3D graphics have become so popular, particularly in video games, that specialized

API An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how ...

s (application programming interfaces) have been created to ease the processes in all stages of computer graphics generation. These APIs have also proved vital to computer graphics hardware manufacturers, as they provide a way for

programmer A computer programmer, sometimes referred to as a software developer, a software engineer, a programmer or a coder, is a person who creates computer programs — often for larger computer software. A programmer is someone who writes/creates ...

s to access the hardware in an abstract way, while still taking advantage of the special hardware of any specific graphics card. The first 3D graphics framework was probably

Core Core or cores may refer to: Science and technology * Core (anatomy), everything except the appendages * Core (manufacturing), used in casting and molding * Core (optical fiber), the signal-carrying portion of an optical fiber * Core, the central ...

, published by the ACM in 1977.

Low-level 3D API

These APIs for 3D computer graphics are particularly popular: *

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 a ...

(a subset of DirectX) * Glide *

Mantle A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that. Mantle may refer to: *Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear **Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...

developed by AMD. *

Metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typica ...

developed by Apple. * OptiX 7.0 and Latest developed by NVIDIA. *

OpenGL OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, cross-platform application programming interface (API) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. The API is typically used to interact with a graphics processing unit (GPU), to achieve hardwa ...

and the OpenGL Shading Language * OpenGL ES 3D API for embedded devices *

QuickDraw 3D QuickDraw 3D, or QD3D for short, is a 3D graphics API developed by Apple Inc. (then Apple Computer, Inc.) starting in 1995, originally for their Macintosh computers, but delivered as a cross-platform system. QD3D was separated into two layers. ...

developed by Apple Computer starting in 1995, abandoned in 1998 *

RenderMan The name RenderMan can cause confusion because it has been used to refer to different things developed by Pixar Animation Studios: * RenderMan Interface Specification (RISpec), an open API (technical specification) developed by Pixar for a standard ...

* Vulkan * LibGCM *

ANGLE In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the '' sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. Angles a ...

, web browsers graphics engine, a cross-platform version of the OpenGL wrapper for the web

Web-based API

* WebGL is a JavaScript interface for OpenGL-ES-2.x API, promoted by Khronos. This is gaining more interest recently, as this enables web applications to use native graphics.

High-level 3D API

There are also higher-level 3D scene-graph APIs which provide additional functionality on top of the lower-level rendering API. Such libraries under active development include:
BGFX
* ClanLib *

Crystal Space Crystal Space is a framework for developing 3D applications written in C++ by Jorrit Tyberghein and others. The first public release was on August 26, 1997. It is typically used as a game engine but the framework is more general and can be use ...

HOOPS 3D Graphics System HOOPS Visualize is a 3D computer graphics designed to render graphics across both mobile and desktop platforms. Features The program features a unified API that allows users to add interactive 3D visualization to both desktop and mobile applicat ...

* Horde3D * Irrlicht Engine *

Java 3D Java 3D is a scene graph-based 3D application programming interface (API) for the Java platform. It runs on top of either OpenGL or Direct3D until version 1.6.0, which runs on top of Java OpenGL (JOGL). Since version 1.2, Java 3D has been deve ...

* Java FX * JMonkey Engine * JT Open from Siemens Digital Industries Software
magnum
*

Mobile 3D Graphics API The Mobile 3D Graphics API, commonly referred to as M3G, is a specification defining an API for writing Java programs that produce 3D computer graphics. It extends the capabilities of the Java ME, a version of the Java platform tailored for emb ...

(M3G; JSR-184) * OGRE *

OpenGL Performer {{unreferenced, date=September 2009 OpenGL Performer, formerly known as IRIS Performer and commonly referred to simply as Performer, is a commercial library of utility code built on top of OpenGL for the purpose of enabling hard real-time visual sim ...

OpenSceneGraph OpenSceneGraph is an open-source 3D graphics application programming interface (library or framework), used by application developers in fields such as visual simulation, computer games, virtual reality, scientific visualization and modeling. ...

(now obsolete OSG.JS for WebPlatforms) * OpenSG * QSDK
RAMSES
*

RenderWare RenderWare is a video game engine developed by British game developer Criterion Software. Overview Released in 1993, RenderWare is a 3D API and graphics rendering engine used in video games, Active Worlds, and some VRML browsers. RenderWare ...

Panda3D Panda3D is a game engine that includes graphics, audio, I/O, collision detection, and other abilities relevant to the creation of 3D games. Panda3D is free, open-source software under the revised BSD license. Panda3D's intended game-development ...

* Zea Engine * Unigine *

VTK The Visualization Toolkit (VTK) is an open-source software system for 3D computer graphics, image processing and scientific visualization.''Visualization Handbook'', Academic Press, 2005, Chapter 30: the Visualization Toolkit/ref> VTK is distribu ...

JavaScript-based engines

There is more interest in web browser based high-level API for 3D graphics engines. Some are: *

A-Frame An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized beams, arranged in an angle of 45 degrees or less, attached at the top, like an uppercase lette ...

Blend4Web Blend4Web is a free and open source framework for creating and displaying interactive 3D computer graphics in web browsers. Overview The Blend4Web framework leverages Blender to edit 3D scenes. Content rendering relies on WebGL, Web Audio, ...

CopperLicht CopperLicht is an open-source JavaScript library for creating games and interactive 3D applications using WebGL, developed by Ambiera. The aim of the library is to provide an API for making it easier developing 3D content for the web. It is supp ...

* O3D * StormEngineC *

Three.js Three.js is a cross-browser JavaScript library and application programming interface (API) used to create and display animated 3D computer graphics in a web browser using WebGL. The source code is hosted in a repository on GitHub. Overview ...

* Babylon.js * Verge3D *

X3DOM X3D is a royalty-free ISO/IEC standard for declaratively representing 3D computer graphics. File format support includes XML, ClassicVRML, Compressed Binary Encoding (CBE) and a draft JSON encoding. X3D became the successor to the Virtual ...

* Zea Engine

Flash-based engines

Stage3D Stage3D ( codenamed ''Molehill'') is an Adobe Flash Player API for rendering interactive 3D graphics with GPU-acceleration, within Flash games and applications. Flash Player or AIR applications written in ActionScript 3 may use Stage3D to rend ...

in the 3D library in Flash version 11 and later * Papervision3D and its fork

Away3D Away3D is an open-source platform for developing interactive 3D graphics for video games and applications, in Adobe Flash or HTML5. The platform consists of a 3D world editor (Away Builder),

for Flash

Low-level 3D API

Web-based API

High-level 3D API

JavaScript-based engines

Flash-based engines

See also