Need list of Windows Mobile devices that support OpenGL ES
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Hi all! I need a list of what Windows Mobile devices are supporting OpenGL ES (any version). So far I have been unable to find any. The reason is that my company wants to see if it is feasible to implement OpenGL instead of GDI into our application (which will be available for all sorts of WM devices, both PocketPC and Smartphone types). I hope anyone can point me in the right direction.
I don't think there is such a list. The only Windows Mobile devices with dedicated 3D processors was the Axim X50 series, and it has been EOL'd.
Remember that for the most part, these devices are not meant as portable 3D gaming systems. They play games, sure, but the target audience of Windows Mobile is not gamers. They are ruggedized scanners, or mobile phones that integrate with your work email and file servers, mp3 players, GPS, instant messangers, and so on.
Software 3D implementations are generally considered 'good enough' for this class of devices. Medium speed devices (300+ MHz) can do software 3D reasonably well, espeicially at QVGA resolution. Fast devices (500+ MHz) can handle software 3D very nicely, and perform fairly well even at VGA resolution.
Remember that for the most part, these devices are not meant as portable 3D gaming systems. They play games, sure, but the target audience of Windows Mobile is not gamers. They are ruggedized scanners, or mobile phones that integrate with your work email and file servers, mp3 players, GPS, instant messangers, and so on.
Software 3D implementations are generally considered 'good enough' for this class of devices. Medium speed devices (300+ MHz) can do software 3D reasonably well, espeicially at QVGA resolution. Fast devices (500+ MHz) can handle software 3D very nicely, and perform fairly well even at VGA resolution.
Few, if none, of the WinCE devices out there expose OpenGL ES anymore. Direct3DMobile is the mandated 3D API on the WinCE platform nowadays. And it's not because people like it...
-cb
-cb
I'd hardly call it mandated... perhaps "default" is a better word. D3Dm is on its last legs, it has basically zero developer support, and OpenGL|ES is both portable and popular on mobile and other embedded devices. Microsoft knows this, and it is only a matter of time before D3Dm is dropped -- Though it will continue to be supported on the platforms it exists on today.
The good news is that, since nearly all devices are using software-rendering for their D3Dm support -- that is, no dedicated 3D hardware is present in 99.9% of devices -- no special drivers or intimate hardware knowledge is necessary to be on par with the existing D3Dm solution. In fact, many OEMs are lazy (or rather, not fond of expending resources to support a practically unused API) so the generic ARM D3Dm software renderer provided by Microsoft is often left unchanged an unable to take advantage of special hardware features, so its entirely plausible that a software OpenGL|ES implimentation might make better use of the hardware than D3Dm does.
Look into the Vincent OpenGL|ES software renderer, last I looked they had generic implementation (ala the Microsoft D3Dm software renderer), as well as versions optimized for different popular incarnations of the ARM processor. On top of that, Vincent uses an advanced code-generation engine to produce optimal routines at run-time, rather than the static engine used by D3Dm.
The good news is that, since nearly all devices are using software-rendering for their D3Dm support -- that is, no dedicated 3D hardware is present in 99.9% of devices -- no special drivers or intimate hardware knowledge is necessary to be on par with the existing D3Dm solution. In fact, many OEMs are lazy (or rather, not fond of expending resources to support a practically unused API) so the generic ARM D3Dm software renderer provided by Microsoft is often left unchanged an unable to take advantage of special hardware features, so its entirely plausible that a software OpenGL|ES implimentation might make better use of the hardware than D3Dm does.
Look into the Vincent OpenGL|ES software renderer, last I looked they had generic implementation (ala the Microsoft D3Dm software renderer), as well as versions optimized for different popular incarnations of the ARM processor. On top of that, Vincent uses an advanced code-generation engine to produce optimal routines at run-time, rather than the static engine used by D3Dm.
Quote:Original post by Ravyne
Look into the Vincent OpenGL|ES software renderer, last I looked they had generic implementation (ala the Microsoft D3Dm software renderer), as well as versions optimized for different popular incarnations of the ARM processor. On top of that, Vincent uses an advanced code-generation engine to produce optimal routines at run-time, rather than the static engine used by D3Dm.
do you have a link of that renderer, please ?
thank you
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