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List of rendering APIs
open-in-new
<h2 id="2d-rendering-apis">2D rendering APIs</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/OpenVG/3pX8NTYD">OpenVG</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Direct2D/2wyAQnIz">Direct2D</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Quartz_2D/hGTBq5eR">Quartz 2D</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Anti-Grain_Geometry/074wr22V">Anti-Grain Geometry</a> (AGG)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Simple_DirectMedia_Layer/9tSff0Lg">Simple DirectMedia Layer</a> (SDL)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Simple_and_Fast_Multimedia_Library/RwJfj05B">Simple and Fast Multimedia Library</a> (SFML)</li> <li><a href="/facts/X11/ac2vRIQL">X11</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Cairo_(graphics)/FuAWHozI">Cairo</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Skia_Graphics_Engine/Mkm0uXRp">Skia</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Qt_(software)/gVhwlQnJ">Qt GUI</a> primitive rendering abstractions, on which Qt widgets are built</li> <li><a href="https://blend2d.com/">Blend2D</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/HTML5/HBAxEAr6">HTML5</a> <a href="/facts/Canvas_element/E6IPUWf1">Canvas element</a></li></ul> <h2 id="offline-rendering">Offline rendering</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/RenderMan_Interface_Specification/cEEuHVCQ">RenderMan</a> aimed at offline rendering for CG films.</li></ul> <h2 id="software-rasterising">Software rasterising</h2> <p>As of 2016, these are generally considered obsolete, but were still important during the transition to hardware acceleration: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/BRender/VuhH5JPj">BRender</a> by argonaut software</li></ul> <h2 id="3d-rendering-apis">3D rendering APIs</h2> <p>These libraries are designed explicitly to abstract 3D graphics hardware for <a href="/facts/Computer-aided_design/5gSXrmmN">CAD</a> and <a href="/facts/Video_games/vmTdNASJ">video games</a>, with possible software fallbacks. </p> <h3>Cross platform, high level</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/OpenGL/xQoMWePr">OpenGL</a> and the <a href="/facts/OpenGL_Shading_Language/5yQ3WqTA">OpenGL Shading Language</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/OpenGL_ES/DRkjxUFb">OpenGL ES</a> 3D API for embedded devices</li> <li><a href="/facts/OpenGL_SC/yBCKQ60S">OpenGL SC</a> a version of openGL for safety critical systems.</li> <li><a href="/facts/RenderWare/6LswylKn">RenderWare</a> (combined game engine and cross platform rendering API. Became popular since the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_2/gbFBT7AX">PlayStation 2</a> had no rendering API, initially relying on <a href="/facts/Bare_metal/Dw9WCYhk">bare metal</a> programming.)</li></ul> <h3>Cross platform, low level</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Vulkan_(API)/e188Vdpc">Vulkan</a></li></ul> <h3>Vendor specific, high level</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Direct3D/WHJ6DTcv">Direct3D</a> (a subset of <a href="/facts/DirectX/jyy75wVN">DirectX</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Glide_API/J62MTkLJ">Glide API</a> for the pioneering <a href="/facts/3DFX/8t0LNDBb">3DFX</a> accelerators</li> <li><a href="/facts/QuickDraw_3D/nrrP3D4b">QuickDraw 3D</a> developed by Apple Computer starting in 1995, abandoned in 1998</li> <li><a href="/facts/PSGL/vluHf7e3">PSGL</a> for the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_3/obhuo97V">PlayStation 3</a>, designed to work in a manner similar to openGL</li> <li><a href="/facts/GNMX/mM1I2pI9">GNMX</a> for the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_4/wMtdFnoP">PlayStation 4</a></li></ul> <h3>Vendor specific, low level</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Direct3D_12/WHJ6DTcv">Direct3D 12</a> (a subset of <a href="/facts/DirectX/jyy75wVN">DirectX</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Metal_(API)/DIbAxKF6">Metal</a> developed by Apple.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Mantle_(API)/6TzJ60sh">Mantle</a> developed by AMD.</li> <li><a href="/facts/LibGCM/KbbEPdXh">LibGCM</a> for the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_3/obhuo97V">PlayStation 3</a>, a lower level API managing command lists directly</li> <li>LibGXM for the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_Vita/KEvRtFjD">PlayStation Vita</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/GNM_(API)/mM1I2pI9">LibGNM</a> for the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_4/wMtdFnoP">PlayStation 4</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Redline/4YmAyYze">Redline</a>, for the obsolete <a href="/facts/Rendition_Verite/mSJn0B4P">Rendition Verite</a> accelerator</li> <li><i>Kamui</i> for the Dreamcast<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"imagination shows off vullkan gains". <a href="http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2015/08/11/imagination-vulkan/1" target="_blank">http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2015/08/11/imagination-vulkan/1</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"dreamcast development board". 25 August 2010.kamui manual, naomi board, DC <a href="https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/dreamcast-development-board.49555/" target="_blank">https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/dreamcast-development-board.49555/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>