fltk and GL (WAS: Unix/Win GUI re-evaluation)

[Jan Jona Javorsek <jan.javorsek@guest.arnes.si>]

On Wed, 9 Jun 1999, Stan Shebs wrote:

> 
>    Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 23:31:36 +0200 (MET DST)
>    From: Jan Jona Javorsek <jan.javorsek@guest.arnes.si>
> 
>    How about using fltk/OpenGL combination?

>    rolling somre impressive graphics-intensitive applications out.
> 
> Don't tempt me! :-) For games that use elevations, such as panzer and
> gettysburg, a true 3D interface would really be the right way to go.
> However, I suspect that good performance will be tough to achieve - a
> triangular tesselation of the world will have at least 4 times as many
> polygons as cells, so the small 60x30 map will have 8000 polygons or
> more, not counting polygons for units and such.  Xconq also gets to
> abstract things that would have to be handled more concretely in a 3D
> game.  What would an infantry division look like in 3D, and how would
> you make it look different from a brigade?
> 
> Even so, I think it would be cool to put a 3D frontend on the game
> some day, and to that end I've been reading up on what's happening
> with 3D technology, modelling, etc.
> 

In fact I did not try to tempt you with 3D rendering at all. It turns out
that GL is a very fast and versatile 2d canvas if you choose to look at it
this way. In 2d, software rendering is fast enough and if any compatible
hardware is sitting in the box (which will be the norm in a year or two, I
think), it becomes insanely faster. Even if you don't choose to compare
with Tk's canvas.

Jan