Microsoft Discusses OpenGL Support

In a FAQ posted on the OpenGL Web site, Microsoft has answered many of the questions surrounding the recent whirlwind of rumors that OpenGL support was dropped from the Windows 2000 docket.

Microsoft reports that the first beta of its OpenGL project, entitled Farenheit Scene Graph (FSG), will be launched by the end of the year with the final arriving sometime in the first half of 2000. Support for such platforms as IRIX, Solaris, HP-UX, and UIX is also in the works, and should be ready a few months after the final release of FSG. Microsoft declined to comment on SGI's level of involvement in the project, and also on whether or not Linux support is in the works. Low-level 3D API (OpenGL) research is ongoing at Microsoft and will continue in the future.

While Windows 2000 will not ship with any OpenGL drivers, they will be available for download from various OEM Web sites and also on the WindowsUpdate page from Microsoft. Drivers will be shipped in a service pack for Windows 2000, planned for the second half of next year.

eFront will continue its efforts to provide you with the latest news on this topic as the reports come in.