OpenGL vs WebGL — What are they?
If you ever have been confused by what OpenGL and WebGL are then I think this article has been specifically written for you. It won’t take you through the details but would give you some idea about these two. Therefore, without wasting anymore time lets dive in.
OpenGL
OpenGL is nothing but an API(application programming interface) that can be used for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It is cross-language and cross-platform. The API would interact with the GPU and provide accelerated rendering for the system.
History
The development of the API began in the year 1991 and ended in 1992. This work was done by Silicon Graphics. Although, the API is being maintained by Khronos Group. The idea of creating this came to being since during the 1980, every time someone had to render a heavy graphic, the developers had to make specific drivers and interfaces for the whole deal. Initially, the process was expensive and also consumed time. The OpenGL started with the version 1.1 and was finally updated to 4.6 on July 31, 2017. Also, now it is being replaced by Vulkan. The initiative for that was taken a while aback but this time, the whole library is being treated from the Groundup.
Design and Development
This one can be defined more as an abstract API which is used for 2D and 3D rendering. APIs can be created to be implemented on a software level although these are used for the hardware. In logic, one could say that it is nothing but a set of instructions that are provided to the client. OpenGL can interact with so many different other APIs. Generally this capability of OpenGL is known as language binding. The API is purely language independent and can also be used cross-platform.
OpenGL is an ever evolving API. Even the new Vulkan is a successor which may have been being developed from the scratch but takes its ideas from OpenGL. The development of this API is decided by the consensus of many individuals and companies that includes names like Mozilla and Google. OpenGL is also expanded using extensions which are generally done by GPU vendors. Although, if there is anything that is common between the vendors then it is rolled out as a feature for the next generation. OpenGL in its essence is a rendering API and is in no way related to input, audio, or windowing.
WebGL
WebGL is basically an API that is based on Javascript. This one is also used for rendering 2D and 3D elements. Although, the catch is that this one is used for web browsers. A lot of people may not know but WebGL is actually a part of OpenGL. WebGL is one of OpenGL language binding and one of the best & the major one. This one is a fully integrated API with the web Standards. This allows the API to render GPU-accelerated use for creating physics, Objects, and effects.
History
WebGL came out of the Canvas 3D experiments that were done by Vladimir Vukićević. The experiments were conducted in Mozilla. The first prototype was created in the year 2006. Both Mozilla and Opera adopted it but have their own interpretation. Just like OpenGL, this one is also a part of Khronos Group. Currently, it is running its version 2.0 which was released in the year 2017.
Design and Development
As told before, WebGL is a part of OpenGL.The initial version was based on OpenGL ES 2.0 which is used for creating 3D graphics. All of these elements in the HTML Canvas are accessed by the API using the DOM structure. The latest version of WebGL is based on OpenGL ES 3.0. Because of Javascript, the API is capable of automatic memory management. The API can be updated or extended as per the usage and therefore, can be easily used by the end-user by providing the shader code and data bindings that can be done using Javascript.
So this was our take on OpenGL and WebGL. We hope to take this article a bit further if the response on it is decent. We are Agicent Technologies and we make apps. If you are looking for an app development company then maybe we can help. We hope this article may have been of some help to you. Also, thank you for reading it until the end.
