Reality Lab
Encyclopedia
Reality Lab was a 3D computer graphics
API created by RenderMorphics to provide a standardized interface for writing games. It was one of the main contenders in the realtime 3D middleware marketplace at the time, alongside Criterion Software's RenderWare
and Argonaut Software's BRender.
Reality Lab was a scene graph
API that would run with acceptable performance on graphics cards or the host computer's CPU. After a short time on the market, RenderMorphics was purchased by Microsoft
in February 1995 and Reality Lab formed the basis for Direct3D (splitting into separate immediate mode and retained mode APIs). Direct3D
shipped for the first time in the DirectX
2.0 SDK in June 1996. At the time Reality Lab was being created, graphics cards were very simple and only helped with the final step of the rendering process. As the cards gained functionality, the original Reality Lab based Direct3D changed considerably into its modern form.
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
API created by RenderMorphics to provide a standardized interface for writing games. It was one of the main contenders in the realtime 3D middleware marketplace at the time, alongside Criterion Software's RenderWare
RenderWare
RenderWare is a computer and video game middleware from British games developer Criterion Software.-Overview:RenderWare is a 3D API and graphics rendering engine used in video games, Active Worlds, and some VRML browsers...
and Argonaut Software's BRender.
Reality Lab was a scene graph
Scene graph
A scene graph is a general data structure commonly used by vector-based graphics editing applications and modern computer games. Examples of such programs include Acrobat 3D, Adobe Illustrator, AutoCAD, CorelDRAW, OpenSceneGraph, OpenSG, VRML97, and X3D....
API that would run with acceptable performance on graphics cards or the host computer's CPU. After a short time on the market, RenderMorphics was purchased by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
in February 1995 and Reality Lab formed the basis for Direct3D (splitting into separate immediate mode and retained mode APIs). Direct3D
Direct3D
Direct3D is part of Microsoft's DirectX application programming interface . Direct3D is available for Microsoft Windows operating systems , and for other platforms through the open source software Wine. It is the base for the graphics API on the Xbox and Xbox 360 console systems...
shipped for the first time in the DirectX
DirectX
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,...
2.0 SDK in June 1996. At the time Reality Lab was being created, graphics cards were very simple and only helped with the final step of the rendering process. As the cards gained functionality, the original Reality Lab based Direct3D changed considerably into its modern form.