The API is defined as a set of functions which may be called by the client program, alongside a set of named integer constants (for example, the constant GL_TEXTURE_2D, which corresponds to the decimal number 3553).

Although it is possible for the API to be implemented entirely in software, it is designed to be implemented mostly or entirely in hardware. The OpenGL specification describes an abstract API for drawing 2D and 3D graphics.

Design Īn illustration of the graphics pipeline process Since 2006, OpenGL has been managed by the non-profit technology consortium Khronos Group. (SGI) began developing OpenGL in 1991 and released it on Japplications use it extensively in the fields of computer-aided design (CAD), virtual reality, scientific visualization, information visualization, flight simulation, and video games. The API is typically used to interact with a graphics processing unit (GPU), to achieve hardware-accelerated rendering.

OpenGL ( Open Graphics Library ) is a cross-language, cross-platform application programming interface (API) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.