Re: fltk and GL (WAS: Unix/Win GUI re-evaluation)

[Michael Tiller <mtiller@ford.com>]

Jan Jona Javorsek wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 9 Jun 1999, Stan Shebs wrote:
> 
> >
> >    Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 23:31:36 +0200 (MET DST)
> >    From: Jan Jona Javorsek <jan.javorsek@guest.arnes.si>
> >
> >    How about using fltk/OpenGL combination?
> 
> >    rolling somre impressive graphics-intensitive applications out.
> >
> > Don't tempt me! :-) For games that use elevations, such as panzer and
> > gettysburg, a true 3D interface would really be the right way to go.
> > However, I suspect that good performance will be tough to achieve - a
> > triangular tesselation of the world will have at least 4 times as many
> > polygons as cells, so the small 60x30 map will have 8000 polygons or
> > more, not counting polygons for units and such.  Xconq also gets to
> > abstract things that would have to be handled more concretely in a 3D
> > game.  What would an infantry division look like in 3D, and how would
> > you make it look different from a brigade?
> >
> > Even so, I think it would be cool to put a 3D frontend on the game
> > some day, and to that end I've been reading up on what's happening
> > with 3D technology, modelling, etc.
> >
> 
> In fact I did not try to tempt you with 3D rendering at all. It turns out
> that GL is a very fast and versatile 2d canvas if you choose to look at it
> this way. In 2d, software rendering is fast enough and if any compatible
> hardware is sitting in the box (which will be the norm in a year or two, I
> think), it becomes insanely faster. Even if you don't choose to compare
> with Tk's canvas.
> 
> Jan

It is also possible to use a combination of Tcl/Tk and OpenGL.

-- 
Michael Tiller