Yes, I know this topic is flamebait and I''m sure that some may respond without actually reading what I''m asking. I have spoken to many people who state that Direct3D is ahead of OpenGL and that OpenGL 2.0 will basically catch OpenGL up with where Direct3D is at right now. I personally think that this is crap because I see OpenGL games that have been out for 2 years looking better than most (read: all) Direct3D games that I see coming out right now and doing it at higher Frames/sec. As a result, I wonder if it''s a misconception. Why are there so many people out there saying that Direct3D is more powerful when those who make games that look really awesome and put out rediculous numbers of Frames/sec are doing it in OpenGL? Direct3D games look like ass in comparison and it is almost never used in first person shooter games, where graphics are easily one of the most important aspects of the game. I''m in the beginning stages of making a game and admittedly, I''m not working on the graphics engine. However, everyone who is working with me who doesn''t know OpenGL is saying that Direct3D is a better way to go (I will also state that they are not working on the graphics engine either) and that it (Direct3D) is more powerful than OpenGL. The one person who is working on the client who was better with Direct3D before we started is now an OpenGL convert (note: since I shipped him 3 OpenGL books and he started reading them), coming from stating that it would be easier in Direct3D (which he now states was completely wrong, or words to that effect) to now stating that Direct3D is a pain in the butt to do some of the same stuff. Why this misconception and if it''s not a misconception, then why are all the most advanced engines (Quake3, UT2, the next Doom game) all using OpenGL instead of Direct3D?

Read that before... it still doesn''t really answer my questions though. It just seems to give credence to the idea that both groups are right about their choice (and wrong about the other).

This is probably a stupid question, but can you mix them? I mean they are just objects in the computer, so can I take OpenGL and use it for part of my engine, then add on parts that I want from Direct3D (like the much vaunted pixel shaders) to the engine?

BTW, to any mods that want to lock this: I''m not trying to start a flame war, I''m trying to get answers... go lock somebody else''s thread and let me ignore the flames that might come along.

Now I know that if you want to get into the more advanced OpenGL functions that are outside the standard API, you can use calls that go straight to the driver of the video card. I''m thinking of a lot of the newer functions that are within the newer GeForce3 and 4 cards and the Radeon series. While they''re not OpenGL functions per se, they do work within in OpenGL and are largely the same thing in effect.