The Kronos Group has just announced that it has publicly released the specifications for its 3D graphics API (Application Programming Interface), OpenGL. The new release, OpenGL 3.1, includes the GLSL 1.4, a new version of the OpenGL shading language, and enables enhanced access to programmable graphics offered by the latest generation of computer graphics solutions. In addition, the new API offers enhanced vertex processing, expanded texturing functionality and increased buffer management flexibility. Hours after the announcement, Santa Clara, California-based NVIDIA has announced its support for the new API with a BETA release of its GeForce graphics drivers.

 

“The rapid nine month development of OpenGL 3.1 demonstrates the schedule-driven approach to the standard that is enabling and inspiring cutting edge, cross-platform GPU functionality,” said Barthold Lichtenbelt, chair of the OpenGL ARB working group at Khronos. “OpenGL 3.1 answers the requests from the developer community to streamline and modernize the OpenGL API. The OpenGL ARB will continue to leverage the unique evolutionary model introduced in OpenGL 3.0 to drive the ongoing revolution in OpenGL while ensuring backwards compatibility where it is needed.”

 

With the release, NVIDIA has hurried to implement the necessary support for its latest GeForce and Quadro FX mobile and desktop graphics solution. According to the graphics chip maker, the OpenGL 3.1 specifications are supported by all GeForce graphics cards, starting from the G80-based GPUs and the following Quadro FX products: Quadro FX 370, 570, 1700, 3700, 4600, 4700x2, 4800, 5600, 5800, Quadro VX200, Quadro CX, for desktop and the Quadro FX 360M, 370M, 570M, 770M, 1600M, 1700M, 2700M, 3600M, 3700M for notebooks.

 

Some of the new features available with the new OpenGL 3.1 include Texture Buffer Objects, Signed Normalized Textures, Uniform Buffer Objects and more samplers.

 

Users who want to add support for the latest version of the OpenGL API to their NVIDIA graphics cards, can do so following the links below:

GeForce Driver Release 182.47 Beta for Windows XP 32-bit

GeForce Driver Release 182.47 Beta for Windows XP 64-bit

GeForce Driver Release 182.47 Beta for Windows Vista 32-bit

GeForce Driver Release 182.47 Beta for Windows Vista 64-bit