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-A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
-## Key Features
-3D APIs abstract away the complexities of direct hardware interaction, offering developers a structured way to define and manipulate 3D scenes. Common functionalities provided by these APIs include:
-- **Geometry Management**: Defining and manipulating fundamental 3D shapes, such as vertices, triangles, and meshes, to construct objects.
-- **Texture Mapping**: Applying images or patterns to the surfaces of 3D objects to add detail and realism.
+A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. These APIs are fundamental drivers of innovation in computer graphics, continuously evolving to leverage new hardware capabilities. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
+## Key Features
+3D APIs abstract away the complexities of direct hardware interaction, offering developers a structured way to define and manipulate 3D scenes. Common functionalities provided by these APIs include:
+- **Geometry Management**: Defining and manipulating fundamental 3D shapes, such as vertices, triangles, and meshes, to construct objects.
+- **Texture Mapping**: Applying images or patterns to the surfaces of 3D objects to add detail and realism.
... 49 more lines
+26-26
-A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
-## Key Features
-3D APIs abstract away the complexities of direct hardware interaction, offering developers a structured way to define and manipulate 3D scenes. Common functionalities provided by these APIs include:
-- **Geometry Management**: Defining and manipulating fundamental 3D shapes, such as vertices, triangles, and meshes, to construct objects.
-- **Texture Mapping**: Applying images or patterns to the surfaces of 3D objects to add detail and realism.
+A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
+## Key Features
+3D APIs abstract away the complexities of direct hardware interaction, offering developers a structured way to define and manipulate 3D scenes. Common functionalities provided by these APIs include:
+- **Geometry Management**: Defining and manipulating fundamental 3D shapes, such as vertices, triangles, and meshes, to construct objects.
+- **Texture Mapping**: Applying images or patterns to the surfaces of 3D objects to add detail and realism.
... 47 more lines
+26-18
-A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
-## Examples of 3D APIs
-Over time, various 3D APIs have been developed, each with its own design philosophy, target platforms, and capabilities. Some have become industry standards, while others are specialized or historical.
-- [**OpenGL**](/wiki/OpenGL) (Open Graphics Library): A cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It has been a dominant force in computer graphics for decades, used extensively in CAD, virtual reality, scientific visualization, and video games.
-- [**DirectX**](/wiki/DirectX): A collection of APIs from Microsoft, with Direct3D being the primary component for 3D graphics rendering on Windows and Xbox platforms. It offers a low-level interface to graphics hardware.
+A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
+## Key Features
+3D APIs abstract away the complexities of direct hardware interaction, offering developers a structured way to define and manipulate 3D scenes. Common functionalities provided by these APIs include:
+- **Geometry Management**: Defining and manipulating fundamental 3D shapes, such as vertices, triangles, and meshes, to construct objects.
+- **Texture Mapping**: Applying images or patterns to the surfaces of 3D objects to add detail and realism.
... 39 more lines
+18-18
-A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
-## Examples of 3D APIs
-Over time, various 3D APIs have been developed, each with its own design philosophy, target platforms, and capabilities. Some have become industry standards, while others are specialized or historical.
-- **[OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL)** (Open Graphics Library): A cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It has been a dominant force in computer graphics for decades, used extensively in CAD, virtual reality, scientific visualization, and video games.
-- **[DirectX](/wiki/DirectX)**: A collection of APIs from Microsoft, with Direct3D being the primary component for 3D graphics rendering on Windows and Xbox platforms. It offers a low-level interface to graphics hardware.
+A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
+## Examples of 3D APIs
+Over time, various 3D APIs have been developed, each with its own design philosophy, target platforms, and capabilities. Some have become industry standards, while others are specialized or historical.
+- [**OpenGL**](/wiki/OpenGL) (Open Graphics Library): A cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It has been a dominant force in computer graphics for decades, used extensively in CAD, virtual reality, scientific visualization, and video games.
+- [**DirectX**](/wiki/DirectX): A collection of APIs from Microsoft, with Direct3D being the primary component for 3D graphics rendering on Windows and Xbox platforms. It offers a low-level interface to graphics hardware.
... 31 more lines
+10-10
-- **OpenGL** (Open Graphics Library): A cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It has been a dominant force in computer graphics for decades, used extensively in CAD, virtual reality, scientific visualization, and video games.
-- **DirectX**: A collection of APIs from Microsoft, with Direct3D being the primary component for 3D graphics rendering on Windows and Xbox platforms. It offers a low-level interface to graphics hardware.
-- **Vulkan**: A new generation, low-overhead, cross-platform 3D graphics and compute API released by the Khronos Group (the creators of OpenGL). It offers more direct control over the GPU, making it suitable for high-performance applications.
-- **WebGL**: A [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API and an open web standard for rendering interactive 2D and 3D graphics directly within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-ins. It is based on [OpenGL ES](/wiki/OpenGL_ES) (a version of [OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL) for embedded systems), bringing hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the web. Web browsers implement this standard, allowing web developers to leverage it.
-- **WebGPU**: A newer web standard and [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API for "accelerated graphics and compute" on the web. It is considered a successor to [WebGL](/wiki/WebGL) and aims to expose modern [GPU](/wiki/GPU) capabilities (similar to [Vulkan](/wiki/Vulkan), [DirectX 12](/wiki/DirectX_12), and [Metal](/wiki/Metal)) to web applications, offering more low-level control for high-performance use cases. Like WebGL, it is implemented by web browsers.
+- **[OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL)** (Open Graphics Library): A cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It has been a dominant force in computer graphics for decades, used extensively in CAD, virtual reality, scientific visualization, and video games.
+- **[DirectX](/wiki/DirectX)**: A collection of APIs from Microsoft, with Direct3D being the primary component for 3D graphics rendering on Windows and Xbox platforms. It offers a low-level interface to graphics hardware.
+- **[Vulkan](/wiki/Vulkan)**: A new generation, low-overhead, cross-platform 3D graphics and compute API released by the Khronos Group (the creators of OpenGL). It offers more direct control over the GPU, making it suitable for high-performance applications.
+- **[WebGL](/wiki/WebGL)**: A [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API and an open web standard for rendering interactive 2D and 3D graphics directly within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-ins. It is based on [OpenGL ES](/wiki/OpenGL_ES) (a version of [OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL) for embedded systems), bringing hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the web. Web browsers implement this standard, allowing web developers to leverage it.
+- **[WebGPU](/wiki/WebGPU)**: A newer web standard and [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API for "accelerated graphics and compute" on the web. It is considered a successor to [WebGL](/wiki/WebGL) and aims to expose modern [GPU](/wiki/GPU) capabilities (similar to [Vulkan](/wiki/Vulkan), [DirectX 12](/wiki/DirectX_12), and [Metal](/wiki/Metal)) to web applications, offering more low-level control for high-performance use cases. Like WebGL, it is implemented by web browsers.
... 15 more lines
+3-2
-- **WebGL**: A [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API for rendering interactive 2D and 3D graphics within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-ins. It is based on [OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL) ES and brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the web.
-- **WebGPU**: A web standard and [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API for "accelerated graphics and compute" on the web, aiming to expose modern GPU capabilities to web applications, similar in concept to Vulkan and [Metal](/wiki/Metal).
+- **WebGL**: A [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API and an open web standard for rendering interactive 2D and 3D graphics directly within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-ins. It is based on [OpenGL ES](/wiki/OpenGL_ES) (a version of [OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL) for embedded systems), bringing hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the web. Web browsers implement this standard, allowing web developers to leverage it.
+- **WebGPU**: A newer web standard and [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API for "accelerated graphics and compute" on the web. It is considered a successor to [WebGL](/wiki/WebGL) and aims to expose modern [GPU](/wiki/GPU) capabilities (similar to [Vulkan](/wiki/Vulkan), [DirectX 12](/wiki/DirectX_12), and [Metal](/wiki/Metal)) to web applications, offering more low-level control for high-performance use cases. Like WebGL, it is implemented by web browsers.
+- [GPU](/wiki/GPU)
+1
+- **WebGL**: A [JavaScript](/wiki/JavaScript) API for rendering interactive 2D and 3D graphics within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-ins. It is based on [OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL) ES and brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the web.
+1
+- **S3 Graphics APIs**: S3 Graphics produced a series of influential [Video Card](/wiki/Video_Card)s in the 1990s, such as the ViRGE and Savage lines. While these cards supported standard APIs like [DirectX](/wiki/DirectX) and [OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL), S3 also developed proprietary driver-level interfaces and APIs to expose specific hardware features and optimizations for their [GPU](/wiki/GPU)s. These were significant in the early days of PC 3D acceleration, offering direct control over capabilities unique to S3 hardware.
+10
+## Examples of 3D APIs
+Over time, various 3D APIs have been developed, each with its own design philosophy, target platforms, and capabilities. Some have become industry standards, while others are specialized or historical.
+- **OpenGL** (Open Graphics Library): A cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It has been a dominant force in computer graphics for decades, used extensively in CAD, virtual reality, scientific visualization, and video games.
+- **DirectX**: A collection of APIs from Microsoft, with Direct3D being the primary component for 3D graphics rendering on Windows and Xbox platforms. It offers a low-level interface to graphics hardware.
+- **Vulkan**: A new generation, low-overhead, cross-platform 3D graphics and compute API released by the Khronos Group (the creators of OpenGL). It offers more direct control over the GPU, making it suitable for high-performance applications.
... 5 more lines
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-A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models.
+A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models. They are essential for developing [Video Games](/wiki/Video_Games), [Virtual Reality](/wiki/Virtual_Reality), [CAD](/wiki/CAD) applications, and [Visualization](/wiki/Visualization) software.
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Auto-generated stub article
+A 3D API (Application Programming Interface) provides a standardized set of functions for software to create and display [3D Graphics](/wiki/3D_Graphics). It serves as a bridge, allowing applications to communicate complex visual instructions to the hardware, often a [GPU](/wiki/GPU), for rendering virtual environments and models.
+## See also
+- [Game Engine](/wiki/Game_Engine)
+- [Shader](/wiki/Shader)
+- [Rendering](/wiki/Rendering)
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