be re-designed! :D

~~~
jokermatt999
How would you say it needs to be redesigned?

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omouse
All the linking that you can do with the web and the multiple representations
of information have to be designed into your operating system. We've also
learned that tagging combined with heirarchical categorization works really
really well and the filesystem should be designed around that.

Yes you can hack all that stuff on current operating systems but it isn't the
same.

~~~
javert
Well, you're talking about a slightly different issue than what I'm talking
about.

You're talking about making OS's more integrated with the Web. I'm talking
about changing the Web to take full advantage of existing operating systems.

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snorkel
Dear Google,

Thank you, it's nice to write OpenGL code in Javascript, but if you're going
to write a plugin that lets JavaScript access OpenGL then please don't rewrite
the entire OpenGL API.

~~~
coffeeaddicted
From what I see from the documenation this is not an OpenGL wrapper. First it
wraps OpenGL and DirectX. Then it also seems to be shader based, so it seems
to be less a rewrite of OpenGL, but more a rewrite of GLSL. They describe in
the FAQ why they didn't use GLSL itself.

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nihilocrat
"Most content on the web today is in 2D, but a lot of information is more fun
and useful in 3D."

Wait wait... where did I hear that before?

Oh yeah. VRML.

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tumult
The performance of this plugin destroys Flash in every way. It also does vsync
(wow yay we're past 1998 now, unlike Flash) and you can put the scripts right
in the page. Adobe's inability to make Flash not blow is stunning – they have
an insanely huge install base and tons of money, but still can't make Flash
perform even close to what might be called acceptable. Come on! You're getting
the chance to run NATIVE CODE in just about every desktop computer out there,
and you're blowing it!

Anyway, Adobe makes me angry. I hope this helps make them die off even faster.

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Raphael_Amiard
Well if it's some kind of high level api to deal with 3d and shaders, and it's
fun to code with and hasn't too shitty performance, it will probably work
well.. What will be really needed is some good fun and simple game to create a
buzz around it.

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pxlpshr
Wow, this _could_ be massive for indie game developers but I'm not exactly up
to snuff on browser-based 3D tech. Would love to collab and build a web game
if anyone is interested, we're working on a game but for the iPhone / iPod
Touch.

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msie
It appears my computer is too slow judging by the performance of the samples.
:(

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ajkirwin
I see this:

O3D is an open-source web API for creating rich, interactive 3D applications
in the browser.

And think, "Oh cool! It must be some funky 3D javascript library or something.
This is pretty neat."

Then I scroll down and.. oh. Yet ANOTHER plugin. How is this different from
say.. flash or silverlight or..

~~~
wmf
Today it's a plugin. Tomorrow it's probably built in to Chrome, Safari, and
Firefox.

~~~
omouse
AAHAHAHAHAAHAH That's what they said about VRML!

