I agree with nop, OpenGL is also one of the easiest API''s to start out with. The hardest part is probably setting up the window (in Win32) but with GLUT even that is a snap! After about a week of reading NeHe''s tutorials I was able to throw together a simple terrain demo.

I'm compelled to again point out this distinction: OpenGL is a single 3D API, and DirectX is a collection of APIs for different things. The DirectX analog to OpenGL is Direct3D. The DirectX analog to the OpenGL Utility Library (GLU) is Direct3DX.

Interestingly, at the level of the 3D API, there is no distinction between a windowed and full-screen app. In both cases, you're drawing to a frame buffer in a window. The only difference is that in full-screen apps, that window's client area happens to be the same size as the current display mode. So, the difference is only experienced at the level of whatever controls the frame buffer. In the case of DirectX, that's DirectDraw, while in the case of OpenGL, that's handled by the Win32 API.

The main advantage of OpenGL (not to mention the wonderful extensions mechanism) is that its implementation requires conformance to a number of specifications to the best of the platform's abilities, and you—the programmer—doesn't have to worry about the details of how the features are actually implemented. This guarantees a more consistent level of behavior with the same code across different systems and platforms than most other APIs.


Edited by - merlin9x9 on July 30, 2001 1:01:20 AM

OpenGL is very easy, at a rudimentary level. Advanced features that haven''t been implemented in to OpenGL as of yet require extensions, which I consider to be less clean. (This is obviously debatable, based on developer experiences) However, in my opinion, OpenGL is, for the most part, the better API. Good luck with OpenGL!

P.S. - I would also take Ingenu''s advise if I were you, and make the switch to C or C++. Non-portable languages are eevviill. (Besides, I think most libraries for Linux are C or C++-only anyway)

The nice thing about OpenGL''s extensions mechanism is that it allows you to use new features now. With Direct3D, you have to wait for Microsoft to add them to the API.