What is Warp3D?

Warp3D is a project undertaken by Haage & Partner during the summer of 1998 that creates a standard API for programmers to access 3D hardware on the Amiga. It is similar in design to the Picasso96 drivers for graphic cards or WarpOS for PPC. It operates in a similar way to the 3DFX Glide drivers allowing a standardised way to write software for all 3D cards. It is hoped that this will encourage the release of other 3D cards, moving away from the chicken and egg scenario of new hardware with no software to run on it. If the application uses the Warp3D API, implemented as a shared library, all current and future hardware will run the software.

Warp3D works on both CyberGFX and Picasso96 systems and is planned to support both 68K and PPC applications. The PPC version will run under the Haage & Partner PPC kernel, WarpOS. In a move that has gained increasing support from the Amiga market the drivers have been released as freeware as long as Warp3D is not used by illegally developed software, such as the numerous Quake PPC ports available. Since the November 1998 there have been a number of minor updates. To read more about the Warp3D visit the Haage & Partner site at http://www.haage-partner.com

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