

Learn WebGL in 16 lessons - octopus
http://learningwebgl.com/blog/?page_id=1217?

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gpjt
[Site owner here]

Aha, I was wondering why my site had had 578 visitors in the first hour after
midnight... I'll keep an eye on the 512Mb VM that is my terrible excuse for a
server and make sure it stays up.

A quick note about the lessons: they're not a complete intro to WebGL -- I've
got ones in the works on picking (mouse selection of 3D objects) and shadows.
And, of course, there's a near-infinite amount of 3D graphics learning that
I'm not realistically ever going to cover... though I'll do my best. It's fun,
after all!

I'm also continually updating the older lessons to make sure that they keep
matching my current understanding of best practice -- if you're interested in
updates, I tend to post about that on the blog, along with weekly posts
listing interesting WebGL demos around the net.

~~~
Groxx
Since there appears to be a bit of a worry:
<https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D027234_6652762_717573>

Crappy save-page-as in Firefox for all 16 pages, thus no working Youtube
videos, but better than nothing if it goes down :)

~~~
gpjt
Thanks!

------
va_coder
Anyone think this has legs? I've seen a lot of Web 3D technologies come and
go.

~~~
TomOfTTB
Its got a lot more going for it than previous technologies. The ones I can
come up with off the top of my head...

* Based on OpenGL Embedded which is itself based on OpenGL (a standard that's been around forever)

* Tied to an already hot technology (HTML5 and more specifically the Canvas element)

* Backed by Google and Apple (and because of that able to capitalize on Flash being blocked from the iOS platform)

* Already included in every major browser (except IE9)

* Perhaps most importantly it has the bandwidth to pull of things which previous technologies really didn't.

To put it in one succinct sentence I think it's good technology that's hitting
at the right time and that its timing is what sets it apart from previous
efforts.

~~~
gpjt
_\- Backed by Google, Apple and Microsoft (and because of that able to
capitalize on Flash being blocked from the iOS platform)

\- Already included in every major browser (if you include IE9)_

You're right about Google and Apple (and Mozilla are there too) but not
Microsoft -- the IE team have explicitly decided to not implement WebGL for
IE9, which I think is a mistake. MS seem to be focusing their intention
elsewhere, if they come up with a "WebDirect3D" or some kind of Silverlight-
based abomination I won't be surprised...

Definitely agree with your other points, though, especially re: Flash.

~~~
hartror
Silverlight already has some 3D support and the next flash beta will include a
full programmable shader pipeline (using CG I _think_ ).

So there is some tough competition and with Flash reportedly having a ~97% of
the web install base (bar iPhones/iPads which I am still unsure whether that
will be an issue or not only time will tell) and a very large developer base
it will be interesting to see what will happen.

