Apple has just posted the fourth beta version of the iPhone SDK for download. Among other improvements, this release brings the notable inclusion of OpenGL ES support in the iPhone simulator. Developers can now test, tune, and debug their OpenGL ES code with ease, which is great news for the millions of us anxiously clutching our iPhones in anticipation of the June launch of the iTunes App Store.
OpenGL ES (OpenGL for Embedded Systems) is defined and promoted by the Khronos Group, an industry consortium interested in open graphics and multimedia APIs.
OpenGL® ES is a royalty-free, cross-platform API for full-function 2D and 3D graphics on embedded systems – including consoles, phones, appliances and vehicles. It consists of well-defined subsets of desktop OpenGL, creating a flexible and powerful low-level interface between software and graphics acceleration. OpenGL ES includes profiles for floating-point and fixed-point systems and the EGL™ specification for portably binding to native windowing systems. OpenGL ES 1.X is for fixed function hardware and offers acceleration, image quality and performance. OpenGL ES 2.X enables full programmable 3D graphics.
OpenGL ES is the official graphics API of the Symbian OS and Android mobile platforms and is also supported by the Playstation 3.
