ANGLE (software)

Last updated
ANGLE
Developer Google
Written in C++
Platform Cross-platform
Type Graphics engine
License BSD 3-Clause License
Website angleproject.org
Repository

ANGLE (Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine) is an open source, cross-platform graphics engine abstraction layer developed by Google. [1] ANGLE translates OpenGL ES 2/3 calls to Direct3D 9, 11, OpenGL, Vulkan or Metal API calls. [2] [3] [4] [5] It is a portable version of OpenGL but with limitations of OpenGL ES standard. [6] [7]

Contents

The API is mainly designed to bring up a high-performance OpenGL compatibility to Microsoft Windows and to web browsers such as Chromium by translating OpenGL calls to Direct3D, which has much better driver support on Windows systems. [3] [4] [5] On Windows, there are two backend renderers for ANGLE: the oldest one uses Direct3D 9.0c, while the newer one uses Direct3D 11. [8]

ANGLE is currently used by Google Chrome (embedded into the Blink browser engine), Firefox, [9] Edge, WebKit, and the Qt Framework. [10] The engine is also used by Windows 10 for compatibility with apps ported from Android. [11] Throughout 2019, the Apple team contributed a Metal API backend for the ANGLE so Apple devices could run on their native graphics APIs. [12]

ANGLE is distributed under a BSD-license.

History

The project started as a way for Google to bring full hardware acceleration for WebGL to Windows without relying on OpenGL graphics drivers. Google initially released the program under the BSD license. [13]

The current production version (2.1.x) implements OpenGL ES 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 and EGL 1.5, claiming to pass the conformance tests for both. Work was started on then future OpenGL ES 3.0 version, [8] for the newer Direct3D 11 backend. [14]

The capability to use ANGLE in a Windows Store app was added in 2014. [11] Microsoft contributed support for lower feature levels to the project. Supporting CoreWindow and SwapChainPanel in ANGLE's EGL allows applications to run on Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1, and later. [15]

Level of OpenGL ES support via backing renderers

Direct3D 9Direct3D 11Desktop GLGL ESVulkanMetal
OpenGL ES 2.0completecompletecompletecompletecompletecomplete
OpenGL ES 3.0completecompletecompletecompletecomplete
OpenGL ES 3.1incompletecompletecompletecomplete
OpenGL ES 3.2in progressin progresscomplete
Direct3D 9Direct3D 11Desktop GLGL ESVulkanMetal
Windows completecompletecompletecompletecomplete
Linux completecomplete
macOS completecomplete
iOS complete
ChromeOS completePlanned
Android completecomplete
GGP (Stadia) complete
Fuchsia complete

Software utilizing ANGLE

ANGLE is currently used in a number of programs and software.

References

  1. ↑ "Google Announces Angle – Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine – so OpenGL ES can run over DirectX 9 – khronos.org news". Khronos.org. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "ANGLE". Skia. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Google's Angle brings OpenGL to Windows". I-programmer.info. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Chromium gets GPU acceleration – The H Open: News and Features". H-online.com. 30 August 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 Bridge, Henry (18 March 2010). "Chromium Blog: Introducing the ANGLE Project". Blog.chromium.org. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "angle/angle - Git at Google". chromium.googlesource.com. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  7. ↑ ANGLE: OpenGL on Vulkan, 11 May 2018, retrieved 8 July 2021
  8. 1 2 3 "angleproject – ANGLE: Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine – Google Project Hosting". 25 March 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 "(WebGL) How to Enable Native OpenGL in your Browser (Windows)". Geeks3D. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Graphics on Windows from a different angle | Qt Blog". Qt. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "ANGLE: Running OpenGL ES 2.0 Graphics Code on Windows". channel9.msdn.com. 30 April 2015.
  12. 1 2 "WebGL 2.0 Achieves Pervasive Support from all Major Web Browsers". The Khronos Group. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  13. ↑ Shankland, Stephen (25 March 2014). "Google aims for easier 3D Web on Windows – CNET". News.cnet.com. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  14. ↑ https://angleproject.googlecode.com/files/ANGLE%20and%20Cross-Platform%20WebGL%20Support.pdf Archived 11 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine .
  15. ↑ "ANGLE for Windows Store Wiki". Microsoft Corp.
  16. ↑ "Dev snapshot: Godot 4.2 dev 6".
  17. ↑ "[macOS/Windows] Add optional ANGLE backed OpenGL renderer support (Runtime backend selection). By bruvzg · Pull Request #72831 · godotengine/Godot". GitHub .
  18. ↑ "ANGLE for Windows Store – NuGet Package". www.nuget.org. 29 May 2015.
  19. ↑ "FAQ #2570 : Questions : Stellarium". answers.launchpad.net. 19 July 2014.
  20. ↑ VideoGameCredits (27 June 2014). "Shovel Knight (Credits) (PC)" – via YouTube.
  21. ↑ Jagex (2 February 2016). "Dev Blog - NXT - Can I Run It? - News - RuneScape". services.runescape.com.
  22. ↑ Foundation, Krita (28 September 2017). "Krita 3.3.0 - Krita". krita.org.
  23. ↑ Chote, Paul (31 January 2021). "Playtest 20210131". OpenRA .
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