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OpenGL is still very much alive and kicking, with the release today of OpenGL 4.6 to further improve the API.

From the press release:
QuoteThe Khronos™ Group, an open consortium of leading hardware and software companies, announces from the SIGGRAPH 2017 Conference the immediate public availability of the OpenGL® 4.6 specification. OpenGL 4.6 integrates the functionality of numerous ARB and EXT extensions created by Khronos members AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA into core, including the capability to ingest SPIR-V™ shaders.

SPIR-V is a Khronos-defined standard intermediate language for parallel compute and graphics, which enables content creators to simplify their shader authoring and management pipelines while providing significant source shading language flexibility. OpenGL 4.6 adds support for ingesting SPIR-V shaders to the core specification, guaranteeing that SPIR-V shaders will be widely supported by OpenGL implementations.


OpenGL 4.6 has officially added these into the core spec:
  • GL_ARB_gl_spirv and GL_ARB_spirv_extensions to standardize SPIR-V support for OpenGL
  • GL_ARB_indirect_parameters and GL_ARB_shader_draw_parameters for reducing the CPU overhead associated with rendering batches of geometry
  • GL_ARB_pipeline_statistics_query and GL_ARB_transform_feedback_overflow_query standardize OpenGL support for features available in Direct3D
  • GL_ARB_texture_filter_anisotropic (based on GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic) brings previously IP encumbered functionality into OpenGL to improve the visual quality of textured scenes
  • GL_ARB_polygon_offset_clamp (based on GL_EXT_polygon_offset_clamp) suppresses a common visual artifact known as a “light leak” associated with rendering shadows
  • GL_ARB_shader_atomic_counter_ops and GL_ARB_shader_group_vote add shader intrinsics supported by all desktop vendors to improve functionality and performance
  • GL_KHR_no_error reduces driver overhead by allowing the application to indicate that it expects error-free operation so errors need not be generated

They also released two new extensions:
  • GL_KHR_parallel_shader_compile allows applications to launch multiple shader compile threads to improve shader compile throughput
  • WGL_ARB_create_context_no_error and GXL_ARB_create_context_no_error allow no error contexts to be created with WGL or GLX that support the GL_KHR_no_error extension

They also released a set of extensions to allow OpenGL and OpenGL ES interoperability with Vulkan and Direct3D.

You can see the full OpenGL 4.6 specifications here.

NVIDIA have also just released a new beta 381.26.11 driver which pulls in support for OpenGL 4.6. They do note that they're mainly for developers looking to experiment with GL4.6. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: OpenGL
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mrdeathjr Jul 31, 2017
In my case this drivers works with ppsspp normally (ppsspp shows opengl 4.6)

View video on youtube.com

^_^


Last edited by mrdeathjr on 31 July 2017 at 7:48 pm UTC
mrdeathjr Aug 1, 2017
In other news jozef kucia add detection of one opengl 4.6 extension in wine git

QuoteFrom: Józef Kucia <[email protected]>
Subject: [PATCH] wined3d: Update ARB_pipeline_statistics_query extension detection.
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2017 23:31:17 +0200

ARB_pipeline_statistics_query is included in OpenGL 4.6.

Signed-off-by: Józef Kucia <[email protected]>
---
dlls/wined3d/directx.c | 2 ++
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)

diff --git a/dlls/wined3d/directx.c b/dlls/wined3d/directx.c
index 9707f81a3b..919b997e2e 100644
--- a/dlls/wined3d/directx.c
+++ b/dlls/wined3d/directx.c
@@ -3898,6 +3898,8 @@ static BOOL wined3d_adapter_init_gl_caps(struct wined3d_adapter *adapter,

{ARB_CLIP_CONTROL, MAKEDWORD_VERSION(4, 5)},
{ARB_DERIVATIVE_CONTROL, MAKEDWORD_VERSION(4, 5)},
+
+ {ARB_PIPELINE_STATISTICS_QUERY, MAKEDWORD_VERSION(4, 6)},
};
struct wined3d_driver_info *driver_info = &adapter->driver_info;
const char *gl_vendor_str, *gl_renderer_str, *gl_version_str;

--
2.13.0

^_^
sr_ls_boy Aug 1, 2017
Quoting: Shmerl
QuoteGL_ARB_texture_filter_anisotropic

Previously IP encumbered? Is it now free?

This suggest the answer is no. Nivida owns the patent.

https://www.google.com/patents/US5651104


Another patent own by Intel lapsed in December.

https://www.google.com/patents/US6816167
Shmerl Aug 1, 2017
Quoting: sr_ls_boyThis suggest the answer is no. Nivida owns the patent.

https://www.google.com/patents/US5651104


Another patent own by Intel lapsed in December.

https://www.google.com/patents/US6816167

How is it the newer patent expired before the older one?


Last edited by Shmerl on 1 August 2017 at 7:14 pm UTC
Purple Library Guy Aug 1, 2017
Quoting: Shmerl
Quoting: sr_ls_boyThis suggest the answer is no. Nivida owns the patent.

https://www.google.com/patents/US5651104


Another patent own by Intel lapsed in December.

https://www.google.com/patents/US6816167

How is it the newer patent expired before the older one?
I guess someone forgot to do clever redrafting/extension tricks.


Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 1 August 2017 at 9:53 pm UTC
sr_ls_boy Aug 1, 2017
Quoting: ShmerlHow is it the newer patent expired before the older one?
I for one have no idea which patent is the one holding Mesa up. I was hoping you knew.
Shmerl Aug 2, 2017
That Nvidia patent lists these dates:

QuotePublication date Jul 22, 1997
Filing date Apr 25, 1995
Priority date Apr 25, 1995

I think the term is 20 years since the filing date (that would be Apr 25, 2015). But now it's even 20 since publication date too. I suppose for some weird reason they were counting it from the publication date, and it expired just last month. So Mesa can implement it now without a problem.

If I understand correctly, Khronos only includes patent-free extensions in the versioned OpenGL specification.


Last edited by Shmerl on 2 August 2017 at 4:00 am UTC
Shmerl Aug 2, 2017
I missed this part (pretty nice of them to mention Mesa):

Quote"OpenGL 4.6 will be the first OpenGL release where conformant open source implementations based on the Mesa project will be deliverable in a reasonable timeframe after release. The open sourcing of the OpenGL conformance test suite and ongoing work between Khronos and X.org will also allow for non-vendor led open source implementations to achieve conformance in the near future," said David Airlie, senior principal engineer at Red Hat, and developer on Mesa/X.org projects.
etonbears Aug 2, 2017
Quoting: ShmerlIf I understand correctly, Khronos only includes patent-free extensions in the versioned OpenGL specification.

No. Khronos operate an IP framework, the essence of which is that Khronos members agree not to assert any patents they hold against other members implementing a Khronos specification. I'm not sure how legally strong that provision is.

No mention is made concerning implementation of Khronos specifications by non-members, or what happens if non-members hold patents that might interfere with specifications - although one would assume Khronos then use alternatives where possible.

So the situation still seems a little unclear, although there is evident goodwill towards open implementations.
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