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Graymalkin · Jan 19, 2003, 06:00 PM

Unfortunately for me OSX doesn't have any OpenGL hardware support for my Lombard's Rage LT Pro video chip. I don't want to try to run any 3D games on my aging PB, I just want to be able to run some small OpenGL apps I've been trying to port from Windows to OSX. I can do everything but actually run the binaries because OpenGL can't initialize.

I'm wondering if I can force OpenGL to run in software mode so I can at least open these programs to see if they work. They're just practice apps I wrote a year ago learning to use OpenGL. They don't do a whole lot but they've a good learning experience for me. It isn't just my crappy programs that don't work, I can't get any OpenGL apps to run.

Is there a workaround so I don't have to wait until my new PB arrives just to run these programs? I think owners of older iMacs are in the same boat I'm in. Apple decided not to write hardware accelerated drivers for anything older than the Rage128.

The Evener · Jan 20, 2003, 01:58 AM

I'm one the people in that boat -- owner of a tangerine clamshell iBook with a Rage Mobility. I've never wanted support for 3D games per se either, just the odd time that OpenGL is used in applications like iPhoto (the "fade" between photos). Weird thing is, fade transitions work great in iMovie, but I guess it's not using OpenGL hardware for that.

Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to make them run, even in a limited way. Perhaps you could post to the "developers" forum here at MacNN and see if you get any nibbles.

awe · Jan 20, 2003, 06:17 AM

You can use OpenGL with unsupported GPUs, but you have to take care of some stuff while coding:

1. The attribute list of your pixelformat mustn't contain the "NSOpenGLPFAAccelerated" flag.

2. The attribute list of your pixelformat mustn't contain the "NSOpenGLPFAFullScreen" flag and you must not use the "CGLSetFullScreen()" function or "setFullScreen" Obj-C method. "Real" fullscreen modes with page-flipping are not available with unsupported GPUs. If you want to go fullscreen you'll have to create a window that covers the desired screen.

awe

Nai no Kami · Jan 20, 2003, 10:30 AM

I am also with the ones that not plan to run games but would like some features off apps and screensavers to work decently.
I am really sad I cannot run OpenGL stuff.

hELLO wORLD · Jan 20, 2003, 02:00 PM

Like I said long ago in a previous topic here, Nanosaur played very well on my Lombard PowerBook (Rage Pro LT)

I really miss a basic OpenGL support, for screensavers and such...

Isn't it possible to port some UNIX X11 OpenGL support for the Rage Pro to a Darwin .kext driver ?

GoGoReggieXPowars · Jan 20, 2003, 02:10 PM

Originally posted by hELLO wORLD:
Like I said long ago in a previous topic here, Nanosaur played very well on my Lombard PowerBook (Rage Pro LT)

Yes, but wasn't that RAVE application?

hELLO wORLD · Jan 20, 2003, 02:19 PM

Originally posted by GoGoReggieXPowars:
Yes, but wasn't that RAVE application?

Yes, but this card had OpenGL drivers under Mac OS 9 and does render hardware OpenGL...
I made some developments to discover OpenGL, and it worked fine in Mac OS 9.

I have totally abandonned the idea to use OpenGL in Mac OS X with my actual computer...

I have never touched a G4, and I will buy a new Mac when the IBM PPC 970 will be out.

I am satisfied with my Lombard, except no 3D AT ALL...
I will be really surprised with the 970

Graymalkin · Jan 20, 2003, 02:51 PM

Originally posted by awe:
You can use OpenGL with unsupported GPUs, but you have to take care of some stuff while coding:

1. The attribute list of your pixelformat mustn't contain the "NSOpenGLPFAAccelerated" flag.

2. The attribute list of your pixelformat mustn't contain the "NSOpenGLPFAFullScreen" flag and you must not use the "CGLSetFullScreen()" function or "setFullScreen" Obj-C method. "Real" fullscreen modes with page-flipping are not available with unsupported GPUs. If you want to go fullscreen you'll have to create a window that covers the desired screen.

awe

Sweet man, that worked. Since this was pretty much a flat port from Windows to Cocoa I had left all my old flags and full screen tests in the code. I was able to get my triangle and quad test to run and actually display something. Thanks a million.