In his new worklog, Mark writes about the upcoming Max3D:
A couple of things are also becoming clearer about the initial release: It'll require a kick-ass graphics card and a kick-ass GL driver.
A Direct3D driver will happen eventually, but probably not until the whole Vista release drama is over and we know where things stand re: D3D9 vs D3D10 etc.
A Direct3D driver will happen eventually, but probably not until the whole Vista release drama is over and we know where things stand re: D3D9 vs D3D10 etc.
I'm a little concerned about the focus on OpenGL and the DirectX (Direct3D) delay. This concern comes from the stats for downloads of a freeware app/game written in BlitzMax that I put out a few months ago (which is equally available for all platforms that BlitzMax supports):
Win DirectX: 524 (65%)
Win OpenGL: 142 (18%)
Mac OSX: 78 (10%)
PC Linux: 61 (8%)
So, with respect, my experience is that DirectX is more widely used than OpenGL on Windows, PC Linux, and Mac combined, and thus it seems like DX should be the prime focus. Perhaps others (including Mark) have reasons for different views? I know that the situation regarding Vista/DX10 is cloudy, but I personally have no plans to replace XP/DX9 within the next year or so, and I expect DX9 to remain the most popular platform for the next year or two (due to MS's questionable decision to bind DX10 to Vista only).
Discussion and other views about Max3D's focus are welcome.