GNOME & 3D API

[Lauris Kaplinski <lauris ariman ee>]

Hello,

As in near future, OpenGL together with GLX will be the standard component
of XFree, I propose we should seriously think about adding a high-level 3D
API to GNOME libraries.

Pros:
1. I hope that GNOME, as a viable DE, will start to attract more people,
developing educational programs, games, scientific tools etc.
2. For serious projects, there are quake engine and probably other
packages. But Quake engine is probably overkill for 3D tetris or Solar
system presenting program.
3. OpenGL is 3D rendering engine. To do any kind of real work, one
usually needs aditionally higher-level, state persistent objects.
4. It would be nice, to have 3D analogue of GnomeCanvas, for fast
high-level programming. OpenGL is over-complex for beginners.

Cons:
1. 3D is extremely complex field.

As much, as I've looked at existing libraries, I've not found any one
really satisfying. The best ones - plib and Crystal Space - are
unfortunately written in C++, what, as much as I can understand, forces
the software to be written in C++ also - what is not very well compatible
with GNOME language agnosticism.

To familiarize myself more with the subject, I started libfloyd, which at
moment is somewhat usable, but in any means far from complete.

In any means, I would be glad to hear about other people's opinion about
the subject:

- are there any developers, concerned with the same problems?
- should there be semi-standard Gnome3D API, or should everyone use
  whatever library he/she finds most suitable?
- Is the C API a real must-be for Gnome?
- does anybody know some good existing library, which can interact
  seamlessy with Gnome?
- is anybody interested in/considered developing 3D library for Gnome?
- How much people are interested in developing/already developing 3D
  programs specifically for Gnome?

Regards,
Lauris Kaplinski