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RenderWare Games
RenderWare is a video game engine developed by British game developer Criterion Software. Overview Released in 1993, RenderWare was a 3D API and graphics rendering engine used in video games, Active Worlds, and some VRML browsers. RenderWare was developed by Criterion Software Limited, then a subsidiary of Canon. It originated in the era of software rendering on CPUs prior to the appearance of GPUs, competing with other libraries such as Argonaut Games's BRender and RenderMorphics' Reality Lab (the latter was acquired by Microsoft and became Direct3D). Renderware 4 was revealed at GDC 2004. It was licensed over 200 times. The scope went towards an integrated middleware with low level APIs for rendering, physics, audio, AI all of which are extensible through plug-ins which also serve the official high-level API. The aim was to reduce the learning curve by also including service and support for licensees. With RenderWare Studio an integrated development environment including a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Criterion Software
Criterion Games is a British video game developer based in Guildford. Founded in January 1996 as a division of Criterion Software, it was owned by Canon Inc. until Criterion Software was sold to Electronic Arts in October 2004. Many of the studio's titles were built on the RenderWare engine, which Criterion Software developed. Notable games developed by Criterion include entries in the '' Burnout'' and ''Need for Speed'' series of racing games. As of April 2017, Criterion Games employ approximately 90 people. History Background and foundation (1993–1996) David Lau-Kee, the founder and leader of Canon Inc.'s European research arm, established Criterion Software as a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon in December 1993 and assumed the managing director role for it. At the time, Canon was seeking to establish a multimedia tool development business, while Lau-Kee had been working on interactive 2D image processing techniques and was looking to extend this to 3D image processi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3D Computer Graphics
3D computer graphics, sometimes called Computer-generated imagery, CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional Computer-generated imagery, computer graphics, are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian coordinate system#Cartesian coordinates in three dimensions, Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering digital images, usually 2D images but sometimes 3D images. The resulting images may be stored for viewing later (possibly as an Computer animation, animation) or displayed in Real-time computer graphics, real time. 3D computer graphics, contrary to what the name suggests, are most often displayed on two-dimensional displays. Unlike 3D film and similar techniques, the result is two-dimensional, without visual depth perception, depth. More often, 3D graphics are being displayed on 3D displays, like in virtual reality systems. 3D graphics stand in contrast to 2D computer graphics which t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Direct3D
Direct3D is a graphics application programming interface (API) for Microsoft Windows. Part of DirectX, Direct3D is used to render three-dimensional graphics in applications where performance is important, such as games. Direct3D uses hardware acceleration if available on the graphics card, allowing for hardware acceleration of the entire 3D rendering pipeline or even only partial acceleration. Direct3D exposes the advanced graphics capabilities of 3D graphics hardware, including Z-buffering, W-buffering, stencil buffering, spatial anti-aliasing, alpha blending, color blending, mipmapping, texture blending, clipping, culling, atmospheric effects, perspective-correct texture mapping, programmable HLSL shaders and effects. Integration with other DirectX technologies enables Direct3D to deliver such features as video mapping, hardware 3D rendering in 2D overlay planes, and even sprites, providing the use of 2D and 3D graphics in interactive media ties. Direct3D contains ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reality Lab
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 providing real-time rendering that would run with acceptable performance on graphics cards or the host computer's CPU. Founded in 1992 by Servan Keondjian, Doug Rabson and Kate Seekings, RenderMorphics was purchased by Microsoft in February 1995 and Reality Lab formed the basis for Direct3D. Microsoft's acquisition statement of RenderMorphics contained a description of Reality Lab: Architecturally Reality Lab was then separated into a low layer immediate mode API and layered upon it the original scene graph API which was afterwards called retained mode API. Direct3D shipped for the first time in the DirectX 2.0 SDK in June 1996. See also * Qube Software * Gli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BRender
Argonaut Games is a British video game developer founded in 1982. It was known for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES video game ''Star Fox (1993 video game), Star Fox'' and its supporting Super FX chip, and for ''Croc: Legend of the Gobbos'' and the ''Starglider'' series. The company was liquidated in late 2004, and ceased to exist in early 2007. It was relaunched in 2024. History Founded as Argonaut Software by teenager Jez San in 1982, the company name is a play on his name (J. San) and the mythological story of ''Jason and the Argonauts (1963 film), Jason and the Argonauts''. Its head offices were in Colindale, London,Company Summary [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Argonaut Games
Argonaut Games is a British video game developer founded in 1982. It was known for the Super NES video game '' Star Fox'' and its supporting Super FX chip, and for '' Croc: Legend of the Gobbos'' and the '' Starglider'' series. The company was liquidated in late 2004, and ceased to exist in early 2007. It was relaunched in 2024. History Founded as Argonaut Software by teenager Jez San in 1982, the company name is a play on his name (J. San) and the mythological story of '' Jason and the Argonauts''. Its head offices were in Colindale, London,Company Summary . Argonaut Games. 29 October 1996. Retrieved on 21 May 2016. "Argonaut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Processing Unit
A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor, or just processor, is the primary Processor (computing), processor in a given computer. Its electronic circuitry executes Instruction (computing), instructions of a computer program, such as arithmetic, logic, controlling, and input/output (I/O) operations. This role contrasts with that of external components, such as main memory and I/O circuitry, and specialized coprocessors such as graphics processing units (GPUs). The form, CPU design, design, and implementation of CPUs have changed over time, but their fundamental operation remains almost unchanged. Principal components of a CPU include the arithmetic–logic unit (ALU) that performs arithmetic operation, arithmetic and Bitwise operation, logic operations, processor registers that supply operands to the ALU and store the results of ALU operations, and a control unit that orchestrates the #Fetch, fetching (from memory), #Decode, decoding and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canon (company)
Canon Inc. (; Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ) is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Ōta, Tokyo, specializing in optical, imaging, and industrial products, such as lenses, cameras, medical equipment, Image scanner, scanners, Printer (computing), printers, and Semiconductor device fabrication, semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Canon has a primary listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the TOPIX Core 30 and Nikkei 225 indexes. It used to have a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Name The company was originally named (). In 1934, it produced the ''Kwanon'', a prototype for Japan's first-ever 35mm camera with a focal-plane-based shutter. In 1947, the company name was changed to ''Canon Camera Co., Inc.'', shortened to ''Canon Inc.'' in 1969. The name Canon comes from Buddhist bodhisattva (), previously transliterated as Kuanyin, Kwannon, or Kwanon in English. History 1933–1970 The origins of Canon date ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Criterion Games
Criterion Games is a British video game developer based in Guildford. Founded in January 1996 as a Division (business), division of Criterion Software, it was owned by Canon Inc. until Criterion Software was sold to Electronic Arts in October 2004. Many of the studio's titles were built on the RenderWare engine, which Criterion Software developed. Notable games developed by Criterion include entries in the ''Burnout (series), Burnout'' and ''Need for Speed'' series of racing video game, racing games. As of April 2017, Criterion Games employ approximately 90 people. History Background and foundation (1993–1996) David Lau-Kee, the founder and leader of Canon Inc.'s European research arm, established Criterion Software as a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon in December 1993 and assumed the managing director role for it. At the time, Canon was seeking to establish a multimedia tool development business, while Lau-Kee had been working on interactive 2D image processing techni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
VRML
VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language, pronounced ''vermal'' or by its initials, originally—before 1995—known as the Virtual Reality Markup Language) is a standard file format for representing 3-dimensional (3D) interactive vector graphics, designed particularly with the World Wide Web in mind. It has been superseded by X3D. WRL file format VRML is a text file format where, e.g., vertices and edges for a 3D polygon can be specified along with the surface color, UV-mapped textures, shininess, transparency, and so on. URLs can be associated with graphical components so that a web browser might fetch a webpage or a new VRML file from the Internet when the user clicks on the specific graphical component. Animations, sounds, lighting, and other aspects of the virtual world can interact with the user or may be triggered by external events such as timers. A special Script Node allows the addition of program code (e.g., written in Java or ECMAScript) to a VRML file. V ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Active Worlds
''Active Worlds'' is an online virtual world, developed by ActiveWorlds Inc., a company based in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and launched on June 28, 1995. Users assign themselves a name, log into the ''Active Worlds'' universe, and explore 3D virtual worlds and environments that others have built. ''Active Worlds'' allows users to own worlds and universes, and develop custom 3D content. The browser has web browsing capabilities, as well as voice chat, and basic instant messaging features. History In the summer of 1994, Ron Britvich created ''WebWorld'', the first 2.5D world where tens of thousands could chat, build and travel. ''WebWorld'' operated on the Peregrine Systems Inc. servers as an after-hours project until Britvich left the company to join Knowledge Adventure Worlds (KAW) in the fall of that year. In February 1995, KAW spun off their 3D Web division to form the company Worlds Inc. Britvich was eventually joined by several other developers, and the renamed ''AlphaW ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
