Update 8/3/2010: Read a followup to this post here.

I just got a press release from Khronos about the first OpenGL ES2.0 driver for Desktop systems coming to market from AMD.  Upon further inspection, this looks a bit fishy.

At SIGGRAPH 2010, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced availability of the first software driver for desktop computing environments to support the WebGL industry standard, which is designed to bring plugin-free 3D graphics to the Internet. The AMD OpenGL® ES 2.0 driver is intended to help developers easily create exciting 3D content that can be rendered more quickly for consumers using open-source web browsers, thereby helping create an application-like browser experience.

Ok.  So where do I get it?  Read further down the press release and see:

The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver from AMD will be generally available with the upcoming ATI Catalyst™ 10.7 beta for OpenGL ES 2.0, expected to be available later today.

So it’s not “official”, it’s “Beta”.  But, how did AMD beat NVidia to the punch on this one?  In fact, why is a special OpenGL ES2.0 driver needed anyway?  OpenGL ES is a subset of regular OpenGL targeted at embedded systems, and in fact that’s exactly what NVidia did with it.  NVidia’s OpenGL ES2.0 support is right where it’s designed to be, in the development kit for their embedded system Tegra.

So why do we care about it?  WebGL, the coming common standard for 3D on the Web, is based on OpenGL ES2.0 (presumably to make it an option for smartphones and other portable devices that lack full OpenGL compatibility).  So most companies haven’t focused on putting OpenGL ES on the desktop, because that’s not where it belongs.

Not that it matters too much anymore, thanks to another press release that I got mere minutes after the accolades came rolling in for AMD.  Khronos, the group behind the OpenGL and OpenGL ES standards has just announced the standard for OpenGL 4.1, with one fascinating addition:  Complete compatibility with the OpenGL ES 2.0 APIs.  This means that being OpenGL4.1 compliant means you’re already OpenGL ES2.0 compliant.  So what has NVidia been doing the last few months?

“The release of OpenGL 4.1 just five months after OpenGL 4.0 shows that collaborative innovation to build market opportunities for high-performance GPU acceleration is not slowing down.  The ARB is also working hard to ensure backwards compatibility with each release so developers can absorb new functionality at their own pace,” said Barthold Lichtenbelt, OpenGL ARB working group chair and senior manager Core OpenGL at NVIDIA.  “I am also pleased to announce that NVIDIA will release OpenGL 4.1 production drivers on our developer site for all Fermi-based graphics accelerators, including the GeForce GTX 400 series, during SIGGRAPH.  OpenGL 4.1 is not just a specification – it’s here and now.”

Myth Busted.

See both press releases after the break.

AMD Unlocks 3D Internet Potential with OpenGL ES 2.0 Driver

— AMD first to deliver OpenGL® ES driver for PC and workstation graphics, supporting forthcoming WebGL standard —

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — July 26, 2010 – At SIGGRAPH 2010, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced availability of the first software driver for desktop computing environments to support the WebGL industry standard, which is designed to bring plugin-free 3D graphics to the Internet. The AMD OpenGL® ES 2.0 driver is intended to help developers easily create exciting 3D content that can be rendered more quickly for consumers using open-source web browsers, thereby helping create an application-like browser experience.

“AMD is a steadfast supporter of industry standards, including those that unlock the power of GPU acceleration,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “At AMD, we see the future of computing as being intensely visual, requiring a variety of rich media 2D and 3D applications. With functionality like the OpenGL ES 2.0 driver and technology breakthroughs made possible by AMD Fusion APUs, we aim to deliver the ideal development platform for immersive experiences both online and natively on virtually any PC form factor.”

In addition to enabling 3D and application-like experiences on the web, AMD’s new driver empowers software developers to use desktop PCs and workstations powered by AMD graphics, as opposed to embedded systems, when creating applications based on OpenGL ES 2.0 for smartphones, tablets and other portable devices. And a common OpenGL ES programming environment makes it easier for developers to port software applications between PCs and handhelds, bringing a seamless computing experience, regardless of device, within our grasp.

Industry association The Khronos Group is developing the open, cross-platform WebGL standard, which is expected to be available later this year. According to Khronos, browser vendors Apple (Safari), Google (Chrome), Mozilla (Firefox), and Opera (Opera) are contributors of the WebGL Working Group.

The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver from AMD will be generally available with the upcoming ATI Catalyst™ 10.7 beta for OpenGL ES 2.0, expected to be available later today. The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver will be supported on all currently available AMD graphics products introduced since 2008, including ATI Radeon™ desktop graphics, ATI Mobility Radeon™ graphics, and ATI FirePro™ professional graphics cards.[i]

This release further strengthens AMD’s support of industry standard development tools, following AMD’s previous “firsts” to support OpenCL™, OpenGL 4.0 and DirectX® 11, among others.[ii]

Supporting Resources:

  • Planet Mozilla blog
  • Download the OpenGL ES driver here
  • AMD Developer Central blog
  • Khronos WebGL press release here

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

The Kronos Release:

Khronos Drives Rapid Evolution of Cross-Platform 3D Graphics with Release of OpenGL 4.1 Specification
New open API specification available immediately; 
Wide-ranging enhancements with full backwards compatibility; 
Enhanced integration with OpenCL for seamless visual computing; 
Integrates OpenGL ES functionality for desktop and mobile platform portability
July 26, 2010 –Los Angeles, SIGGRAPH 2010 – The Khronos™ Group today announced the immediate release of the OpenGL® 4.1 specification, bringing the very latest graphics functionality to the most advanced and widely adopted cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics API (application programming interface).  OpenGL 4.1 is the sixth update to OpenGL specification in two years, continuing the rapid evolution of this royalty-free specification.  This new version continues to maintain full backwards compatibility to enable developers to begin using new features whenever they choose, while portably accessing state-of-the-art GPU functionality across diverse operating systems and platforms.
The OpenGL 4.1 specification has been defined by the OpenGL ARB (Architecture Review Board) working group at Khronos, and includes the GLSL 4.10 update to the OpenGL Shading language and is accompanied by a number of extensions introducing cutting-edge functionality to the OpenGL standard.  The full specification is available for immediate download at http://www.opengl.org/registry.
New functionality in the core OpenGL 4.1 specification includes:
– Full compatibility with OpenGL ES 2.0 APIs for easier porting between mobile and desktop platforms;
– The ability to query and load a binary for shader program objects to save re-compilation time;
– The capability to bind programs individually to programmable stages for programming flexibility;
– 64-bit floating-point component vertex shader inputs for higher geometric precision;
– Multiple viewports for a rendering surface for increased rendering flexibility.
New ARB extensions introduced with OpenGL 4.1 include:
– OpenGL sync objects linked to OpenCL event objects for enhanced OpenCL interoperability;
– The ability to set stencil values in a fragment shader for enhanced rendering flexibility;
– Features to improve robustness, for example when running WebGL applications;
– Callback mechanisms to receive enhanced errors and warning messages.
Lastly, Khronos has simultaneously released a set of ARB extensions to enable as much OpenGL 4.1 core functionality as possible on previous generation GPU hardware; providing maximum flexibility and platform coverage for application developers.
“Khronos is methodically building their vision for pervasive developer access to cross-platform graphics, media and compute acceleration.  The continued rapid-fire OpenGL evolution feeds high-end graphics innovation into that strategy,” stated Dr. Jon Peddie founder and principal of Jon Peddie Research.  “Just as significant as OpenGL 4.1’s new 3D functionality are the ever closer links with OpenCL and OpenGL ES 2.0 – another significant step in strengthening the Khronos API ecosystem.”
“The release of OpenGL 4.1 just five months after OpenGL 4.0 shows that collaborative innovation to build market opportunities for high-performance GPU acceleration is not slowing down.  The ARB is also working hard to ensure backwards compatibility with each release so developers can absorb new functionality at their own pace,” said Barthold Lichtenbelt, OpenGL ARB working group chair and senior manager Core OpenGL at NVIDIA.  “I am also pleased to announce that NVIDIA will release OpenGL 4.1 production drivers on our developer site for all Fermi-based graphics accelerators, including the GeForce GTX 400 series, during SIGGRAPH.  OpenGL 4.1 is not just a specification – it’s here and now.”
“AMD wishes to congratulate the ARB as it releases the OpenGL 4.1 Specification.  AMD is committed to open standards and to OpenGL and plans to support OpenGL 4.1 in an upcoming driver release,” said Ben Bar-Haim, corporate vice president, software at AMD.  “The ability of the ARB to produce new and updated graphics standards at a regular cadence speaks volumes to their ongoing efforts to ensure healthy advances in the field of graphics, and AMD is proud to have contributed to this.”
“Graphic Remedy is proud to be part of the Khronos OpenGL group, playing an important role in the definition of OpenGL’s debugging and profiling features. We are excited about the release of OpenGL 4.1 and the new errors and warning mechanism,” said Yaki Tebeka, CTO at Graphic Remedy.  Graphic Remedy is committed to supporting the OpenGL developer community with gDEBugger GL, a professional OpenGL Debugger, Profiler and Memory analyzer; this solution helps companies and individuals make the most out of the OpenGL API, unleashing the rendering power exposed by current and future graphic hardware.”
“We are very excited to see the release of OpenGL 4.1.  New features, such as support for program binary loading and separate shader objects will be very valuable for TransGaming and other ISVs developing advanced graphics for games on OpenGL platforms,” commented Gavriel State, Founder & CTO of TransGaming, Inc.
Learn about OpenGL 4.1 and Khronos APIs at SIGGRAPH 2010
OpenGL Wednesday, 28 July | 5:15 pm – 7:15 pm | Wilshire Grand – Los Angeles Room
COLLADA Tuesday, 27 July  | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm | LACC, Room 402A
OpenCL Tuesday, 27 July  | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm | LACC, Room 402A
Mobile Thursday, 29 July | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm | LACC, Room 402A
WebGL Thursday, 29 July | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm | LACC, Room 402A
About The Khronos Group
The Khronos Group is an industry consortium creating open standards to enable the authoring and acceleration of parallel computing, graphics and dynamic media on a wide variety of platforms and devices.  Khronos standards include OpenGL®, OpenGL® ES, WebGL™, EGL™, OpenCL™, OpenMAX™, OpenVG™, OpenSL ES™, OpenKODE™ and COLLADA™.  All Khronos members are able to contribute to the development of Khronos specifications, are empowered to vote at various stages before public deployment and are able to accelerate the delivery of their cutting-edge media platforms and applications through early access to specification drafts and conformance tests.  More information is available at http://www.khronos.org.
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Khronos, OpenKODE, WebGL, OpenVG, OpenSL ES and OpenMAX are trademarks of the Khronos Group Inc.  OpenCL is a trademark of Apple Inc., COLLADA is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and OpenGL is a registered trademark and the OpenGL ES and OpenGL SC logos are trademarks of Silicon Graphics International used under license by Khronos.  All other product names, trademarks, and/or company names are used solely for identification and belong to their respective owners
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