3 ms·

I peeked at the source code of the shaders, it looks like it is metal for the web. I don't get how a closed API like metal could be the future of an open intern

by acoye 9y ago

I peeked at the source code of the shaders, it looks like it is metal for the web. I don't get how a closed API like metal could be the future of an open internet. Yet it can start a discussion.

Jare 9y ago
It's meant to be a starting point: "We expect the discussions around the shading language to be one of the most fun parts of the standardization process, and look forward to hearing community opinions. For our WebGPU prototype, we decided to defer the issue and just accept an existing language for now. Since we were building on Apple platforms we picked the Metal Shading Language."
- striking 9y ago
  As someone who likes developing OpenGL apps in his spare time, that handwaving actually bothered me. Of course Apple's going to pick Metal's shader language, they don't fully support anything else! They're still on OpenGL 4.1 in their drivers, even though those GPUs support GL 4.5, in what seems to be an effort to move graphics devs to supporting Metal. I have no idea why anyone would let them near an open graphics spec discussion after such a stunt.
  - fiala__ 9y ago
    well that's precisely why the discussion is open – Apple can come in with their (arguably selfish) ideas, but they can't impose them on other big players such as MS, Google and Mozilla. In an ideal world this prevents the final common API from only working for one of them.
  - pjmlp 9y ago
    Just like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. Apple had their own 3D API in the old days, Quickdraw 3D. They only played nice with OpenGL, because of NeXT acquisition, NeXTSTEP had Renderman and OpenGL, and they needed to bring developers into their eco-system to avoid closing doors. Now the bank is full and with graphics middleware, a 3D API is just another interface implementation for the scene graph rendering calls, that are actually used. Metal is already supported by the majority of engines that matter in the industry, with Qt in the process of adopting configurable backends as well.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
- Jasper_ 9y ago
  In their latest proposals, they're actually proposing a variant of HLSL which they call "Secure HLSL": https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/issues/42 https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/issues/42

by acoye 9y ago

I peeked at the source code of the shaders, it looks like it is metal for the web. I don't get how a closed API like metal could be the future of an open internet. Yet it can start a discussion.

Jare 9y ago

It's meant to be a starting point: "We expect the discussions around the shading language to be one of the most fun parts of the standardization process, and look forward to hearing community opinions. For our WebGPU prototype, we decided to defer the issue and just accept an existing language for now. Since we were building on Apple platforms we picked the Metal Shading Language."

striking 9y ago
As someone who likes developing OpenGL apps in his spare time, that handwaving actually bothered me. Of course Apple's going to pick Metal's shader language, they don't fully support anything else! They're still on OpenGL 4.1 in their drivers, even though those GPUs support GL 4.5, in what seems to be an effort to move graphics devs to supporting Metal. I have no idea why anyone would let them near an open graphics spec discussion after such a stunt.
- fiala__ 9y ago
  well that's precisely why the discussion is open – Apple can come in with their (arguably selfish) ideas, but they can't impose them on other big players such as MS, Google and Mozilla. In an ideal world this prevents the final common API from only working for one of them.
- pjmlp 9y ago
  Just like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. Apple had their own 3D API in the old days, Quickdraw 3D. They only played nice with OpenGL, because of NeXT acquisition, NeXTSTEP had Renderman and OpenGL, and they needed to bring developers into their eco-system to avoid closing doors. Now the bank is full and with graphics middleware, a 3D API is just another interface implementation for the scene graph rendering calls, that are actually used. Metal is already supported by the majority of engines that matter in the industry, with Qt in the process of adopting configurable backends as well.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
Jasper_ 9y ago
In their latest proposals, they're actually proposing a variant of HLSL which they call "Secure HLSL": https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/issues/42 https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/issues/42