veedee-o card OpenGL/D3D Thread

1- whats the difference between d3d and openGL

2- why did my video card use openGL before my formatted HDD, now it uses D3D and i can't run Tribes 2 properly. (and some resolutions on half-life)

The difference is:

Direct3D is developed by the evile Micro$oft and is only available for the XBOX and Windows PC and has annoying version updates and drivers you have to acquire

OpenGL is obviously open to all platforms and is widely developed on many games

There is no real technical difference between the two other than compatibility with OS's.... OpenGL is much more stable, and can support any extension a video card has. Direct3D has to rely on specifically written drivers. Direct3D ONLY video cards are rare these days, such as the Riva128 and the Trident Cyberblade3d i7 (well they do run opengl, but slowly, and they love m$)

Tribes2's download doesn't come with the Direct3D driver like the retail version had.

- Edited By CheapAlert On Mon 7th, Jun 2004 @ 1:20:02pm

openGL is faster, better and more reliable

and it doesnt need pixel shaders to make some nice effects

k, can u guys answer #2?
in other words, how can i change from D3D to OpenGL

- Edited By cj_the_dj On Mon 7th, Jun 2004 @ 10:06:37pm

Not all games support both API's.

Half-Life does support OpenGL however, go into Video modes and hit the OpenGL tab around the top of the resolutions.

Or:

DRIVERS, DRIVERS, DRIVERS

nowadays, d3d is better than opengl, though, but opengl pwnt in its day

no, opengl all the way still. Opengl is *much* more stable and reliable. I mean what are they at version 1.4 and it has been out for 10+ years i think (could be wrong though). D3D is not nearly that old and is at 9.

OpenGL pwns D3D all the way.

I will give you that they are 2 very different best though. opengl is aimed at all kinds of graphic uses, where d3d is more focused on games.

d3d's features, i meant... that's why HL2, Doom III, etc are D3D

Robo_Ronald wrote: d3d's features, i meant... that's why HL2, Doom III, etc are D3D

Doom III was never Direct3D.

OpenGL can have as many features as any card supports.

Whaaaa?!? I dunno... I've never seen a modern opengl game outperform d3d... but It's just what I read in magazines and these fake 'memories' I have

- Edited By robo_ronald On Mon 7th, Jun 2004 @ 7:20:39pm

my drivers are fully updated, and i reinstalled em too. but yesterday, i decided to try to play around with the drivers, hope to get opengl working again. i found somewhere i can use
GeForce 4 Drivers (microsoft certified) <--currently selected
or
GeFroce 4 Drivers

so i figured, D3D is microsoft

so i put it on the other one, rebooted my pc, and yey. opengl works with, and ONLY with 1024*768 resolution i like the 1152*864 resolution better, but who cares. s'long as it works i'm happy

I play in 1152x864 everywhere all the time, Nvidia must've been screwing themselves when working on drivers.

PowerVR forever

nope cheapy, 3dfx owns

D3D is much more slower, and unstable, and you can have all the fancy pixel shader effects under openGL also but you dont need them (see: quake 1 with field of view effects)

D3D is good... providing there isn't openGL available

ok, my prob is done. LOCK THIS DAMNED EVIL THREAD