Posted on 07/24/2002 5:21:12 AM PDT by Digital Chaos
Reading an interview with Neil Trevett from 3D Labs, in Maximum PC (August 2002). He is talking about the technology of the new 3D Labs graphics proccessors and its uses, when this question comes up:
MPC: What about in a 2D application? Will virtual memory Make your desktop faster?
NT: Yes, it'll definitly make your desktop faster, particularly as we go to the new generation of Windows. Longhorn [the code-name for Microsoft's proposed 3D operating system] proposes a really intractable problem when you think about it.
If you have a high-resolution screen that's double-buffered, you can absorb 64 megabytes of graphics memory even before you're running any applications. And then you have a full-screen application--that's another 64MB. And then another and another and another, all overlaying each other to create this highly complex dynamic media environment on your desktop...
The reason that 3D cards are being accessed for 2D GUIs now is to handle some of the transparencies, shading, or vector intensive graphics in today’s user interface.
The same functions of the graphics card that speed up rendering of polygons in 3D games can be used (with proper coding) to speed up 2D buttons, windows, and other interface elements. The same can be said for the drop shadows MS places behind their cursor and windows.
But who knows? Maybe they will come up with new interface elements that use lots of texture maps, transparencies, fog, and anti-aliasing. But it will still probably all be within the bounds of today’s 2D windowing environment.
Other than eye candy stapled on to a 2D interface, I don't see 3D GUIs taking hold until there are viable 3D interface periphials. VR, somthing like "the matrix" with less kick-boxing.
Ok, the kick-boxing would be cool too.
:)
Personally, I'm waiting to see what OpenGL 2.0 has to offer...
Thanks for the heads-up, tho...
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